Questions not to ask on a job interview is transcribed below:
If you have a job interview coming up, I’m going to come up with you some questions that we should not ask an employer.
It’s a good idea to ask questions in a job interview because it shows that you’re interested in the job, but there is also some questions that are taboo questions and when you ask them, well, you kind of don’t remain the candidate for very long and you end up putting your foot in your mouth and you blow the interview. All of these questions that I’ve covered with you, they really demonstrate poor judgment.
Now, the type of questions that you don’t want to ask are all the “Me type” questions. And what I mean by that is, what’s this going to do for me? When you ask the “Me type” questions, these are questions that appear to put your needs before those of the employer.
The best interview questions focus on what the applicant can do for the company, not what the company can do for the applicant. So, before you ask any question, ask yourself, is this a “Me type” question. So, let’s look at some “Me type” questions.
Do I get my own office?
I don’t think that’s a very appropriate question to ask at all. Again, it’s a “Me” question; what’s in it for me? Do I get my own office? Don’t ask it; bad.
Is job sharing a possibility?
So, that’s asking, “Can I split my responsibilities with someone else?” And what’s going to go through the employer’s mind is that you’re a slacker that you want to work less than somebody else and you want to push the responsibilities on someone else and you don’t want to take responsibility for your work. That’s what that’s asking. So, bad question; don’t ask it.
Next one. Can I telecommute?
It means, “Can I work from home?” Again, a “Me” question. “I want to work from the comfort of my own home. I want to get up late and I want to get on the computer and I want to do a little bit of work for you, but I want to take the rest of the day off” or whatever it is. That’s what’s going to go through their mind.
Telecommuting is really a privilege. That means that company really trusts you to go home and perform work for them. I mean, maybe you had some reasons why you need to telecommute, maybe you need to take care of a child or a sick ward or something like that, but that’s not the company’s responsibility. They want you there in the office performing work for them. If telecommuting is a requirement for you, then that’s a different story. But this should not be a question that you bring up; unless it’s an absolute requirement.
Can it get paid with a check instead of direct deposit?
Again, a “Me type” question. You’re asking how you’re going to get paid before they even offered you the job. Believe it or not, people ask this question; it’s stupid, don’t ask it, don’t.
Will you monitor my social networking profiles?
And you know what’s going through their minds right now. “No, we’re not. Because we’re not going to hire you”. Again, a “Me” question. You basically saying, “Are you going to spy on me?” or “Are you going to spy on my personal life?”
Not the type of question you want to bring up in the interview. It doesn’t help you qualify them as a place that you want to be working. Doesn’t.
The next one here; I won’t have to work with someone with less education than me.
That means, “I don’t want my boss to have less education than me”. What does it really matter whether they have more or less education than you? Do you have some kind of chip on your shoulder that you can’t work for somebody unless they’re smarter or they have more education?
The job description mentions weekend work. What do you mean by that?
If we can work is a concern for you and it was in the job description, you probably shouldn’t have applied to it. In this case, this one can be a fair question, under certain circumstances, but mostly, it’s not the best question to ask and you can do better.
Anything related to salary and benefits I think are fair again. But you have to ask them at the right time. So, if you sit down in the interview and one of your first questions is, “What’s the salary for this position?” then, it’s not a good question to ask at the time.
But the way to ask this question and there is a right time to do it and it’s as soon as they call you. When they reach out and they call you up on the phone and they’re like, “Hey, Don. We’re so-and-so from ABC Company. Would you be interested in coming in for an interview? At that time, I’ll ask them a few questions about the job and then asked ask them, “Has a salary range been determined for this position?” and that’s a nice way of saying, “How much does the job pay?” But I phrased it in a way that says, “Has a salary range been determined for the job?
Next one. How soon do you promote employees?
Again, a “Me type” question. You’re asking for more money, more benefits before you even have the job. What kind of message are you sending the employer by asking that question? Does that really help you qualify them as a place you want to work? Not at all; it’s a “Me type” question. Avoid it.
Next one. Can I arrive late, leave early as long as I make up the time?
Another “Me type” question. What are you really saying when you ask that question? You’re telling them that you might have a hard time getting your hours in for whatever reason; not the kind of person I want to hire. I’m not interested in interviewing or entertaining offers from somebody who’s already telling me that they want to leave early or come in late. Not the kind of games that I want to play with an employee. So, I would discount them right off the bat.
Before you ask any question, what is it that you want to hear? What answer needs to come out of their mouths to help you make a decision about whether you want to be here or not?
If you don’t know, if you’re just fishing and you’re just asking questions to ask questions, then you’re asking the wrong questions and I urge you, stay away from those.
I’ve got another video out here which talks about 12 great questions that you can ask an employer that is going to show them how interested you are and I’m going to queue that one up for you right after this one.
In closing; only ask questions that are going to help you make a decision about whether this is the place that is right for you. Ask them qualifying questions sand that’s what they’re doing to you. They’re asking you qualifying questions to see if you’re the right kind of person for them and you need to do the same.
