What to ask the Recruiter?

“Thank you very much for you time Mr. X, do you have any questions for us?”

This is almost how every recruiter ends his side of the interview, and now the tables are turned, it is the candidate’s time to ask some questions.

An important point to mention here is that the recruiter might and will judge you not only based on the question you answer, but the question you will ask also. This is why asking the right question might make a difference in you getting the job or not.

So, What are the question to ask, and what are the questions to avoid?

 

Questions to ask:

• How long have you been working with the company? 

This question shows you an insight of employee engagement in the organization, and also is an informative question to see if the promises that the recruiter/company made are actually going to happen. Usually “good” recruiters never promise what they can’t deliver, so, if they have been there more than 2 years, they would have seen the full cycle and they could be more accurate about the development, training, and future progression in the company than someone who has been hired more recently.

It is also noteworthy to mention that employees who stay more than 5 years in an organization/position might be for their

• Why is this position vacant? 

This question will tell you very much:

If the position is a new position, that means that business is expanding.

If the position is a replacement, then the recruiter will expand and this might be a good indicator about why the employees are leaving the company.

• What is your recruitment process?

This question will give you insight on the estimated time they might call you, it could also show you how well they follow their process which can be a good indication the organization’s respect -or lack of- to the processes they have.

• How will I be evaluated during my probation period?

You can read the job description, and you can ask about your responsibilities, but asking on the evaluation will give you the best response on what are they exactly looking for, and if that is what you are looking for.

• What are the training and development opportunities?

Again, it will depend on the integrity of the recruiter, but you can take a sense of the training that they provide, for example if they have offered their employees accredited training they will be bragging about it, and that could be your indicator.

• Based on my profile and my interview, is there anything that doesn’t match your criteria that I can expand on?

This is a powerful question to ask, it shows your confidence, and it might actually be the reason you get the job, you can clarify anything they might misunderstood or didn’t see.

• Can you give me your business card?

It is always beneficiary to ask for a way to follow up with the recruiter.

Questions to avoid:

• What is the Salary?

NEVER ask about the salary, especially during the interview, the recruiter might ask you about your expectations, but never ever -under any circumstances- initiate the question. It will show that you are only interested in the salary.

No one works for free, and one of the main reasons for working is the salary, but it is not the time nor the place to ask such question.

• How many vacation days do I have?

It is unprofessional to ask such question, it will show that you care about the vacations more than you care about your career, additionally, by law, there is a minimum of days a company must offer the employee as vacation, assume it is the minimum unless they specify, because if they were different, they will make sure that they stand out.

• Do you offer overtime?

This is another question that shows your priorities.

• Did I get the job?

This will definitely show that you are an impatient candidate. additionally you might be making the recruiter uncomfortable, as there are other candidates (some might not be interviewed yet) and you want an answer now.

 

 

Good luck in your next interview :)