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Young man prepares answers to typical interview questions. Shutterstock.com/fizkes

What to ask an employer at interview

What to ask an employer at interview

Towards the end of an interview, it's likely that you'll be asked if you have any questions for the interviewers. It's generally a good idea to consider this in the run-up to the interview or as you go through the interview process.
Young man prepares answers to typical interview questions. Shutterstock.com/fizkes

You could perhaps note some ideas down throughout the day or in the days leading up to interview. 

Some questions might be specific and be generated by what you've seen and heard at the site or during an on-line interview but other, more general, things to ask about could include:

1. How long has the interviewer been with the organisation and what do they like about their job or the organisation as a whole? 

2. You might ask if there was anything else about the day-to-day responsibilities of the role they could add. 

3. Another thing to discuss could be what the interviewers would see as a successful introductory period for the person securing the job. 

4. You might ask about the long-term goals of the organisation. 

5. There might be more details you could find out about the team that you would be working with. 

Take the initiative

Preparing questions to ask your interviewer shows them you're actively interested in them, their opinions, direction and their business.

This enthusiasm is usually appreciated and the conversations that follow on from these questions can often be enlightening and frank - often helping to lose some of the tension felt during the rest of the interview.

Engage with them, show interest in their organisation and they'll liklely remember you for it.

6. If not already covered within the interview, you might ask about the training and progression you could expect within the organisation. 

7. If you feel comfortable and it's relevant you could enquire about the environmental credentials of the organisation or what they're doing to minimise their impact on the environment. 

8. You could ask what would the person who was in this role before say was the greatest challenge they encountered?  

9. Finally, you could ask about the appraisal process or how performance is measured in the role.