The Interview Final Question....

[TSSDNCOP]

Do you have any questions for me?

I have an interview on Monday so have been turning over options in my mind.

My current favourites are what do you think will make me a success in this role and how do you think my qualities will positively impact the team.

But what if these have already been covered? Gah!!!!

I need more. Hit me!!

Good luck to you too demented is it a post you really want?

Never ask a question that you don't genuinely want to know the answer to.

Thanks alexa good to hear it from your side. As the candidate you leave feeling like you should've done more if this question leads to dead air. Sounds as though a genuinely meant "no I feel we have covered all the questions I had" isn't inappropriate.

Please don't ask if there's any reason they wouldn't offer you the position. I have been asked several variations of this and it always puts me off the candidate as I like to reflect on answers and the interview as a whole before providing feedback.

I did a lot of interviewing in my last role & I completely agree with the above. It is so offputting when candidates ask why you wouldn’t offer me the position or the dreaded “how did I do?” I appreciate it’s something everyone wants to know but give the interviewers a chance to reflect! It makes me cringe so much inside.

Personally I’d write down questions (max of 4) in a notebook and discuss at the end with the interviewers. If your questions have been answered (can happen a lot during the process) just say you had that question here but it’s been covered. Also highly recommend taking notes in your interview too; it makes you look very organised and it keeps you on track. It amazes me how many don’t take notes in at all!

As PP stated don’t go OTT with questions I’ve seen it before where you can tell the person has just typed into google “what to ask in an interview” and blankly and constantly nod at you because they don’t care about the answer. They just know they are supposed to ask some questions!

Good luck OP!

What are your biggest successes
A) professionally
B) personally

Actually TT that's the problem. it was assumed I would step up and I have been somewhat pressured into it but no, I'm not sure its what i want. If the chance had come in a year's time maybe, but i don't really feel ready for it. ..it's a strange position to be in and having my CEO and President as two of the interviewers will be weird. Really not looking forward to it.

Ma that sounds scary. Hijack the thread - there sounds like there's some posters here that can give you some help. It sounds like seniors are in favour of you, unlikely therefore they're setting you up to fail. What mechanisms are they going to put in place to help you succeed?

The most standout question I’ve had as an interviewer was when a candidate looked up some of the work I had done recently and asked me pertinent and thoughtful questions about what would happen next as well as the context behind it as it had a slightly different focus to other work the team was doing. It was a really impressive way to finish the interview.

I’d hate to be asked ‘how did I do’ ‘any reason why you wouldn’t give me the job’ etc. What I really want to see is someone having done some research and trying to understand the team or internal culture more.

When I applied from my current job (which I wanted soooooo much!) I asked if there was anything they were concerned about with me. I knew they had reservations about how far away I lived and the previous person they'd interviewed and offered to had ultimately declined because of a (significantly shorter) commute. I wanted to give them the opportunity to say if there were any red flags for them so I could address them. Asked question, they said "do you really not mind travelling all this way" and I was able to say I really, really didn't, I was a seasoned commuter, loved audiobooks, was learning a language while travelling etc. I got the job

Dont want to hijack but apparently the first bit of the interview is a tell us about yourself and your skills bit. How do I make that fresh and interesting when Ive worked for them for the last 18 months and they know all that stuff?

Dementedma, internal interviews are the hardest, I reckon. Really weird situation. The biggest tip that I can give you is not to assume that they know stuff about you already. You might feel that you're stating the obvious, and you can acknowledge this if it makes you feel less awkward, but do the interview in the same way that you would do an interview with strangers. It doesn't matter what they already know, because you need to demonstrate your ability and suitability for the role through the selection process.

People often think it's a done deal for internal candidates, but I don't think that's ever really true. What is often the case is that certain members of the panel might be really rooting for an internal candidate and willing them to do well. So as they have encouraged you to apply, it's likely that you'll have a receptive audience.

The last time I interviewed an internal candidate, we had an exceptionally strong field of applicants but I really wanted the internal chap to do well. At the start of the interview, he was incredibly nervous and started to lose his focus a bit, and I began to think that he wasn't going to pull it off. However, he got back onto more solid ground when he started talking about his experience in a previous organisation, which turned out to be really interesting. What was really helpful is that he allowed his personality and sense of humour to show through, which meant that the entire panel really enjoyed his interview - this makes quite a difference after a long day of asking the same questions over and over! He also used his inside knowledge to great effect by linking his own ideas and experience back to some of the organisation's strategic priorities.

How is performance measured? How do you train new staff? What is the best part of working here in your view?

I asked about opportunities for development in my last interview as it is information not readily available in the public domain and I was genuinely interested which I think is important to show, rather than asking a question just for the sake of it. I was still reeling from being asked what animal I would be and why to be honest!!

I've got an internal promotion board coming up soon, and I would never have even thought to prepare questions to ask the panel.

Is this a thing? Is it a bad sign to simply say that you hope you have demonstrated you are the right person for the post and thank them for their time?

user1471426142 if a candidate asked me that question I would think they were a bit of an arrogant twonk.

Thats useful Alexa.thanks