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
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Red pigment is made from insects [wikipedia.org]. I never ate another red M&M in my life.
Who cares? They're not endangered--eat up!
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Red 40 is not derived from bugs: Red 40 [wikipedia.org]
Re:"What color m&ms do you prefer?" (Score:5, Interesting)
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?
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:"What color m&ms do you prefer?" (Score:4, Interesting)
Best question I know is: What is your long term strategy for growth?
You'll get a wide range of responses and it reflects a LOT about how they treat their employees. If they talk much about cost savings, you know from the start your very position will be under periodic scrutiny. If they talk about outsourcing, you know that your job may not be secure, depending on what you do. If they talk about serving the customers and meeting their needs, you know any extra effort you take to serve the customer will be valued.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I can't believe I haven't seen this listed in the discussion yet:
Whether you are interviewing for a sales position or a technical position, you should ask a "sales-closing" question.
You: "Now that you've had a chance to meet me, and to review my qualifications, are there any issues that concern you, that would prevent you from making me an offer?"
Here's your chance to allow the interviewer to tell you what's bothering him or her about you. And your chance to address it.
Interviewer: "Well, I'm really con
Bye, bye job (Score:5, Funny)
Do you have manditory drug testing?
Re:Bye, bye job (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Bye, bye job (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Bye, bye job (Score:5, Funny)
Don't say 'Doin your wife'; don't say 'Doin your wife'
"Doin your... son?"
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.
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."
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.
What's for lunch? (Score:5, Insightful)
Are there a lot of people with kids here? (Score:5, Insightful)
If you want to know how much overtime you're going to work, and how family-friendly a workplace is, find out what the demographics of the company are. If you are single, you may find that an overly family-oriented workplace is going to put extra pressure on you to stay late due to parents needing to take time off to be with their family (doctor visits, holidays, etc). On the other hand, if you have a family, a family-friendly workplace may afford you more time to spend with your family.
Another good question is to ask your interviewer how many times a week he talks to customers. It will give you a good idea of how insulated you will be from customers, and that can give you an idea of whether you want the job or not. A non-customer centric position will probably be slower in promotion, but much lower pressure. A customer centric position will be higher pressure, but the opportunity for professional growth (even if all you want to be is a developer) is enormous.
Re:Are there a lot of people with kids here? (Score:5, Insightful)
Virtual "+1, best answer yet" from me.
In a similar vein, ask about the policy on flexible working (i.e. a compressed or extended working week), and home working. That should give you a good indication of whether you're working for people who want to see results, or just to see you at your desk.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Are there a lot of people with kids here? (Score:4, Interesting)
I work in a family centric place, I am single, and I rarely work late. Everyone is GONE by 5:30pm.
In regards to your second question I think it would be better to ask how often you would be expected to interface with customers as what the boss does may not have anything to do with you. It could be his job to insulate the rest of the staff from clients.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Maybe if there are lots of family people there it is a workplace that values work-life balance? This doesn't always mean dumping crap on the single people.
There are plenty of bosses who will regard exploiting their single employees' weekends and evenings as an excellent alternative to hiring enough staff to get the job done in normal hours. This is regardless of the number of parents employed, because even if they have to pay overtime it will still be cheaper than hiring and training new staff (plus it is e
Re:Are there a lot of people with kids here? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Common wisdom holds that questions around pay, overtime pay policy, 401k, vacation, sick time, etc -- basically "HR stuff" -- should be avoided in first round technical interviews.
Compensation is usually THE DECIDED factor when most people are looking for a job. When I'm interviewing for a position I always ask about compensation, work hours and company policy on PTO and flex time. I've also been in the position where I have interviewed candidates for positions and have always had at the very least 'ballpark' compensation numbers as well as PTO policies.
Re:Are there a lot of people with kids here? (Score:5, Insightful)
In my personal experience, unless you're so in demand that you really don't need an interview anyway, the first person who mentions a monetary figure loses, and if it's the potential employee it's usually worse.
The reasons for this is rather simple. If you underbid, you lose out on cash, no employer on earth will offer you more than you asked for. If you overbid, especially if it's by too much, you risk alienating the employer and are likely to end up not getting what you want.
If on the other hand, they overbid, they don't need to know that and you score. If they underbid, you can refuse, without looking like a greedy asshole and blowing a potential later contact, and if they want you enough, they'll up it.
Salary questions are definitely important, but they're not the be all and end all of getting a job. I value a whole bunch of things above straight dollar figures(so long as the dollars are reasonable of course). Even more importantly, unless you're really strapped for time and don't need the job, negotiating them after they've made an offer will put you in a much stronger position.
As to the general question, the questions you should ask an employer are the questions where the wrong answer means you won't take the job. If you need to have weekends off 100% of the time, ask that, if you need to be able to work flexible hours, ask if you can. If all you're looking for is a paycheck so you don't end up on the street, and you don't really care about anything else. Then you can stick to the pointless crap you ask to show you're interested in the company. Check any employment agency web site and they'll give you a list of them, all they're for is to show you're keen.
The basic rule is that, asking for too much can make you look greedy and cause you problems. Asking too little gets you a job that doesn't meet your needs. The most important skill in life is to know what you need, as opposed to what you want and how far you can go down the want pile and get away with it.
Match salary expectations to expected tenure (Score:5, Interesting)
If you expect to be in and gone in one year, ask for salary on the high end of the scale. If not, try to pick a range that won't see you the first to go at the first round of layoffs.
Remember, some positions are hired on pure speculation - the BDM is "90% sure we're going to get this contract so we have to ramp up". This sort of position is a wee bit volatile, and far too common for comfort. You'll need a bit extra at the end to finance the next job hunt, so don't live too high in the meantime.
Other questions: "What happened to my predecessor?" - If you have no "predecessor" then the job is a new opening. Follow that bit of data with "How is the job funded?" These are the sort of questions that can be hugely useful, as well as make a decent impression. If you don't like the answers, back out with a smile - if the job isn't backed with a good business case, it's waste of everybody's time to proceed further.
What are your internet usage rules here? (Score:2, Funny)
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
What are your internet usage rules here?... Like bandwidth caps 'n stuff?
