Skipping questions during interviews may have been the reason you lost the job, says a former Meta recruiter. Image provided by: Autumn Communications
It’s always incredibly awkward when a hiring manager throws me a curveball and asks, “Do you have any questions?” to you. Often there is nothing left to cover. Common topics, such as the actual nature of the job and how many days you are expected to be in the office, tend to come up naturally early in the interview. But be careful: don’t make the effort to think. anything Asking could cost you your job.
At least that’s the case, according to Jen Bouchard, former head of global talent at Meta and current chief human resources officer at creative agency Figure8.
“If a candidate doesn’t have follow-up questions from the interview or just says, ‘All my questions were answered,’ that’s a red flag,” says Bouchard. luck.
Bouchard, who has worked in talent acquisition for more than 15 years, has learned that a lack of questions from a candidate typically indicates “disinterest” in the job they’re applying for.
“Interviewing is a two-way experience,” she explains. “I want them to be as interested in learning about the role, the company, the culture, and even the team they might be joining as I am getting to know the candidate.”
3 questions to answer
Sweaty palms or drawing without drawing can bring out the worst in us. Bouchard sympathizes with the fact that feeling nervous during a job interview is natural and even normal.
So instead of relying on thinking of something great on the spot, it’s a good idea to have some questions prepared to impress the hiring manager.
Below are some questions that surprised Bouchard in past interviews.
- What’s the hardest problem you’re trying to solve? What hasn’t your team been able to solve? Why do you think that is?
- What are the team’s top three strengths, and how will this person add to that team’s strengths?
Meanwhile, for those looking to gain real insight into a potential employer’s culture, Bouchard recommends asking recruiters the following questions: What has management recently done based on employee feedback?
“That way, you can understand how the company listens to its employees, how often it listens to its employees, the value of employee feedback, and how executives listen to their employees. “I think you can see how responsive we are to our investments and the needs of our employees as well,” she added.
Email Later to Earn Extra Brownie Points
Once you’ve gotten over the adrenaline rush of confronting your future boss, whether it’s across a table or a Zoom screen, you can’t go wrong with a follow-up email.
There is a lot of talk about thank you letters, controversialIn Bouchard’s eyes, this is what separates the “smartest candidate” from the rest.
Even better, telling them what you learned from the process is an important green light in her book.
“A simple note thanking someone for their time during an interview really tells you that the person was present, engaged, and always excited about their role at the company,” says Bouchard. I will explain.
“Being able to reiterate what I learned and how excited the candidate was about the role is what stands out to me.”
why? “This shows the level of interest we continue to seek in our candidates.”