Hector's interviewer made a typical statement, 20 to 25 minutes into the interview.
'Well, Hector, you've been giving me some interesting answers this morning. Do you have any questions you would like to ask me?'
Hector knew he had better have some questions, because his questions could prove to be more important than his answers. Without some well-considered questions, Hector would have blown the interview!
There are at least two reasons why your asking questions is important:
- Your questions will show how seriously you have researched and thought about the firm, and the industry. They are good indicators of how seriously you want the job and how well you prepare for business meetings.
- Your questions will show whether you apply good business sense in examining business information.
- Job (the function you will be performing)
- Firm (your specific employer)
- Industry (the line of business the firm is in)
- World events (how they influence the other three environments).
Hector came to see me before his first interview. He was confident (and correctly so) that he could handle any questions asked of him, but he wasn't sure how to ask questions of his own. I asked Hector what he wanted to know about the particular job for which he was interviewing. Hector was hoping to begin a career in financial management by being hired for the training program of a large manufacturing firm.
I asked Hector for a question he would like to ask his interviewer. 'I wonder what they teach you in the training program/ he replied. Hector was on to something, but I knew he had to be careful. I asked him how he would ask that question. Hector said, 'How about 'Tell me about your training program." Good idea, bad question!
I picked up the firm's recruiting brochure and asked Hector whether it contained an answer to his question. 'Yes,' Hector admitted, 'it describes the training program on page 3.' I told Hector he had just violated Rule 2 for formulating questions for an interviewer.
Rule 1. Ask questions that are of sincere interest to you.
Rule 2. NEVER ask a question that has an easily accessible answer. Instead, read the available literature and ask a question that builds on what you have read.
What Hector should do is ask a question based on what he learned from reading the firm's literature. Then he could pose an informed question (and get an informative response).
Hector revised his question this way.
Hector: I read in your literature that the training program is 24 months long and that trainees go through four rotations. Could you tell me what skills we will be gaining during these rotations and whether we have any input into where our second and third rotations will be?
In his revised question, Hector has added an interesting dimension. Notice how he speaks of the program trainees as "we" rather than "you" or "they." By this use of "we," Hector is sending the message that he already sees himself as a part of the organization and thus encourages his interviewer to see him that way.
Hector has now asked about a subject on which he really wants more information (Rule 1) and he is building on the literature the firm would expect him to have read (Rule 2). Hector now has a double-win situation.
The Firm
Hector and I then thought about the second category for questions-the firm. Following Rule 1, Hector thought about something he really wanted to know--in this case, the firm's prospects for future growth. But Hector also followed Rule 2--he posed his question based on material he had read, rather than asking something he could easily find out on his own. This was Hector's question.
Hector: I read in your annual report that the firm's gross revenue, in real terms, has been growing steadily for the past five years. But this year, Happy Corporation and Dollar co have started to compete in some of your key markets. How does the company plan to retain its revenue growth in light of a possible loss of market share?
Through this question, in addition to getting some information about a subject he really cares about, Hector will achieve two goals:
- O Showing that he can use business terminology correctly (notice how he worked "gross revenue," "competition," and "market share" into his question);
- O Demonstrating that he is able to make good use of business information, sources, and data.
Hector reviewed his research notes and wondered about something he had read in the Standard & Poor's Industrial Survey. "Let's see," Hector thought, "my notes indicate that American firms are facing competitive problems because their plants and much of their equipment are not up-to-date. This firm is spending a lot on expansion, but what about modernization? Does the industry as a whole share a common perception on how to deal with the modernization problem? In this company's approach, does expansion include modernization?"
Hector was expressing some good questions to himself. He was also following the two unbreakable rules by preparing a question about something he really wanted to know and building on his research materials rather than asking about something he could find answered in readily available material. This is how Hector framed the actual question.
Hector: I have read that the American engine manufacturing industry in general is facing problems because much of its plant and equipment is not up-to-date. I have also read that this firm is in the midst of a five-year expansion program. Is its expansion addressing the modernization problem that typifies the industry?