Might as well walk in and say, "I plan to surf the web all day and work in my spare time!" ;)
Asking about hours (Score:3, Insightful)
There are only two occasions when asking about average employee working hours is appropriate:
1) When you will be contracting with the company and will be charging them an hourly rate with the possibility of overtime
2) You don't really care about getting the job
If you ask in the first situation, you are simply being professional. You want to be able to accurately estimate the amount you will be charging them. It just makes sense, especially since it will end up costing them more to keep you later.
If you ask in the second situation, you are simply lazy and unwilling to be a "team player".
Re:Asking about hours (Score:5, Insightful)
And a virtual "-1, bullshit" to counter my virtual +1 above.
I always ask about the "real working hours" for salaried jobs. Always, barring my very first job (games development, ho ho), which is why I do it now. It doesn't have to come across as lazy - you can spin it as wanting to make an informed decision about whether you're happy committing to the working culture.
If you don't get a job simply because you asked that question, then they were probably planning to work you like a galley slave anyway. Unless that was your goal - and it may be, I was that dumb going into my first job - then you just dodged the bullet.
Re:Asking about hours (Score:4, Insightful)
If you ask in the second situation, you are simply lazy and unwilling to be a "team player".
That seems very strange to me. I have asked about the length of the typical work week at every interview I have ever had. And my lifetime average is about .50 (I get a job offer from about half of my interviews). And I am not a contractor...I have interviewed for salaried positions only.
It is all in the presentation; and how you present yourself will be a function of how you view yourself, the employer, and your potential relationship. If you expect that every employer wants to exploit you and that by asking this you will automatically be sending him a red flag that you cannot be exploited, and therefore that you will not get the job.....or if you see yourself as being basically powerless and the interview is your chance to beg for a job from someone who doesn't really need you but could be convinced to hire you anyway (but only if you are willing to work all the time).....then you have screwed yourself from the get-go.
Remember, employers need employees too, and the successful ones are (quite often) the ones who have managed to retain and motivate talent. Such employers understand the need for work/life balance, and don't want to drive their talent to burn-out (having that happen a few times gets expensive, fast). You are not a selfish bastard for wanting a salary that fits the position's value in the market, your talent level, and the workload. Nor are you a lazy bastard for wanting to have a life outside of work. If you think that asking about salary/workload makes you appear as such, then you need to adjust your self-image. If you think all employers see you this way, then you need to adjust your world-view.
There are some asshole employers, of course. They will try to convince you that there are no jobs available in which you can get away with working less than 60 hours a week, and it goes up from there at crunch time. Also, "salaried" means "you work two jobs, both for me, and only get paid for one, and you like it that way." If the questions you ask reveal that the potential employer is one of these, move on.
The simple fact is....it makes no sense to enter into a relationship if you don't know what the expectations are. Asking what the workload is, and how much it pays, is a simply getting the basic facts. The only concern is timing...if you ask these questions right away it makes you look like a job-hopper, which makes you a risky investment. If you wait till the second interview to ask, it makes it look like you decided that you like the company itself, and are serious about wanting to work there, and are getting the necessary facts. Just do it with the proper professional attitude and any employer worth working for will respond in kind.
Re:Asking about hours (Score:5, Insightful)
Exactly. Employment is a two-way relationship. You wouldn't expect an employer to go out of their way to hire you (and only you) without even reading your CV. Why would any rational employer expect a skilled worker to seek them out and want to work for them (and only them) without knowing anything about what they were getting in return?
Another good one is when a potential employer is really keen to know your previous salary. How could that possibly be relevant to your new job, if you're being judged on merit and they're willing to make an honest offer based on what they think having you in that role will be worth to them? If they ask about what kind of money/package you're looking for, that's fair enough, but it's a different question. Otherwise, they're just trying to force you to give a number first (which is how you lose any negotiation) and pin you with lying at interview otherwise.
Sometimes, saying something to the effect that your current employer asks everyone to keep those details confidential but it's around the market rate will get you off the hook, and if they challenge it, you can ask if they'd really want to recruit someone who would later betray their own confidential information. If they still won't take the hint at that point, personally, I'm thinking about ending the interview. Of course, if you're not willing to walk away from a bad deal, you're going to lose any negotiation anyway, so you might as well just tell them what they want to know.
Employers whose job offers you shouldn't be sad to lose:
Re:Asking about hours (Score:5, Insightful)
If you ask in the second situation, you are simply lazy and unwilling to be a "team player".
Maybe in crazy world. We all have to negotiate a salary, which is worth nothing if you don't know if you have to work five or fifty hours for it per month.
Absolutely true - this is a valid question to ask, after you have entered the salary negotiations phase and not before.
Re:Asking about hours (Score:4, Interesting)
If you're out on a first date, do you immediately ask how much time you'll have to spend with the in-laws? Do you ask how often you're going to get laid? Do you ask how much affection you're required to display publicly? For most people, the answer is no. First you get to know each other, then you find out what each of you expects from the relationship.
Treat a job interview the same as a first date, don't ask the big questions until the relationship between you and your prospective employer is ready to move to the next level. It's not that companies don't want to tell you what's expected up front, but you paint a picture of your priorities based on the questions you ask. If you start the interview with questions about holidays, flex time, etc. the employer might think you're a slacker. If you leave those questions for later, you improve your chances of making a good first impression by showing you're serious about the work and not just looking out for yourself, even if that's exactly what you're doing.
(Sorry for using a dating analogy on /.)
You must have limited experience (Score:4, Insightful)
in interviewing or being interviewed.
Your expression "the interview" reveals this.
Most non-entry level positions are filled by a process involving multiple interviews of multiple candidates over a period of days or weeks, often involving a pool or team of interviewers and a set of candidates that have made it past the initial filters. One of those filters being "the interview" that you have experienced.
Those candidates that pass the initial filters get further probing, meet more of the current staff, and eventually this results in offers for some and opportunities for them to counter.
There's no way a company making an offer is putting you "on the spot". When they do make an offer, the opportunity to ask the questions you so value becomes available. They say we offer $$$. They also offer XXX PTO, such and such working hours, etc. All of this is part of their offer package and subject to discussion and negotiation from the moment the offer is made until an agreement is reached, not before.
If such questions are so important to you that you must have the answers upfront, just send an email to the HR department before you send in your resume. Doing so will save both of us a lot of time and trouble.
Real working hours (Score:4, Interesting)
Details on benefits (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Details on benefits (Score:4, Informative)
Where do you live? Most places by law they have to give you minimum of 2 weeks and Stat Holidays (or atleast same number of days). I would check your rights.
