What Questions Should a Prospective Employee Ask? 569
Mortimer.CA writes "Even though things aren't great in the economy, it's prudent to plan ahead to when things (hopefully) pick up. In light of that, I'd like to update a previously asked question in case things have changed over the last four years: What do you ask every new (prospective) employer? When you're sitting in the interview room after they've finished grilling you, there's usually an opportunity to reciprocate. There will be some niche questions for specializations (sys admin, programming, PM, QA, etc.), but there are some generic ones that come to mind, such as: what is the (official) dress code?"
Similarly, what questions should you avoid? Read on for the rest of Mortimer.CA's thoughts.
He continues with these suggestions:"What about my resume caught your eye? What hardware/software am I expected to use at my desktop (e-mail, OS, editor, source control, etc.)? Are there team lunches or get-togethers? What are your goals for the next six months, one year, three years? What ticket/issue tracking system do you use? Do you have separate build/stage/QA/etc. environments? How do you keep track of documentation? What are your full names (so I can Google them)? What are the typical hours of the team members? Those are some of the ones I've thought of after some digging around. Are there the generic ones that you ask? What are some question for various niches? (e.g., for sysadmins: what config mgmt software do you use?)"
"What color m&ms do you prefer?" (Score:2, Funny)
n/t
Bye, bye job (Score:5, Funny)
Do you have manditory drug testing?
the obvious question is (Score:1, Funny)
Are you a slashdotter?
My favourite (Score:5, Funny)
"I've worked in England and the policy on assault is pretty strict there. If you hit somone, immediate dismissal. What's your policy here? [cracks knuckles]"
Legendary question in by a candidate for a job in Sweden.
What are your internet usage rules here? (Score:2, Funny)
Management (Score:5, Funny)
Just how [in]competent is the management here?
Re:Bye, bye job (Score:5, Funny)
Do you keep your buttocks clean? (Score:4, Funny)
Call them "friendo" and flip a coin... (Score:3, Funny)
... then ask them to call it, heads or tails?
Re:"What color m&ms do you prefer?" (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Bye, bye job (Score:5, Funny)
Re:How often do people get promoted (Score:1, Funny)
No, that makes it sound like you already don't like the job you haven't even been offered yet. Instead, ask about career paths, ask where your co-workers came from (internal new-hires, transfers/promotions, etc.), and where former group members are now. Asking how often people get promoted makes you sound like a civil servant "wannabe", probably not your best interview tactic.
So I guess asking: "If I start working for you now, how much time will I have until your next round of mass layoffs is planned to unfold?" is out of the question too?
Re:"What color m&ms do you prefer?" (Score:5, Funny)
What if the answer is an overly active sex life and a lack of commitment to one particular women?
In this economy? (Score:5, Funny)
The only question I can think of is,
"Are you hiring?"
Re:Do you keep your buttocks clean? (Score:5, Funny)
"So that i don't dirty my lips when i kiss them!"
Interviewer scribbles: Not a team player.
Re:"What color m&ms do you prefer?" (Score:5, Funny)
What if the answer is an overly active sex life and a lack of commitment to one particular women?
Then you've just made a new friend\wingman "giggity giggity goo, alright". You should then follow up with questions about company health care coverage for illegitimate children. Don't judge us! Swingers are people too!
Re:My favourite (Score:4, Funny)
Written into an employment contract:
"There will be no fighting between staff in the main reception during office hours."
Re:Bye, bye job (Score:3, Funny)
Re:What's for lunch? (Score:2, Funny)
I agree. To some people, this is rather imporant.
Many companies don't have any staff cantine and you can only get bagles within walking distance.
If you're not the packed lunch guy, this is pretty bad.
Ask them if food in the refrigerator is considered communal.
Re:Bye, bye job (Score:5, Funny)
Don't say 'Doin your wife'; don't say 'Doin your wife'
"Doin your... son?"
If your supervisor is female (Score:2, Funny)
Spit or swallow?
Not sure which policy I prefer (Score:3, Funny)
OTOH, your contract allows the beating of customers. They've both got their pros and cons, I guess.
Re:Try the Joel Test (Score:5, Funny)
1. Do you use source control?
No, we expect the source to exercise self-control. It's a grown-up like the rest of us.
2. Can you make a build in one step?
That depends on what we're building. We've built some monumental cluster-fucks with one step. I mean, if you don't want the self-destruct button pressed, then don't make it a big red button that just screams out to be pushed.
3. Do you make daily builds?
On some days.
4. Do you have a bug database?
The biggest on the planet, if not the galaxy!
5. Do you fix bugs before writing new code?
Sometimes, but we usually fix bugs after writing new code.
6. Do you have an up-to-date schedule?
Yes, and it says I'm due at the gym now, so make this snappy.
7. Do you have a spec?
A spec of what?
8. Do programmers have quiet working conditions?
I'm told that some do, somewhere.
9. Do you use the best tools money can buy?
Yes, we use the best commercial tools we can find on Usenet.
10. Do you have testers?
Yes, I never eat a meal without having someone else try it first. If I had a dollar for every time I dodged a cyanide bullet...
11. Do new candidates write code during their interview?
Yes, "SOS" is a code, isn't it?
12. Do you do hallway usability testing?
We used to, but we found our hallways to be quite usable. So we stopped.