By asking this question, Hector has shown two important things about himself: He has done research beyond the materials the company provided, and he can relate the company's situation to that of the industry as a whole.
World Events
Hector and I pooled our thoughts about a question in regard to the influence of world events on the company. This is the question Hector developed.
Hector: A good deal of concern has been expressed about the ability of American manufacturing firms to be competitive in the face of international competition from low-wage countries or government-subsidized industries. Do you foresee serious problems in that regard for manufacturers of engines in general or for your company in particular?
This question shows Hector's awareness of the importance of world events (international competition) to the company's future.
Hector had done a good job, but I encouraged him to prepare some additional questions.
Hector's Other Questions
The Job
- Can you please tell me how your own career has developed at this firm and whether someone entering the firm today would have similar opportunities? (This is a good question if the interviewer is a practitioner in the field Hector wants to enter.)
- If I work hard and prove my value to the firm, where might I be in five years? (Hector should be prepared to answer the interviewer's possible response: 'Where would you like to be in five years, Hector?')
- I have read in your literature that the company's training program is comprised of four six-month rotations. Does the employee have any input into where he or she will go at the end of each rotation? How do you evaluate the employee's performance during the training period? (This question conveys interest and preparation.)
- Can you describe for me what a workweek is really like as a financial analyst for this company?
- I have read in Business Week that a major competitor, Happy Corporation, is increasing its market share in your main market. What plans does your firm have to regain its lost market share?
- I am excited about the possibility of working for this company, but I am also concerned about the turnover rate among your new hires. What accounts for the high turnover rate, and are any steps being taken to correct this situation? (Only ask a question of this type if you are sure of your facts-that there actually is a high turnover rate.)
- What are some of the personal attributes it takes to be successful in your firm? (Listen carefully to the answer. You may then say something like: 'I'm glad to hear that, because I possess just those attributes. For example, ....')
- What are some of the skills it takes to be successful with your firm? (The hint under question 7 applies here, too.)
- Do you think that this company and other firms in the engine manufacturing industry will be helped by the trend toward increasing American exports?
- Business Week has indicated that economies of scale in the engine industry suggest that medium-size firms like this one would do well to find merger partners, in order to stay competitive. Do you foresee fewer, but larger, firms over the next five to ten years?
- I read in the company's annual report that about 15 percent of your revenue comes from overseas. Since 1992, has the European Community made it harder to maintain that export business?
- Environmental concerns are prominent in America and in other industrialized countries. Do such concerns affect this company? I didn't see any mention of them in your literature or in the business press.
Don't Raise These Questions
It's important to remember that there are some questions you shouldn't ask, at least until you get the job offer. Do not raise the following questions:
- How much does this job pay? The topic of compensation should be left until the job has been offered to you; you don't need the information until then. The question cannot advance your objective (which is to get the job offer) but may block your getting the offer. Similarly, do not raise questions about fringe benefits and vacation time during the interview process.
- Will your firm pay my tuition if I enter an MBA program? Don't initiate questions of any kind about an MBA! The implication of such a question will often work against you and won't work for you. Firms that think an MBA is important to your career with them will let you know. Some firms react negatively to MBAs. By asking the question, you may raise a concern that your real career plan is to work for two years and then quit to get your MBA. Furthermore, you may be giving the message that you are not serious about the job for which you are interviewing. As an example, if you are interviewing for a sales job and mention an MBA, the interviewer is likely to infer that you want an office- based job in marketing rather than an outreach job in sales.
Thank-You Letters: Nice or Necessary?
Thank-you letters after an initial interview are nice but not necessary. In all likelihood, the person who interviewed you has made up his or her mind about you before starting work the next day. A thank-you letter is unlikely to influence a decision in your favor.
If your goal is courtesy, write the thank-you letter. If your goal is impact, a thank-you letter probably won't help.
In this article, you found out why the questions you ask are so important and learned two unbreakable rules for formulating your questions. I showed you how to use the four environments to help you build your questions and gave you two questions not to ask at your interview.
