While they can be intimidating and overwhelming, job interviews should not be seen, or treated as, a one-way street. While it is your chance to make a good first impression as a candidate, it should also be seen as your chance to find out more about the position and the organisation.
ManpowerGroup South Africa’s managing director, Lyndy van den Barselaar, suggests that you prepare some questions for your interviewer ahead of your interview.
“While you will be preparing to answer questions about your skills, experience and future vision, you should also be thinking about some questions to ask your interviewer. These may be based around the role you will be taking on, the structure of the team, the organisation itself or ways of working,” she explains.
Van den Barselaar lists some interesting questions you may want to include on your list, which will help you to gain deeper insight into the role you are interviewing for and the expectations of your performance therein:
Most interviewees ask questions like, “What is an average day like?”. Instead, try to ask questions that will reveal what the company is looking for in a top-notch employee.
By asking this question, you show that you care about the needs of the organisation and that you are willing to put some thought into the day-to-day tasks of the job. It also shows that you are vision-oriented. “The questions you ask can say a lot about you, and asking this kind of question displays an interest in the role and how success will be measured,” says van den Barselaar.
2. When you hire someone for this position, what will be the most pressing challenge they will face on the first day?
This question gets into the nitty-gritty of what your job will be like in the first week. It goes beyond the typical human resources challenges and into the particulars of the role itself.
“Make sure your interviewer understands that you really care about the details of the job and not just the onboarding process. Understanding the role as well as possible is important in making decisions around whether it is right for you,” says van den Barselaar.
You'll want to know what the hiring manager's expectations are for your position, both for the short- and long-term. “The answer to this question will help you to gauge the longevity of the position, the growth opportunities around the position and the importance of this position within the broader organisation – important information to be armed with when making your decisions around taking on a new job,” says van den Barselaar.
Present this question in terms of how it will benefit the company. To succeed in today’s ever-evolving workforce, you need to continue learning and growing your skills set. Successful companies recognise that they also play a part in building successful careers for their employees, as this benefits them in the long run.
“Start a career conversation with your potential employer in the job interview by letting them know that you understand your success translates into their success. Not only will this demonstrate your knowledge around the evolving business landscape and the dwindling lifespan of skills, but will also position you as a candidate focused on the success of the organisation as well as your own,” says van den Barselaar. “What’s more, you’ll be able to gauge the opportunities for further skills development, should you take on the role.”
In terms of recruitment etiquette, when you send out your CV, you’re shopping around, when you accept an interview, you’re serious about potentially ...
Job interviews are an opportunity for you to interview your potential manager as much as it is an opportunity for them to interview you.
“Take advantage of this opportunity. Not only will you demonstrate a clear understanding of the job market, but it is an opportunity for you to showcase clear communication skills and a forward-thinking attitude – all of which are important traits for success in the modern business environment,” concludes van den Barselaar.
It’s time to recognize the area’s top outstanding Week 1 performances in the TRN’s Player of the Week poll.
Vote for TRN's Week 1 Player of the Week It’s time to recognize the area’s top outstanding Week 1 performances in the TRN’s Player of the Week poll. Check out this story on timesrecordnews.com: http://wtrne.ws/2gwenKN
Week 1 Illustration of the TRN Player of the Week nominees of Iowa Park's Trent Green, Holliday's Justin Jones, Hirschi's Mar'tez Vrana and Seymour's David Watson. Not pictured is Graham's Chase Gilmore.(Photo: Lauren Roberts/Times Record News)Buy Photo
* RB Chase Gilmore, Graham – Rushed for 186 yards and three touchdowns on only 12 carries in the Steers’ 55-14 rout of Sanger.
* QB Trent Green, Iowa Park – Completed 13 of 16 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 49 yards and a score in the Hawks’ 49-21 win over Burkburnett.
* RB Justin Jones, Holliday – Rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns while also catching 34-yard pass in the Eagles’ 42-12 victory over Paradise.
* QB Mar’tez Vrana, Hirschi – Completed 12 of 14 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 36 more yards in a 48-0 victory over Dallas Life.
* RB David Watson, Seymour – Rushed for 156 yards and three touchdowns, also caught three passes for 31 yards and a score in the Panthers’ 30-0 victory over Electra.
ALVORD — Macon Armour threw for 152 yards and two scores to lead the Petrolia Pirates to a 28-8 road victory over the Alvord Bulldogs.
The teams battled to a 0-0 tie at the end of the first quarter, but Landon Washburn eventually got the Pirates on the board with a 5-yard run in the second period. Dayton Romines put another TD on the scoreboard with a 3-yard run to put Petrolia up 14-0 at the half.
Like the first quarter, neither team could find the end zone in the third quarter, but Armour connected with Quinton Lloyd (15 yards) and Bailey Sternadel (18 yards) to put Petrolia up 28-0 in the fourth.