Ask the Best Questions To Assess Job Fit, Not To Impress The Interviewer

I was recently asked what questions I can ask at the end of an interview to “impress” the interviewer.

I smiled and said, “The premise of your question is wrong.”

An interview is a two-way conversation. The interviewer is gathering information about you. Your job is also to gather information about the role, boss, and organization. One of the best times to do this is with the questions you ask in an interview. 

Therefore, “impressing” your interviewer is not the goal of asking questions. The goal is to understand better about the opportunity so you can determine if it is the right fit for you.

What Are Your Needs and Wants?

So, if we start with the premise that the questions you ask should include eliciting information for you to determine if the role is the right fit, then you need to take a step back to determine what “fight fit” means to you.

A good place to start is with an exercise I call “Needs and Wants.” Grab a piece of paper (or a two-column document will do) and make one heading “Needs” and the other one “Wants.” There is a difference between the two. Needs are those requirements that are non-negotiable for a job. If the job does not offer it, you will not accept an offer because it won’t work for you.

The needs list is often shorter than the wants list, and that is because most people have a limited number of non-negotiables. We understand that there are always tradeoffs in every job, and we will trade off a want for a need but not a need for a want.

To help you with this exercise, here are some areas that might be important to you.

1. The type of organization and work environment. 

2. What skills do you want to use on the job? 

3. The personality and management style of the people that you will work with.

4. Work that is of interest. 

5. Strong beliefs or a sense of purpose that you hold or want the organization to exhibit. 

6. Compensation and benefits. 

7. Commuting requirements.

Your needs list should be no more than five or six items. If you have more than that, ask yourself if it really is a need or a want. 

As an example, if you have a commute of 30 minutes as a need, ask yourself if everything on your list (needs and wants) were a part of this job, would you pass on the job if the commute was 35 minutes? If the answer is yes, then it is a need. If the answer is no, then it is a want. You then must ask yourself at what commute length would it be a no if everything else was satisfied. That is your true need.

You will then write your list of wants using the same seven areas.

What Information Do You Need To Learn?

Once you have this list, it is easier to assemble a list of questions you must ask to obtain information to ensure this opportunity fulfills your needs and many of your wants.

You may have learned some of this important information through the job description or your research about the company regarding your needs and wants. But likely, you will need to gather still more information. So you want to put together your list of questions.

So let’s say that a need for you is to work autonomously. You do not want to be micromanaged, and you want to be able to make appropriate decisions for your level within the organization. These are examples of questions you should ask to understand whether this is possible with this manager in this organization.

• Can you describe the decision-making process within the team or organization?

• How do you support and encourage autonomy among your team members?

• Can you provide examples of how team members at my level have been able to make independent decisions in the past?

Or let's say that financial stability is a need. Make sure you have defined what that means to you first. Now you might be able to get some information about this if it is a public company, but even then, you might want to ask specific questions on this topic to get an insider’s point of view. These might be good ones to get the information you need.

• How has the organization's financial performance been over the past few years?

• What measures does the organization take to ensure financial stability?

• How has the organization been affected by any recent economic or industry-specific challenges?

Go down your list of needs and wants, and write down your questions.

Now you may be unable to ask all your questions in an interview. Therefore, prioritize your questions so you ask the most important ones to address your needs first. This way, if you understand your needs will not be able to be fulfilled, you can bow out of the process.

Asking What Is Important To You Does Impress Interviewers

Interviewers are generally attracted to those candidates that exude confidence. Not the smarmy, overbearing kind, but the kind that means one knows oneself. Asking these questions tells the interviewer that you have taken the time to think through what “fit” means to you. That means for you to say yes, the job meets your needs. If the job meets your needs, you will likely be happy doing it, engaged, and productive. 

Hiring is a risky endeavor. If a hiring manager gets it wrong, it will cost the organization a lot of money, time, and effort. That is why reducing the risk of a bad hire is very important. When you ask questions that are important to determine whether the opportunity is the right one, you are really reducing the risk of a bad hire. You are using the interview as a two-way conversation. Good hiring teams will be impressed with how you are approaching the interview process.

So don’t think you impress hiring teams by coming up with “smart” questions. Impressing them is what your answers to the questions they asked you are for. Take the opportunity when the time comes for you to ask questions, to ask the ones you need to know the answers to that address whether your needs will be met. The interviewer will be glad you did; you will be glad you did.

My Career GPS can help job seekers put their best foot forward by providing the tools for a successful job search. If you need career coaching, resume strategy, interview skills assessment, or LinkedIn profile assistance, she can help. Schedule a 15-minute no-obligation consultation.