World of difference (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Details on benefits (Score:5, Interesting)
Where is this American "freedom" I keep hearing about? It seems than Americans are free to become slaves to their corporate masters.
We have acceptable labour legislation and single payer health care where I live. I get 3 weeks vacation after a year of employment, overtime after 40 hours a week, protection from many workplace abuses and I can quit my job without losing my health care.
These are basic rights which any worker should have. Economic freedom is also freedom.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
There is a different understanding of freedom.
You suggest that your government telling you that you may not contract with an employer for a job for less than three weeks vacation, no matter how much you'd like to do so, makes you more free.
We suggest that when you are told that you aren't allowed to do something that is otherwise legitimate, you have less choice/less options and are thus less free.
In the US there are industries where most employees have 12 weeks vacation every year. There are even industrie
Re:Details on benefits (Score:5, Insightful)
You suggest that your government telling you that you may not contract with an employer for a job for less than three weeks vacation, no matter how much you'd like to do so, makes you more free.
We suggest that when you are told that you aren't allowed to do something that is otherwise legitimate, you have less choice/less options and are thus less free.
Which would be fine, if negotiations were between parties of equal power.
However, the employment market in many industries is close to an oligopsony. Consequently, prospective employers have far more say in contract writing than prospective employees, there is little effective competition between employers to drive working conditions to a reasonable level, and the negotiating power isn't equal.
One of the valuable roles a government can play in maintaining a healthy society is that it can act as an equaliser in such circumstances. If you're going to allow the creation of artificial legal entities (corporations/shareholders) that disrupt the natural financial system (you work, you get paid; you don't pay, no-one works for you) then there has to be a flip side so that individual citizens don't get screwed as a result.
It's just like monopoly abuse/anticompetitive behaviour, but the other way around: while I'm generally not a fan of excessive regulation of businesses, I also recognise that the natural end result of an unbalanced system will be very bad for most people, so I don't mind the balancing provisions.
You may counter that the companies have all the power in the relationship, so you need the government to have the power and protect you instead. Generally, when the government and companies get together, it's not the employees and customers that win as a result. As long as there are plenty of competitors (the government hasn't set up one company as a monopoly nor over-regulated things to prevent competitors from joining the market), you are better off negotiating with several companies that can use your skills, because they have to compete for your labor.
That's a lovely theory that is nothing like practice, for the reasons above.
You are also entitled to start your own company if you think you can do it better.
I did, thanks, and I'm working fewer hours, for more money, and (here's the telling one) making better products with more satisfied clients.
But the amount of paperwork and admin required to do so, not because it's necessary for the job but because it's necessary to deal with all the government-imposed bureaucracy, is staggering. If you're going to argue that there should be more small, independent companies to keep the system honest and the real workers getting the real rewards, I'll be the first to agree with you, but changes would be needed to allow that on a significantly wider scale than today as well.
Do you mentally make any connection between being forced to give 3 weeks vacation minimum (increasing the cost of employees to employers) and a high unemployment rate among the less skilled? Economists do.
Erm... Right. Or we could just compare the notoriously bad working conditions in countries like the US and Japan with the conditions in places like Europe, Scandanavia, Australia and New Zealand. It's a shame I can't post the little chart I just built from a couple of Wikipedia tables showing unemployment rate and statutory minimum holidays by country, but if you're in any doubt, you might like to try the same exercise.
Granted, this is looking at total unemployment and not just the rate among the less skilled, which is what you mentioned. Even so, with such huge variations in total unemployment levels with the same (higher) level of statutory minimum paid time off, I struggle to believe that increasing that statutory minimum would be economically damaging on any level.
As an alternative theory, I suggest to you that people work better when properly rested an
Re:Details on benefits (Score:4, Insightful)
Bull-shit.
US citizens have far less holiday time than Europeans, but as yet there is no evidence of them being more productive. Anecdotally they seem less so.
And as for individual negotiations, that may work for you or I, with degrees and experience, but anyone without that is screwed. No thanks, government exists to negotiate for the little man and he gets a better life out of it.
The needy among us are the ones that suffer as they will work in any conditions for any money at all. Take your objectivism and stuff it.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
You punish the young, the needy, and the discriminated against who would rather have a job so that they can eventually gain the experience and skills they need to get a better job and make enough to easily support themselves by imposing your preference that they have no job at all rather than one where they'd get less than 3 weeks vacation.
So what's supposed to happen in your world? Young kid leaves school at around 15–16, goes to flip burgers and clean toilets at Maccy D's for a while, and then becomes — what? A skilled tradesman? A doctor or dentist? A teacher? A lawyer? Head of the government? Chief executive of his own business?
I know someone who did in fact start his career flipping burgers and went on to become a qualified engineer, but somehow I think the four years of study at university in between had more to do with his
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
In the US there are industries where most employees have 12 weeks vacation every year.
I hope, I really hope, that this isn't a clueless swing at teachers who "only work a few hours a day and get the whole summer off".
I suppose the question is, what if you preferred to have less than three weeks of vacation time in your job in exchange for some other benefit the company was willing to give you?
Back in the late 90's, as a newly-minted computer-science Ph.D. who was also a hot coder, I quickly worked my way up to a very nice salary, but my employers expected programmers to put in ridiculous overtime on a regular basis. I would gladly have accepted a 50% pay cut in exchange for a 50% cut in actual hours, which realistically would probably have involved only a 25% reduct
Re:Details on benefits (Score:5, Insightful)
DO NOT ask about benefits in the interview, ESPECIALLY in the first interview.
Your mission in the "interview" process is to sell yourself, NOT to negotiate (or even understand) the terms of an offer. Separate the interview process from the negotiation process.
Asking about benefits is comparable to a car sales person asking the prospective buyer about his capability to afford the car. (In other words, you would only do it as a "qualifying question", if you seriously doubted the company's capability to meet your requirements.) Good car sales people get you wanting the car, and sell features of the car before talking details of the offer. Once you want the car, as a potential buyer, you have overcome a major hurdle - it's *this* car over any other, provided we can come to terms. Then they start working the terms.
No, don't talk benefits or pay. Instead, sell yourself, and then once you have them wanting you (instead of hundreds of your competitors), find out the details of the offer. Then feel free to negotiate better terms.
