Page 169 - John Kador - 201 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview-McGraw-Hill (2002)

THE QUESTION LIFE CYCLE

You want to know if you will be immediately contributing to an impor-
tant, visible project.

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How many hours of your time can I expect to get each week for the first
six months on the job? How often will we have scheduled meetings?
You want to know how much face time you will have with your
manager.

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If I were frustrated about my job, what specific steps would you take to
help me overcome that frustration? How about if you were frustrated
with me? Can you show me examples of what you have done for others
in your group in the past year to overcome any frustration?
This is a supremely confident question that is frank in assuming there
will be occasional frustrations. The bigger issue is what services are in
place to help resolve frustrations.
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What are the wows! of this job? What are the worst parts? And what will
you do to maximize the former and minimize the latter? If I asked the
incumbent what stinks about the job, what would he or she say? Can I
talk to him or her?
This balanced but nevertheless threatening question asks for the good,
the bad, and the ugly. Every company is made up of all three qualities.
The bigger issue is whether the hiring manager has the spine to be up
front about it.

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What will make my physical work environment a fun and stimulating
place to spend time?
If the physical workspace is important to you, ask. This general question
is better than asking about air hockey tables or company masseurs.

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What inputs do employees get in departmental decisions? In hiring and
assessing coworkers?
You’ll want to know about all-important team processes. Make sure you
ask for specifics.

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