15 Tricky interview questions to ask your interviewer

Stand out in the interview process and take charge of the interview by asking these questions that will make your interviewer do thinking.

The Story
I work remotely, to land a job, I usually have to get pass the interview process. I have done quite a few in the past couple years and have come out with some invaluable interviewing skills that I would like to share with you. The fact that I work remotely makes the interview process even that more important, you are given a short period of time to convince the interviewer that you have what it takes. An interview is a critical means of letting your future employer know know who you are, not just what they want to know about you. A resume is one foot in, but an interview reveals a lot about your personality and capabilities that a resume cannot convey.

What is often overlooked is that an interview is also an opportunity for you, the interviewee, to declare the important attributes you are looking for in a future job environment. An interview is really like a first date, both parties are trying to figure out if they are compatible, there is no need to feel nervous, infact confidence is very attractive — to an interviewer. One of the best ways to convey confidence is to have a good number of well thought out questions for the interviewer. Many interviewers are themselves new to the process and will google questions to ask prospective employees. They will inevitably get the same responses to all the “hard” interview question from any prepared person who simply does their research. The good job candidate studies the answers for hard interview questions but the remarkable candidate creates her own hard questions. Below I have listed 15 questions that you as the interviewee can use to totally turn the tables around and interview your interviewer. They will never forget you!

1. What’s the worst thing about working here?
   There is a story about an interviewee who asked this question to an interviewer, the interviewer’s own answers were such a dramatic reality check that the next day he quit his job. This question will force your interviewer to be honest about the company’s shortcomings and make you aware of the negative aspects of what you are signing up for. You can follow up by asking: What’s different about working here than anywhere else?
2. What major industry shift has this company survived and how did you do it?
   A friend once told me that she once worked for a real estate company in the 90's and she introduced her boss to the “Internet”. He barely glossed over the idea and said that he didn't want the company to head in that direction. This question should allow for you to see how competent the company is in dealing with change, it should bring insight to let you know if you will be boarding a sinking ship.
3. How do you keep the company from becoming irrelevant?
   This is similar to question #2 but in a more detailed fashion. It will give you insight on issues like employee training, use of technology and their focus on research and development. Ask where do they see this company in the next few years and about new products or plans for growth. Ask what major changes or improvements has the company gone through in the past year or two. If these are not mentioned, ensure that you make them follow up questions.
4. How has <event/achievement> affected the company?
   This question requires a little research. Not all companies will have public information about their activities but if you can find some, it will show that you did some amount of work to prepare for this interview. Look for things like expansions, mergers, downsizing, new products, new staff, new competitors, change in the industry environment, new technology, etc.
5. If I were to become an invaluable employee and bring to the company unmatched success, would I ever be promoted to Vice President?
   Even if the the answer to this question is no, you get to start the conversation about how the company values and rewards its employees. Ask about the common career paths for this position? Ask about the promotion policy and even the policy for salary increases. It will make it far easier when you can quote them on this policy when you are ready to request a salary increase or promotion.
6. What was the person who previously held this position like?
   There might not have been a previous employee but if there was, be careful to listen out for any criticism, these may well be the same ones you will be criticised for when you have settled into the groove of things.
7. What is the main issue you have had with former employees?
   This may be a tricky question to ask but similar to question #5 above, it opens you up to the thinking of the manager and a glimpse as to what grinds their gears.
8. If I were to make an error in a major project, how would it be dealt with?
   Here again is another question that will cause your interviewer to think. This question is best asked if your interviewer includes someone who decides who gets fired. This will reflect the companies policy on what is an acceptable reason for discharging an employee as well as how they deal with high stress situations.
9. How does the company help employees maintain their work-life balance?
   Many companies boast great work-life balance but they do nothing to encourage it. Great companies are structured to ensure you have a great work-life balance. Ask about how employees work especially around deadlines, then ask how often are these deadlines. Ask about the companies expectations of you over a weekend or public holiday. Ask about time off for family emergencies, birthdays, anniversaries, and the company’s vacation policy.
10. What is expected of me in the first 3 month?
    If you do get the job, you want to make it clear that you were a great hire, one way to ensure this is to get a gist of the company’s expectations of you when you hit the ground. This will create a marker where the employee can monitor her own performance and employer can be more objective in their evaluation.
11. What is your goal for each employee after 1 year of working here?
    A good job is an opportunity for you to grow but a great job provides these opportunities and helps you to grow. Ask about training opportunities, conferences, and specific means of supporting your intellectual growth.
12. What is missing in my resume that would make my selection a no-brainer?
    Sometimes the interviewer is looking for particular traits in an employee that you might have but it wasn’t expressed in your resume and you were so nervous you forgot to mention that last summer you interned at NASA. Be blunt and ask the interviewer exactly what they are looking for, you may also realise that this is not your cup of tea. This could also show you what gaps in your resume need filling so you can work on them for your next interview somewhere else.
13. Which of my skills do you see as most important for the challenges that come with the position?
    This places the interviewer in a position where they get to focus on your positives. They will have to seek out a fit between your skills and daily job tasks to see if you are a good fit.
14. What is the most important thing employees can contribute to ensure the company’s progress?
    This will reveal the KPI of employee performance. This could reveal the driving motivation of the company and the primary expectation of each employee.
15. How did I compare to the other interviewees?
    Instead of sitting by the phone waiting for days wondering how you did in an interview, ask the interviewer at the end how did you compare. You will leave the room in a much better state of mind than the state of suspense an interview usually creates. You can also follow up that question by asking: when can I expect a response? If they say something vague like in a week or two, look at your calendar for the specific date and respond by saying: OK, so that would be the 8th of the January 2016?
    If that day passes, write a short email saying you are following up on the interview and that they had indicated that you would be contacted at the above date. This will show that you are truly interested in the position.

Arm yourself with these questions for your next job interview. It will boost your confidence and impress your interviewer. These are questions I have personally tried and seen them work phenomenally. A few people I have shared these questions with expressed fear about the idea of interrogating the interviewer. If you want to try these risk free, and for an extra boost in confidence, try this by going on interviews while you are employed. I can guarantee that both you and your interviewer will be impressed.

If you liked this article, click the recommend button below. If these questions worked for you on an actual interview, I would really love to hear from you. You can shout me on Twitter @frazras or just leave a response.