The only 2 exceptions I can think of are if you want to qualify the company, or if you have VERY unusual requirements for benefits. For instance, if you have a dying out-of-town parent, you may want to touch on the vacation issue. This is something that most everyone can be empathetic to, and if you approach it in a way that is honest and human, and shows that you are willing to *give* in order to *get* what you want (like "I have a personal situation with a dying parent and so I'd like to work 50 hour weeks, so that I can take a few extra days off in the first two months. What's the company's flexibility to such short-term arrangements?" ...even that should be a "late in the interviewing process"-type question.
Management (Score:5, Funny)
Just how [in]competent is the management here?
COnsider how it comes across (Score:5, Informative)
Re:COnsider how it comes across (Score:5, Insightful)
"The goal of the interview is to get the offer"
It is not, unless you really want *any* job they could offer (flipping burgers included). If that's not the case, the goal of the interview is not to get the offer but to get the offer *if* it fits both parties. If you can naturally get the questions you are interested in rised during the interview, good, if not, directly question them shows professionality and that you are really interested on the job, not only the paycheck.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Generally though if you're being strategic then you're only applying to offers that are an improvement over your current position and salary. I'm not going to be applying for burger flipping or any other jobs.
Unless of course I'm unemployed, and then quite honestly I would do anything up to and including burger flipping to get some level of income until I find something better.
The reality is any job that you've applied for you should already have done enough filtering to have decided that you DO want the j
Re:COnsider how it comes across (Score:5, Insightful)
I've conducted dozens of programmer interviews, and I totally disagree. The point of the interview is not to get a job, it's to allow both parties a chance to see if this pairing will work. If I can tell that a prospective employee is just concerned with getting hired, that's a huge red flag. I want to hire someone passionate about the same things that my team is passionate about, someone who will have a good sense of humor when we're both still there at 2 AM, and, of course, someone who has the skills required.
The vast majority of candidates, when they get to the "Do you have any questions for us?" bit, just clam up. "Uh, no, not really." Oh? You're about to commit 40+ hours a week to working for me, and you can't think of anything you'd like to get reassurance on before that happens? I think of this part of the interview as a critical thinking test. You're about to be thrown into a new project; what are the important questions to ask?
Sticking to the job is fine; there are a lot of questions that are good to ask there, but I view going outside the job, to questions about fit, demographics, team structure and interaction, etc as a sign of experience. You've got a lot less to worry about from the guy who asks if his cynical style will be a problem than from the guy who doesn't. Questions about fit show me that you know what it takes to make you happy, which is great. We can check to see if our culture matches, if not, no hard feelings. I work in video games, so the attitude might be a bit different; every company says you should be excited about your work, but most people here actually are, and if you're not it's often a problem. The more people like that we can weed out, the better.
As an interviewer, I love the questions the interviewee asks. As parent poster implies, they tell you a lot about what the candidate thinks is important. Questions that focus solely on job function, ignoring job environment, show someone inexperienced or uninterested. If the questions show that the candidate is trying to find a good fit, a place where he can be himself and excel, that's the guy that gets the thumbs up.
Tailor the Questions... (Score:5, Interesting)
The best questions are almost certainly those that are specific to the employer and the job which they might hire you for. These are excellent because they show that you've taken an actual interest in what they are doing and may have something to contribute to the overall team in the first 6 months or so. Which isn't to say that the other questions (e.g., generic "what are employment conditions like on the ground" checks) aren't good, but if the boss-to-be thinks you care, it's a big way to stand out for the better.
Or at least that technique has consistently worked for me so far, and people who ask such things do stand out when you're on the interview panel. Too many people just do generic applications for jobs and don't seem to care what they actually end up doing...
Do you keep your buttocks clean? (Score:4, Funny)
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.
Unfortunately (Score:3, Insightful)
I now have to ask, "Does the company have sufficient funds to meet payroll for the next year?"
Re:Unfortunately (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe a better way to phrase it would be "Through the current financial crisis, what has been the biggest struggle for your company-- bringing in new work, project cycle delays, accounts receivable, cash flow, or credit concerns?" You can follow that up with "How do you see that changing over the next year?"
Are those your kids in the photos... (Score:2)
Documentation (Score:5, Interesting)
'Can I see an example of your code or documentation?'
If they don't keep documentation or their code tends to be messy and undocumented then you're going to spend half your time trying to figure stuff out rather than doing productive (and thus interesting) work. If a company's business is in a complex field (finance for instance) and the code/system has built up over many years there is a fair chance that both will be pretty incomprehensible to start with and if they haven't got reasonably documentation the your job is going to be harder and there is a chance that you'll never feel you full have a grasp on *everything* that is going on.
Apart from that, it will show that you give a damn about documentation and are organised.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
A red-flag is probably if they tell you all of their code is a "trade secret".
A typical day (Score:3, Insightful)
One that I've always fallen back on when "do you have any questions for us?" time comes up is something along the lines of "Can you describe a typical day in the life of someone doing my job?". If they're honest, it generally gives me a feel for a typical day, how much time is spent in meetings, doing documentation, when people come in/leave, etc. I then lead them through things like "how much time do I spend doing change tickets/incident tickets? How much time is spent dealing with email/phone calls/walkups? How much time is spent on call?"
While these questions won't generally alter opinion of the job, it does tell me much more about the "how" as opposed to the general interview "what" and "why". Ultimately the quality of life part of the job is more important than the work, at least, as I grow older and move to more senior (ie: non-helpdesk/NOC) positions. Not hating being at work, being fufilled, challenged and treated with respect is more important at this point than simply advancing or resume building. To find out about the "quality of life" is generally the bent of my questions.
Good searching!
Serious Questions (Score:3, Informative)
What is your culture like?
What do you like about working for (insert company name)?
(If it is a division of a large company) How heavy is the hand of Corporate on your day to day?
What keeps you up at night?
Usually by this point I am as much looking to be sold by the company. I am a product manager and usually seek similar roles. Things like culture, openness, empowerment, etc are usually covered in earlier interviews.
I should also add that I usually spend a fair amount of time researching a company before I even interview. Research their annual reports, investor page, read the SEC filings, look for analyst comments (on public companies), understand their market space, competition, etc. So usually much of this has come across already.
Oh yeah, one more: Do you use SAP? (god, how I have that frickin' program)
Geoff
"Can't you enforce tooling?" (Score:4, Interesting)
What hardware/software am I expected to use at my desktop (e-mail, OS, editor, source control, etc.)?
