− Questions that show they've researched the company. This shows me that they put some work in up front.
− Questions about my company's culture. This shows me that they want to fit in and might not see the job as just a job. We spend so much of our lives at work, I like it when people want to be sure they'll be happy here.
− Questions about what projects are coming in the pipeline. This shows that they're eager to get started.
− What would my typical day be like?
− I did a round of interviews last week. The best candidate, when prompted for any questions he may have had at the end, gave us a sort of brief run-down of the position and what he thought he'd be doing. And he asked us if that was accurate, and if we could fill in any blanks. I really liked that. It showed he researched the position well and was a nice expression of interest.
− Why is the position open? (Response to this can tell you a lot about the job and/or company. If the last person was fired, they won't tell you that directly, of course, but usually it'll be because the person occupying it before got a promotion, moved to something that interested him/her more, or something else mutually amicable like that, and that can at least get a conversation started on an employee's potential for internal promotion, movement, and things like that. Depending on when this is asked, it can also provide a much less awkward alternative to that dreaded Where do you see yourself in five years question, since knowing more about how things work in the company can give you more of a feel for what would be realistic for yourself if you were to take the position.
(Stay tuned – more to follow!)
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