Basic Job Interview Questions to the Interviewers to Strike up Conversation and Appear Interesting

Pick a number of these

THE COMPANY

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What is it about the Company that makes people want to stay? / made you join & stay? How does the company encourage a coming together of staff through activities? What is the company renowned for within the industry? What position does the company hold in the market place? What are the companys plans for the future? What is the companys current annual growth rate? How has your recent merger/takeover of altered the company if at all? How many offices are there?

THE DEPARTMENT

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What exactly does the department do in terms of the overall company? What are the departments plans for expansion? What are the ages of the people in the department? / What age group are the other members of the department? What is/are the personality/ies of the people I would be working for/with? How closely does this department work with other areas of the company? How does this department compare in size to others within the organisation? To what extent do you encourage staff to interact between departments?

TRAINING AND APPRAISAL

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What sort of training is offered to staff within the department? Is training provided in-house or are courses held externally? What training facilities are available within the department / company? What encouragement is given to further study? What are the details of study leave that is offered? How often do you hold meetings to assess the skills/abilities/progress of staff? Who will I talk to about my progress and how often will this take place?

THE JOB

1.

How would you describe a typical day for the person doing this job?

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What would I have to do for you to feel I had done a really good job? What systems do you use? [isnt this a 'no-no' > should already know] Who is doing the job at the moment? What sort of handover will there be with the person who is currently doing this job? Why did the last person leave? Were they with you for a long time? What percentage of my job would be typing and what percentage would be administration? You have asked for someone with good PowerPoint/Excel .. How big a part does this play in the role. To what extent would I use my PowerPoint/Excel skills? What type of person are you looking for to fill this role?

10. What competencies are you looking for the new person to have? 11. Who would I be reporting to? 12. How long has the person I will be working for been here? 13. How long have you been here? 14. How long would you expect a person to stay in this role? 15. Will there be the opportunity to become involved and work on my own initiative? 16. If I am keen to develop the role what would you like done? 17. On average, how often would I expect to come in early or stay later?
BENEFITS

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My consultant at XXX has told me something of your company benefits. What are the main items that you include? I understand you have a bonus scheme, can you tell me how this works?

PROSPECTS

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What structures are in place for career development? What are the promotional prospects? / What prospects are there for career progression? If I begin as a junior now, where could I hope to be within the company in 5/10 years time? How do you encourage staff to progress within the company? How do you see this role developing? What are the long term development opportunities for this role? What is the process for advertising jobs internally?

INTERVIEW PROCESS

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At what stage of the interview process would I be able to see the office I would work in and meet other members of the department? When can I look around the department where I would be working?

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When do you think you will decide on your short list for second interviews? How many more people do you expect to interview for this position? When do you expect to be able to make a decision?

SPECIAL QUESTIONS ON INTERVIEW PROCESS

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When are you looking to take someone on board? If you were interested in my application when is the position to start? When are you looking for the selected candidate to start? What is the next step from here? What further interviews are proposed for someone successful at this stage?