This (certainly the email and source-control bits) is an excellent question to ask -- not so much because of what the answer as such, but because of your interviewers' reaction to giving the answer. If the interviewers frown or are apologetic about the answers, then that's a big clue that the IT department is run for its own convenience rather than the users' convenience.
For instance, if the email system in use is Outlook, ask if they have IMAP or SIMAP turned on, to enable non-Exchange clients. If the answer is no, then you know that uniformity gets enforced over convenience. You also know that nobody in the company uses any external mailing lists (such as the GCC or Linux kernel lists), as there's no way of posting to those from Exchange without looking like a fool.
If your interviewers sound cross or apologetic when describing the source-control system -- in other words, if the source-control system was dictated by IT without engineering buy-in -- then decline the job. Even if it were theoretically possible to do work in such a company, the excess overhead due to dealing with bureaucracy would make it an inefficient use of your time.
The absolute best answer you could get here is the one a VP of engineering whom I once worked for gave to a compiler vendor whose products we didn't want. "Can't you enforce tooling?", they asked him. "No," he said, "we don't tell Babe Ruth how to hold his bat."
Peter
LOL (Score:5, Insightful)
Pull a stunt like that and you'd strike out if I was interviewing you. To each their own, but fer christ sakes it is an email client not your main development tool!
Once you start asking religious questions like the ones in your post, you start to look like a person who will be very difficult to work with. After all, if you have major demands for extremely minor things like your email client, what kinds of demands are you going to asking for when it comes to actually doing your job?
Right (Score:3, Insightful)
That does indeed change things but you are still in dangerous water without clarifying yourself. If you asked those questions and didn't follow up with keywords like "productivity", "morale", and "TCO" then you are still a prima donna or worse, a religious zealot.
Letting people choose their own email client and develpoment platform might be okay, but it really depends on the organization. If you are hired to grow a development team, you better be well versed in the
Two I consider important (Score:4, Insightful)
1. Health plan - even here in Canada, I consider this important. Even routine dental and prescriptions (not to mentioned uncovered specialists like chiropractors and podiatrists) can cost a fantastic amount of money. Everywhere I've worked for recently had copies of the policy documentation available for interviewees.
2. Overtime policy - This generally doesn't vary much due to have a legislated minimum here (1.5x pay past 8 hours a day (or 12 if that's your schedule) or 40 hours per week), but it's always good to know.
Ask about them... (Score:4, Interesting)
Ask your interviewers how long they've been with the company, and why do they stay? The second one is more important if you're in a current "hot" field where people jump ship quite a bit. It tends to give a little more insight into the corporate culture and those you'll be working with, in my experiences.
Call them "friendo" and flip a coin... (Score:3, Funny)
... then ask them to call it, heads or tails?
Basic rule (Score:5, Insightful)
You want your question to demonstrate your ability to do the job as well as allow you to assess your future bosses and coworkers. So technical questions like "What version control system do you use?" or "What kind of backup system would I be expected to maintain?" are good for talking to technically-oriented managers. For non-technical managers, some good questions might be "How does my work get tested before getting sent out to the users?" and "How are project schedules determined, and what approaches are typically used to keep projects on schedule?".
be on the job in the interview (Score:3, Interesting)
I'd like to show you how I would handle/think about the kinds of problems your team has to solve. Would you tell an issue you faced recently that would have been *my* problem if I'd already been working here? I'll talk out the way I'd try and fix it.
If you're smart, you will have done some research into the company before going to the interview so that you already know what kinds of things they do and the problems they face.
Re: (Score:2)
Also, "This sounds like a really interesting position. Can I meet some of the other people on your team to get a feel for what working here will be like?"
Only One (Score:2)
I try to research the place so that all my questions are specific or at lest relevant rather than general. General questions from HR types are substitutes for real questions, and general questions from anyone can be taken as such.
If, after I've asked my specific questions, they still (and usually do) hit me with "Do you have any questions?" I hit back with "I've tried to research [you] the best I could so I could ask specific questions. In case there are things I've missed, and at the risk of answering a qu
Purpose of an interview (Score:5, Informative)
- There are only two things that the employer wants to know during the interview: "Can you do the job?" and "Are you going to cause trouble?". The information on your resume will answer the first. Your answers and attitude during the interview will answer the second.
- During the interview, focus on proving you are able to do the job and that you will not cause trouble. Trouble would be absenteeism, incompatibility with co-workers, etc. Keep your personal life personal and your special interests and hobbies to yourself unless they directly pertain to the job. If you interests require you to take time off from work, that should come up during the negotiation period and not during the interview. Also, do not bring up money, pay, vacation, training, "team lunches or get-togethers", hours, or other trivial items. This should all be addressed after the job offer has been extended, while you negotiate, and before you start.
- Once the employer has gone through the process of interviewing all of the candidates and decided that you are the best candidate, you should have already prepared a list of priorities for what you want. If you need six weeks of paid vacation per year, if you need to make a certain salary, or if you need to work a certain schedule, that is all negotiable at this point before the job is accepted. For all of the effort they have put into posting a job opening, sorting through all of the applications, spending all that time interviewing, and somehow still decided that you are the best candidate, it is not in the employer's best interest to start the whole process over because you want six weeks of vacation time instead of the normal four. Everything is negotiable.
- If you are asked during the interview how much you are expecting to make at the new position, a correct answer is "I earn $XXXX at my current job and I am certain you will be fair, but I would like to lean more about the company". It does not ignore the question, but it does not put either party in a tight spot or make either party feel guilty. Again, pay is part of negotiation and not part of the interview.
- One item that should be addressed during the interview is asking about company culture: military (directives from management), team (groups work together to solve problems), competitive (individuals work "against" each other), artistic (try to create the best product), etc.
- Another item that should be asked is what the interviewer sees in the job. Each interview may give a different answer from HR, the department head, the department manager, and the team leader. Taking each of those into account will give a better impression of what is expected.
