Page 108 - John Kador - 201 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview-McGraw-Hill (2002)

QUESTIONS FOR HIRING MANAGERS

8-2
What are some of the problems that keep you up at night?
This is another way to uncover the employer’s hot buttons, subtly sug-
gesting that hiring you will bring immediate relief to the interviewer’s
insomnia.

8-3
What would be a surprising but positive thing the new person could do in
the first 90 days?
The wording here is designed to reveal the interviewer’s “wish list” for
what the new hire can offer.
8-4
How does upper management perceive this part of the organization?
The response to this question will give the job seeker a feel for how
valuable the department is to upper management, because if and when
the organization goes through a financial crisis, you want to know that
your department will not be the first department cut.

8-5
What do you see as the most important opportunities for improvement
in the area I hope to join?
This is another way to get some clues about what specific improvements
the hiring manager desires.
8-6
What are the organization’s three most important goals?
This answer will provide an important clue for you if you take the job,
because you’ll be evaluated on your contribution to those three goals.

8-7
How do you see this position impacting on the achievement of those goals?
This answer will give an important clue about whether the job is im-
portant. If the answer is essentially “not much,” you are being consid-
ered for a nonessential position.
8-8
What attracted you to working for this organization?
Get the hiring manager to tell you a story. Listen carefully for clues
about what makes for success.

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