You Really Are Interviewing the Company Too
I wanted to share with you this issue of the Jobseeking is Hard newsletter because Adam does a good job explaining why it’s so important that job seekers remember the importance of asking questions because they are interviewing too.
First, the background:
“It’s cliche, but you really are interviewing the company as much as they’re interviewing you. The whole idea of interviewing isn’t to “get a job.” It’s to assess fit for both parties. Yes, the goal is to find a job, but one that aligns with your wants and needs…otherwise you will find yourself on the job hunt again. Just as companies do their due diligence on you, you should thoroughly vet the company, hiring manager, and position to ensure it is what you want, both short and long term.”
This is hard to argue with. You should consider whether this is a place where you want to work during the interview process. Adam goes on to suggest some questions, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that one of them was a question I’ve often asked myself and have suggested to anyone who is interviewing.
2) Ask the hiring manager what “success” would look like for this role in 30, 60, & 90 days. Understanding expectations allows the candidate to fully understand what they are getting into. Again, it allows you to frame your experience based on what the company is looking for in a new hire. Have you done it before? What lessons have you learned? And if the hiring manager isn’t sure, you might be stepping into an unwinnable situation, so try to nail down expectations before accepting an offer.
I’ve watched more than one interviewer struggle to answer this question, I’ve heard stories of just some really poor answers, and I’ve had interviewers answer this in very clear detail. The ones who were prepared to answer that question were the ones who had already considered the metrics that would be involved in measuring employees and who, frankly, made a better fit. Knowing how you’re being measured allows you to start on the first day knowing what’s expected of you and what is important. How could you not want that? How could you hire someone and not know what success looks like for that hire? It’s not a good sign for you as a hiring manager or for the culture of your organization.
There are more questions, some I’ve asked before, and others I’m going to consider the next time I’m interviewing for a new position.
Follow these topics: Career