- I suspect that developers and other specialized positions would want to know what type of systems would be used and the development tools required. This, however, should already be answered to the employer by what is listed on the resume. If the tools required are not listed there and the candidate was still being considered, the tools must not matter very much to the employer and they may be willing to offer training on that system. I am not sure asking about what type of hardware, email, ticket tracking, system environment (Dev/QA/UAT/Prod), or documentation system would be used, since those are basically universal and two companies with the same system may use them in different ways and a new hire will need to become oriented with how the company wants to handle details. Also, if questions about dress code, hours worked, overtime availability, weekend catch-up time, or anything else not normally covered in an interview are important to you, s
The thing about "what is your salary requirements" (Score:5, Informative)
The reason most companies ask isn't to stiff you, but to make sure you aren't expecting way more then what they are budgeted for. They don't want to get to negotiations and find out that you were expecting $150k a year when they only had a budget for $90k. If the company is worth its salt, they probably also want to know that you aren't asking for $45k and the market rate is $90k--after all, what is wrong with you at those low prices?
The trick to not pigeon holing yourself is to give them a ballpark. That is all they need--you to put them at ease that they aren't gonna get sticker shock when they hire you.
Give yourself a range of like $20k or so. Make sure that you span the range so that what you really want is somewhere in the lower end of the quote. For example, if you want $90k, make it $85->$100k. Just make sure that the low end is really and truly the absolute minimum you'd accept and the upper bound isn't a huge stretch for your skills and the market rate.
They ask "what is your salary requirements?" You reply "I was hoping for market rate, so ballpark about $80k -> 100k. Obviously that number might be more or less depending on things like my position, hours, benefits. Sound about right?". Now you still have a lot of negotiating power and they don't have to worry that when they want to hire you and need to negotiate salary you aren't gonna ask for $150k.
I once interviewed for a non-profit who asked what my salary requirements were and I said "about $70->$90k" and he immediately shot back "unfortunately we are budgeted for around $55k". With that, we both knew this wasn't gonna work so we didn't bother wasting more time.
That is my strategy. Your mileage may vary.
Re:The thing about "what is your salary requiremen (Score:5, Insightful)
I once interviewed for a non-profit who asked what my salary requirements were and I said "about $70->$90k" and he immediately shot back "unfortunately we are budgeted for around $55k". With that, we both knew this wasn't gonna work so we didn't bother wasting more time.
That is an excellent example of a successful first interview, and one that a job hunter should be prepared for. A good follow-up would be
"Okay, then, I see we don't have a match on this position, but we do have a few minutes remaining for this interview. Are you aware of any positions that are available either with your institution or through your associations with colleagues in other institutions that match my resume and salary requirements?" That is, be prepared for the interview to terminate early because of an obvious bad fit, and be ready to try to turn it into a networking opportunity. The best outcome would be the interviewer saying that "You might try the Foo Foundation. John Smith-- a fellow in their HR Dept-- and I collaborated on designing this job announcement and a similar one that Foo is about publish. You can use my name in your cover letter and ask John to give me a call. If you give me permission to do so, I can tell him that we interviewed you and might have hired you if we had a larger budget to work with."
The chances of this kind of thing happening are pretty small. But they are zero-- nothing, nada, zip-- if you aren't prepared to shift a dead-ended interview into a networking opportunity.
Don't ask questions (Score:2)
Learn as much as you can about the company before going on the interview, and then be observant when you go to the interview - pay attention to people in the parking lot, smoking at the doors, how the recep
Re:Don't ask questions (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Don't ask questions (Score:4, Insightful)
I made another comment on here already, along these lines.... but I'll re-iterate anyway.
I've definitely had interviews where, by the end, I really had no useful questions that came to mind -- simply because after an hour of so of "back and forth" about the company and the job requirements, plus a tour that let me see things ranging from the dress code to the environment employees were working in, there wasn't much left to ask.
To me, saying "I think you've answered all of my questions right now, but I'll definitely follow up with you if I think of anything else." is a perfectly honest and legitimate answer. Certainly looks better than trying to make up some silly question you really wouldn't have asked otherwise, but are trying to throw out there just so the employer can check-off his list that "Yep, they asked me something."
Rather than "red flagging" a person for not having a question at the end of the interview, I think you'd be wise to ask them questions DURING said interview to determine their problem-solving capabilities. (EG. Ask them to tell you about 1 or 2 situations in previous jobs where they encountered a puzzling problem, and how they went about solving it.)
mine... (Score:2)
1. What's the dress code? (Usually you can just infer this by looking at the employees who interview you.)
2. How many hours do people usually work in a normal week? (This can be dangerous in that it can communicate to an employer that you're "worried" about having to work "too much", but I always feel like I have to ask it anyway.)
3. Same question as above, but for "crunch time" situations (e.g. just before a release, etc.)?
4. How do you assess employee performance? (I don't always ask this since it's ty
Try the Joel Test (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
In this economy? (Score:5, Funny)
The only question I can think of is,
"Are you hiring?"
Career Builder (Score:3, Insightful)
I don't really think much of that kind of stuff, but if it works, it works.
fit in (Score:3, Interesting)
Every person I know who does job interviews says that the main thing they are looking for is whether you will fit in to the workplace. That's being a little simplistic maybe, but consider that the interviewer(s) are people too (and they're probably quite nervous as well). It's actually quite common to have an interview panel comprised of a higher level boss, the immediate manager of the position and a colleague (though maybe a senior or supervisor), and in these cases you need unanimous approval.
Some of the points I take from this are -
- whether they think you will get on with colleagues (so ask open-ended questions about potential co-workers that might leave you an opening to divulge some shared interests);
- whether they think they will be able to work with you (honesty, integrity, respect, professionalism, personable),
- what your personality can offer,
- long-term promise (ask about Continued Professional Development or whatever),
- the approach you take to your work - are you naturally someone who tries to provide value to the client? Do you "hug"? Or do you focus on being efficient? Consider say a bank - some banks the customer wants to get in and out as quickly, easily and cheaply as possible while other banks have customers that want to come in and be offered a cup of coffee before they have a lengthy discussion with their account manager that might include both their new loan, the way forward for their business and golf. The interviewer is not looking for someone who would be great at the other bank.
The trick is doing this in a way that is appropriate to the company and the profession. Be sure to read the website, their literature and figure out their market and their position in it. That not only provides you with ammo for discussion but indicates your interest in the company, that you think you're right for the company (and the company right for you!) and that you were smart enough to have thought of it.
