When an interviewer gives you a chance to ask questions, don’t flub this opportunity by trying to sell yourself. Many executives will doom their candidacy by making these mistakes:
Asking non-serious questions
Not doing their homework
Appearing desperate
Instead, use this question as an opportunity to subtly show the interviewer that you:
Know what it takes to succeed in this role
Have done your research
Are in demand
Take Control of the Interview
You don’t need to wait for the interviewer to ask you for questions. You can take control earlier by:
Come prepared: Research the company and its executives deeply. Whispered’s Company Insights provides confidential insights on the company
Know what it takes to succeed in this role: Avoid generic strategic questions and focus on key areas necessary for your success, including:
Key partner functions: understand how well they work today. Often they don’t work well which will get your interviewer admitting challenges
GTM model: asking detailed questions will help you spot holes / opportunities
Resources: Do you have the team and systems to succeed
Your new boss: this is key to diligence, although typically later in the interview process
Take control early: A phrase we love to use early is “I’ve got some questions but let’s start with yours”. This subtly tells the interviewer that you are also here to interview them. They will often say “No, let’s cover yours first” as most interviewers love to let the interviewee talk. They will also make sure to give you time at the end which minimizes the time you have to spend fielding their questions.
Ask questions, don’t sell: Focus your questions on understanding what you need to succeed (see above). DO NOT use these questions as an excuse to talk about your resume. This comes across as desperate.
Wrap with a question about their motivation: A casual ‘pattern break’ that pushes them to open up about the culture can be effective. Try to listen during the interview to make it specific to what your interviewer has said. Some good examples here
‘What keeps you going in such a fast-paced environment?’ I asked my hiring manager at Google. ‘Foolishness,’ she answered. Then she laughed. She was the one who’d become my manager if I were to get hired. She had told me that it was a fast-paced environment. I’ll have to move fast, deliver quick results, if I were to get hired. She went on to explain her ‘Foolishness.’ We had a good laugh all through. When we were done with the interview, I knew she won’t be able to forget me easily amongst a list of other candidates. I got that job. Anshu Agarwal
Turn the Interview from you to them
Remember, you succeed when you shift the interview from them interviewing you to you interviewing them. If you ask pointed questions to understand if you can succeed, you will send the message that you have other options and aren’t desperate.
Questions we generally suggest senior executives avoid are ones that are seeking to further your candidacy, including:
"Is there anything about me or my resume that gives you pause?” The interviewer has likely made up their mind long-before and this sends the wrong signal
Do you have a timeline on when a decision may be made? For candidates the company is interested in, they will move quickly
One approach to get you in the right mindset is to use the same style for interviewing with companies that you do for evaluating candidates
“When I am interviewing someone, I divide my paper into Positives and Negative columns. To get myself into the mindset where I am evaluating companies when I am interviewing, I use this same approach” Whispered Founder
Some additional questions to turn the interview from you to them include:
“Why is this role open” This question almost always surfaces new information
“What challenges haven’t I identified that someone in this position might face”
So… when the interviewer gives you an opportunity to ask questions, take advantage and take control.
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