Top 5 Questions the Job Interviewer Wants YOU to ask!

From ABC News: By TORY JOHNSON
April 19, 2010

Nikki Gordon, a talent manager at 7-Eleven, says she always likes when a candidate asks simply:

#1"Why is this position vacant?"

You want to know why the position is vacant because it can give you insight into the nature of the job and the culture. Maybe it's newly created because the company is growing. Maybe someone was promoted from within. Both potentially positive signs.

But maybe it's vacant because of high turnover. You don't want to discover on Day One that you're the eighth person in six months to occupy that desk. So if the answer is about turnover, that's a clue to you to probe a bit more. Pam Webster at Enterprise Rent-a-Car says she likes when candidates asks:
#2 "What is the company culture like?"

Company culture means what is it like to work at that company -- the vibe, the atmosphere, the values, the work styles and preferences -- and what it's like to be immersed in that environment every day.

Success isn't only about performing your particular position; it's also about how you fit into that environment. They're sizing you up for cultural fit, and you should be doing the same with them. They want to know what makes you tick and what ticks you off.

And you'll want to know that their culture is one that you feel is conducive to your success. Is it one you'd be proud to be affiliated with every day? Are the company's values aligned with your own?
A great follow-up question to ask is:

#3"If you could change one thing about the culture, what would it be?" This is a polite way of asking what's wrong with this place without actually saying that. And it can give you insight into something you wouldn't have otherwise learned.
One woman told me the answer was, "I'd change the hours -- everyone works 'til 8 p.m. and it's grueling." You need to know that before accepting an offer.

Rich Deosingh from the staffing firm Robert Half says he advises jobseekers to ask:

#4"How are candidates evaluated and what's the measure of success?"

I want everyone to put this on his or her "must ask" list. It's a perfect way to show that your priorities are in the right place. It's all about succeeding in your book. Every manager and every company has a different method of defining success and a different method of evaluating performance.

This line of conversation allows you to showcase your track record of success and it enables you to tout your desire to meet their measurements of success. What manager wouldn't like to have that conversation with an applicant?

Another "must ask" that you should end the interview with is:

#5 "What are the next steps in this process?"

You'll want to know if you'll be expected to interview with others. Is there any kind of testing involved? When will they make a decision? When do they hope to bring someone on board? Is there more information or materials you can provide to support your candidacy? Who will you hear from and when? If you don't hear, when and how should you follow up?

This ensures that you're able to manage your own expectations and it gives you a handle on the company's timeframe, so you don't leave the interview waiting and wondering.