I walked into my first interview for a "proper job" and within 30 seconds was asked what I thought about their new website, I confessed I hadn't had chance to read it and it was blatantly game over from there. The next interview I was asked something which was a clear opener for me to remark about the website, which she then asked me what I thought of and I responded that it was a little short on content, could perhaps do more to sell the company, but generally seemed appropriate and anyway in this field there is a danger of content going out of date. The interviewer actually then ticked something on her pad and scribbled a little comment, looked up and realised I'd caught her testing me and we shared a little smile which I'm pretty sure secured me the job.
Interviews (Score:3, Interesting)
Okay, I'm actually damn good at interviews. This is blowing my own trumpet, but it's true. I've beaten people vastly more qualified, more experienced and less demanding in salary because I can hold my own in an interview. In fact, I change jobs rather than mess about with the internal politics of pay-rises, even in credit crunches. It makes life more interesting.
I have *never* asked a question at the end of an interview. I've always said "No, I think you've covered everything I need to know" because, by then, they HAVE, or I've done my research already. Asking a smarty-pants question is likely to lose you respect too.
"What is the (official) dress code?"
You're looking at it. You're probably wearing it. You're talking to people who are wearing it. It's pretty irrelevant anyway, because if you're required to wear anything different (e.g. uniform, stricter dress because you're dealing with public etc.) then they will TELL you that or you will already know. And what are you going to do? Say "Oh, no... I couldn't wear that" and forgo the job? And 99.9% of places are the same anyway - smart or smart/casual unless you're public-facing.
"What about my resume caught your eye?"
A good question. For your first month of working. In the interview, it's just too long-winded to explain and they might well be reluctant to discuss details of their hiring process.
"What hardware/software am I expected to use at my desktop (e-mail, OS, editor, source control, etc.)?"
You'll have been told by the job description. You should also have been shown round the place by then, even if it's just "and this is our coding floor". Personally, I usually insist on pre-interview tours if it's at all possible but most places have done this for me automatically - why would you ever want to take a job at somewhere you've never even SEEN the inside of? I gain the most information by seeing where I'm supposed to work and walking through the building to get to it - H&S violations (Cramped working conditions, no fire extinguishers, etc.)? Spotted them. Employees slacking off/arguing? Spotted them. People wasting time in boring meetings? Spotted them. The person I'm replacing? Probably sitting at the same desk or be the one showing me around.
Plus, the people in interview might not want to get into those sort of details because it will take too long. They just want to get on through their candidates and start deciding. Also, by asking, it's like you're questioning their choice. You're being paid to do the job, you have to damn well learn whatever software they want anyway. All this question does is provoke a feeling that you won't be happy/productive if it's not your "favourite".
"Are there team lunches or get-togethers?"
AKA "I want to socialise, waste time, claim that I'm team-building". If you want a team lunch, you'll have one. If you don't then you won't. This is nothing to do with the job unless it's pushed "from above" but you can't tell people how to eat their lunch and you wouldn't want to work anywhere that did. It's probably the "best" of your questions, though.
"What are your goals for the next six months, one year, three years?"
Brilliant question. For THEM to ask YOU. You're basically questioning their dedication / long-term plans in a roundabout way. They will raise eyebrows at this question.
"What ticket/issue tracking system do you use?"
See above about software/hardware.
"Do you have separate build/stage/QA/etc. environments?"
You will know this by the end of the interview/tour or you haven't done your research properly. It probably tells you in the job description. If they say no, you're implying that you know or work better. If they say yes, you're making yourself look an idiot by not knowing that.
"How do you keep track of documentation?"
See hardware/software question and the above. If they say "we don't", you should already know that and will come across as superior. If they say, we use
I've used this to great success. (Score:3, Interesting)
This is good to ask during a 1-on-1 interview, or when the interviewers are nearly peers. (i.e. bad to ask when the CEO and some flunky are in the room)
"What do you like least about working here?"
It's a good judge of character of the person interviewing you. I usually deflect answers that involve "commuting" or something external and re-ask the question. The answers tend to fall into three categories. 1. Bullshit/uninformed ("nothing! I love it here!") 2. What the boss/policy wants them to say ("we care about our customers *too much*!") or 3. Honesty.
People like talking about themselves, their opinions, and their likes and dislikes and will do it for hours. It's far easier to get them to open up about what's right (or wrong) with the company when you start with their gripes. Make the question about them and make them feel informed and important. At least it gives you some leverage in follow-up questions.
---
And for the record, at my current job I answer this as "That it feels slow to get software to market. Testing and management approval can seemingly take forever, but I realize it's a deliberate effort to maintain quality." It's honest and a personal gripe of mine.
There is also the imporatant things to NOT say (Score:4, Informative)
Yeah, everyone can be stupid in an interview. Learn and laugh from their mistakes so you don't make one.
I wouldn't ask that (Score:3, Interesting)
A lot of these are questions I would never ask in an interview.
"What desktop hardware/software will I be using?" could be interpreted as "I'm a hardware bigot and will whine if I don't have a huge display and four white-hot cores." or "I don't touch Winders. I plan to reimage my PC with Mepis and I refuse to use any email client except Mulberry". Unless you want to show proficiency in a particular tool -- "Lotus notes? Yes, I've got several years' experience" -- I'd leave the topic alone. Your desktop is whatever it is. You'll get used to it.
"Are there team get-togethers?" == "I expect us to spend time screwing off under the guise of 'team building'. How close is the nearest bar?"
"What are the typical hours?" == "I am concerned about working too hard."
"What is your goal for the next etc" is a question directed at the interviewee, not the interviewer.
I would say "I expect to be on-call" as an opening for the interviewer to describe the on-call process.
I would know ahead of time what the company's stock has been doing, (if publicly traded) and be prepared to ask reasonable questions about the company business. My job doesn't end at my cube doorway -- it's important to understand the big picture.
I ask about education benefits, because I want to keep on top of my game, and I want prospective employers to know that.
Questions about the environment -- promotion process, product and documentation lifecycle, -- are fine, but don't get too militant about it if the boss doesn't think these things are important. There will be time for that battle after you're hired.
Find out if there are any tools or systems with which you are not familiar, and then express eagerness to learn them.
If there's a part of the process that's in disarray, (documentation, for instance) and you get signals that the boss would like to see improvement in this area, express eagerness to help straighten it out, and come up with a few suggestions.
I ask if it's ok if I eat at my desk. This isn't as arse-kissing as it sounds. I worked for one place that forbade eating at one's desk due to ant infestation.
