Questions from candidates that may catch you off-guard

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How often are you stumped by candidate’s questions? Interviewers have a thousand and one problems that need to be sorted out at work every day, and sometimes even the most seasoned interviewers may not have every detail on hand to give a thorough answer to the questions from candidates.

Worse yet, candidates may make judgement about your company based on your seeming lack of preparation. Although it is quite impossible to formulate answers to every single question, Glassdoor shared 8 questions that candidates may ask during interviews. Use these as a guide on what question themes you can expect from candidates so you can at least think about what you will want to share when a similar question appears in the interview.

1. What do the day-to-day responsibilities of the role look like? If the candidate has done their homework, they will probably know what the major job duties are. What candidates want to know here is the nitty-gritty of job because these little things also play a part in job satisfaction.

2. What are the company’s values? What characteristics do you look for in employees in order to represent those values? Today's candidates pay a lot of attention to company culture, and whether the company’s values align with theirs. Be prepared to talk more about the mission and vision of the company, as well as the personal qualities that the company values.

3. What’s your favourite part about working at the company? How you enjoy the work says a lot about the company culture. Take this opportunity to explain why the candidate should choose your company over others. you can talk about your enthusiasm for the company or the job, but don’t ramble about your actual job duties. You can also focus on sharing your thoughts on the ambience of the company and how different teams work together.

4. What does success look like in this position, and how do you measure it? If time allows, check what the key performance indicators (KPIs) are for the position that the candidate is applying. If possible, go into detail about how their work performance is appraised and how often it is assessed.

5. Are there opportunities for professional development? If so, what do those look like? Here is the opportunity to tell the candidate about the company's learning & development program and to explain to him or her what kind of training is available that is related to the position.

This is also a time when you can share more on the skills that the job entails.

6. Who will I be working most closely with? If you are not in the same department or the same team as what the prospect worker is going to be in, check in advance who the collaborators will be. Also, you may want to share if the role entails cross-functional duties so the candidate can have a better idea of what to expect.

7. What do you see as the most challenging aspect of this job? Again, this question allows candidates to know better about the role and what to expect. Be frank when talking about the challenges because false promises and unrealistic expectation will destroy trust and eventually drive employees away.

8. Is there anything about my background or resume that makes you question whether I am a good fit for this role? This is a good time for you to ask questions about any concerns or doubts that you have about the candidate. You can also have them to clarify any unanswered questions that have come up during the interview.

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