Whether you are a recent graduate or a seasoned pro, there are some questions you can and cannot ask during an initial job interview. Some questions should be made to the recruiter or hiring manager, but they shouldn’t be made while seated in front of a potential general manager or department head. On the other hand, you can make several questions that will alert your interviewer to the fact that a potential all-star is seated in front of them.
Don’t ask….
“Please tell me what this company does? Who are your competitors?
If anyone, ask your recruiter this. Do not ask questions that can and should be answered with your own due diligence. For instance, asking the interviewer who they consider to be their biggest competitor shows you never even researched the company. Take the time to do your own investigations to answer questions such as this.
“What kind of PTO do you offer?”
Save salary and vacation questions for later. Your recruiter should get you in the loop and make sure they’re meeting salary expectations before pushing you forward. This is important information, granted, but asking your direct boss this question is simply not the time. At some point, you will be meeting with HR to discuss a job offer, which is when benefits and salary can be addressed. However, feel free to reach out to your recruiter with these types of questions.
“Do you have a lot of turnover?”
If you happen to notice significant job openings within the company or have read news stories about layoffs, it can be a very tricky situation. You obviously want to understand if you are on the firm ground coming through the door, but that first interview is not the time to ask about it. Again, once the offer is received, this can be discussed with your director, department head, or HR prior to accepting the offer.
“When can I expect to get promoted?”
Finally, don’t get too pushy when it comes to promotions. Again, you want to work for a company that promotes upward mobility, but it can come off almost as being entitled when inquiring about a promotion before you ever punch the clock for the first time. Instead, you can ask, “what does growth look like at this company?”
Do ask…
“How could I impress you in the first six months?”
Understanding the expectations of both the company and your direct boss is very reasonable during the interview process. An interviewer will often ask where you see yourself in six months, so beat them to the punch. Find out your interviewer’s expectations of the candidate coming in the door and what you will need to do in order to meet those expectations.
“Can you tell me more about the team I would be working in?”
Try to ask questions about departmental cross-training or collaboration. Is this something that is encouraged at the property and exactly how do they go about making this happen? In this industry, your job description is merely a guideline to the position, not written in stone. This could be both an area of concern and/or opportunity, depending upon your mindset walking through the door.
“Can you describe the working culture of the organization?”
Dig deeper into the company’s vision and mission statement. Get a better understanding of the company’s core values and how they are used to influence staff members. More importantly, make it clear you share those same values and want to be part of that “type” of company.
Are you having problems finding the ideal opportunity to showcase your skills and talent in the hospitality/senior living industry? Did you know Joseph David International is one of the top executive recruiters in the country? As such, we have opportunities with companies around the country looking for candidates just like you! For more information about our candidate services or to see current opportunities available, click here.