In general, I try to avoid questions that might raise a red flag about how well I might fit in, or which might be considered concern on my part about how much effort I will be making. I am adaptable -- I've had ASCII terminals, X-terms, Windows, Sun and SGI workstations in front of me, and a variety of tools, some really obscure. It matters less what my work environment actually is than that it match the rest of the team.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Many times you need those questions, unless you have good references about the company to begin with. Without them, you might find yourself in an unhealthy environment that might even make it hard to find another job without quitting first. I've seen places that went for 70 hour weeks for well over half of any given year. I've seen programmers stuck on ancient tools that would make the job not just an ugly chore for anyone used to semi-recent technology, but would also mean that any time spent there would n
Depends on the Position (Score:3, Interesting)
For IT, keep an eye out for some telltale warning signs. Lots of Dilberts hanging on a cube wall are a telltale clue that people there aren't entirely happy with their jobs, and the cartoons can be an important clue into what exactly is not functioning well within the company. Also ask just before you leave or prior to the start of the interview to use the bathroom. The state of the bathroom is another good sign of how the company treats its employees, and you're going to have to use that thing during the after-lunch rush hour and such. If it's like someone slaughtered a goat in there, you might want to consider giving them a miss.
Main question I ask (Score:3, Interesting)
My main question is what is the structure of my team. How many people are doing the same job I do in my team. Is there a lead? Is there a manager? Who is the manager managing, just our group or others as well? I have enough experience that I don't want to be in a team which has a lead in it. When I have a manager who is not involved in day to day IT work that is ideal as he wants me to succeed. Leads always want to make sure you are not doing better than them as that is a threat to their position and job. On the other hand, doing a good job is something a manager wants you to do. If they say there is no lead I ask if anyone aside from my manager inside the team will be responsible for assigning me work and that sort of thing - digging out if there is some covert lead. I make sure this is straight with my manager.
Re:How often do people get promoted (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:How often do people get promoted (Score:5, Insightful)
Instead of asking how often people are promoted, I ask what percentage of their management comes from people promoted within the company. I think it mitigates the idea that you're just using a position as a stepping stone while still getting you the answer you want.
Plus, I think it's important to know that there's a good possibility that your manager was at one point capable of doing the job you're applying for. Honestly, knowing my potential manager doesn't have unrealistic expectations is a lot more important to me than hypotheticals about whether I'm getting his job when he moves up or on.
If I'm set up for failure, I'm not going to get his job either way. Effective schmoozers might, but I'm not one of them.
Re:How often do people get promoted (Score:5, Insightful)
If asked like: "What is your education and training policy for employees?" and "Will additional education be reflected in job position, if my job performance is satisfying, or is promotion generally based on seniority?"
or something like that. And a critical one for me: "What is you policy on flexible hours" (or whatever you call in in the US - is it OK I get to work later (or earlier) and then leave later (or earlier)).
Euphemisms (Score:5, Insightful)
I like: "What's the staff turnover rate like? How about in the dept I'd be joining?"
If the staff turnover is high, it's often not a good sign. Poor management or hiring practices, and often you'd be picking up the pieces. This doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't join them, but if the turnover is high, the package better be better - haggle if necessary - esp if they know that now you know their environment "isn't better than industry average" based on the employee turnover rate.
In fact, the Bank Regulator in my country considers high staff turnover a significant negative when doing audits of banks.
Re:Euphemisms (Score:5, Insightful)
Bah, don't be silly, during the interview, you ask what ever questions will make you look good in the eyes of the employer. Try and gauge what your interviewer deems important and ask those questions whether you want the answers or not.
If you really want to know what is going on with the company ask other existing and ex employees outside of the job interview process and try to get the dirt on what is really going on. Don't come off smug or having an inflated opinion of yourself by asking the wrong questions, better to have a couple of job offers and make your choice after successful interviews.
You should know what the company is like and what it is about well before you turn up to the interview, so that when you talk to them, when you answer their questions and when they give you the opportunity to ask them questions, you adjust your communications to gain a positive outcome.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Better to find out the important things first with practical questions so that I don't waste the company's time and money, and they don't waste my time.
I don't need offers from many companies especially ones that are a poor match. I only need one offer from a company that I wouldn't mind working for.
Maybe if I'
"Dangerous" questions (Score:5, Interesting)
I like: "What's the staff turnover rate like? How about in the dept I'd be joining?"
Yes, though personally I tend to be more direct than euphemistic: "How many people have left the company/department in the past year? Why did they leave?"
The thing about "dangerous" questions like these, and asking about realistic working hours, and asking about IP clauses in the contract, is that good employers will usually be more than happy to have chance to explain why they're not like the bad employers. Most will enthusiastically tell you that they have low staff turnover. In terms of copyrights, particularly at the young companies looking for good people, I've had a senior interviewer tell me immediately that he himself had got the contract adjusted to clarify that, and it certainly wouldn't be a problem. For working hours, I've had a much wider range of answers, but usually pretty honest.
I have never, to my knowledge, missed out on an offer that I would have accepted because I asked such questions. I may have lost at least two offers, but in both cases I already knew I wouldn't accept anyway after evasive or outright damning answers to the working hours question, so the question served its purpose.
Clearly YMMV, particularly if you're desperate for a job or if you're happy working for corporate behemoths that tend to have less flexibility in their contracts (and whose HR people may black flag anyone who asks too many questions).
The other thing I always like to ask, though it's probably best to leave it until after the first interview, is to see a sample of their code and documentation. Just as they can tell a lot about me from my solution to a coding problem, so I can tell a lot about them by seeing what kind of code they actually write. I have never been refused this request, though most places ask you to wait until the next visit, so it might be worth mentioning it in advance if you're going back for a second interview and know it's likely to be the last one.
My experience is that once you're past any HR goons and you're dealing with techie folks you might actually be working with, good people will be quite enthusiastic to show you something they consider good code and happy to accommodate your request. It puts them on familiar territory, and makes for a more interesting (and memorable) interview for them than the other ten they've done this week. As a convenient side effect, as well as giving you chance to see their code, it also gives them a chance to show off and creates an atmosphere of fellowship and professional respect--a good discussion about their code can make them start to think of you as one of them before you've even left the interview.
Again, I'm not aware that I've ever missed out on an offer I would have accepted because of asking this question, though again there have been a couple of places whose offers I would probably have turned down if I'd received them after seeing the sort of code I'd be working with.
Re: (Score:2)