3 Questions To Avoid If You Want The Job

It happens towards the end of just about every interview: the moment when the hiring manager asks whether you have any questions. Of course, you should arrive at the interview prepared with several possible questions to ask, ultimately choosing your questions based on how in-depth the interview actually was and what information about the opportunity wasn’t fully covered.

However, there are questions you should never ask – here are our top 3:

• General Company Information. The hiring manager is going to assume that you have cared enough about the opportunity to do some research on the company. Very little will tarnish the image you have worked to build during the interview quicker than asking “What exactly does your company do?” or “Can you tell me about your company’s product line?”. Make the effort to research the company, including reading through their entire web site and searching for any news articles or other press relating to the firm. Don’t think that you can skimp on this – the hiring manager will be able to tell which candidates have invested some time to learn about their company.
• Money / Benefits. Make sure you don’t ask anything that will leave the hiring manager with the impression that your primary interests are self-serving, or of the “What’s-in- it- for-me” variety. At the top of this list is salary or hourly pay rate. Let your recruiter handle all subjects relating to money, and for that matter, benefits. There’s a distinct risk that the hiring manager might question your motivation if you ask how many sick days you get.  Should the company have interest in you, there will be ample opportunity to have all your money and benefits questions addressed with your recruiter. Keep your questions focused on the opportunity for which you are interviewing.
• Background Investigations. If you ask the interviewer what the company looks for in a background investigation, or whether they require a drug test, they are surely going to have some concerns about why you would ask.

Bottom Line

Make sure you show your sincere interest in the company by making the effort to educate yourself on their business. Equally important is keeping your questions focused on the job – role, responsibilities, etc. With that, relax and make the most of your interview!