Questions Job Seekers Should NOT Ask in the Interview

A few weeks ago we told you all how to ‘turn the tables on the interviewer’ by asking intelligent, knowledgeable and considered questions to impress your interviewer and give you an edge over other applicants.

To equip you with the right questions, it is essential you also are aware of questions you should not ask in the interview.

What does this company do?

Always do your research on the company prior to the interview. Being prepared will ease your nerves and may help you anticipate some questions. Linking back your responses to the core business activities will strengthen your case and impress your interviewer. Not knowing what the company does may come across as insulting to an interviewer and this may seriously hurt your chances of progressing to the next stage.

What is the pay?

The purpose of the first interview is to see how you present yourself, your skills and experience and to gain a greater insight into how you might fit into the company. In other words, are you the right fit for the culture and role within the company? If you progress to the next round, questions around pay and remuneration are acceptable but hold out until this time.

What are the hours?

When you start asking eager questions about the hours and work schedule in the first interview, this could cause the interviewer to doubt your level of commitment to the role. No one wants to be known as the person who leaves at five o’clock on the dot, regardless of progress made. Unless there’s the possibility that you would be working “shift work” you should stay away from time related questions.  Other similar questions that you should avoid are:

• How many breaks do you have and for how long?
• Can I work from home?
• Am I required to be in the office every day?

What are the benefits?

Similar to the pay question, this could signal to interviewers that you are more concerned with ‘perks’ of the job, rather than what value you can bring to the role and what value the job can give you in terms of career progression, job satisfaction and engagement.

Final Tip

Your first interview is a time to demonstrate your expertise and skills, as well as learn more about the company and position.  Stick to questions related to the company and the job responsibilities.  By doing this, you will leave a great impression on the interviewer and this will increase your chances of progressing to the next round and finding out the answers to the questions mentioned above!

Make sure some of your questions are related to the mission vision strategy of the company – enough so that you can intelligently talk about ‘where the company is going’ and infer the competence and competencies it will require to get there – which is where you come in! Be careful of asking purely operational questions as this may indicate that you need an operational plan to function, rather than follow a strategic plan.