Introduction
Employers and prospective employees rely on recruiters for vital connections. Job candidates sometimes seek out their services directly. Others find out after applying that they are being contacted by a recruiter acting on behalf of the company. You may even encounter a recruiter when you’re not looking for a job – some recruiters make “cold calls” to people they’ve identified as a good fit for an open position. Even if you don’t find a job right away, talking to a recruiter is a great way to begin your search for a job later on. Recruiters are a valuable resource for both companies and candidates. By connecting each of these parties, the professional help to facilitate a good fit for both parties. You can learn a great deal about job openings by knowing what questions to ask a recruiter.
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How would you describe yourself?
The most common job interview question of all time is usually the thing they ask you first as an icebreaker when you first sit down at your job interview. Now there are a million ways to answer this open-ended question and there’s also about a million YouTube videos out there giving you various ways to answer it. So, over a hundred candidates are applying for the same position. For recruiters, this is an elimination game, from hundred applications received they have to select one candidate. So, there is always a hidden criterion that a candidate is not aware of whether he will be eliminated or get hired. You can start off by saying well, as you can see from my resume, that’s the first thing you say then go down your resume in chronological order starting with the oldest material and then getting closer to the present and then finally talking about your most recent experience this you should take 45 seconds no more than a minute and end with a phrase that’s what brings me here today and why Iam excited to learn more about this opportunity. As a candidate, your purpose in a job interview is to communicate your value. How do all your qualifications meet the requirements of the recruiter representing the whole business. Mention all those things which are relevant to the job description and discard all those things which are irrelevant. Try to summarize your resume in 45 seconds to a minute.
Questions to ask a Recruiter
Now, what you can ask recruiters: –
Could you please tell me more about the job?
The recruiter can provide more information than what you may have already gained from a job posting, network connection, or website, so let them share everything they know with you. As soon as you’ve established some basics, dig deeper into the specific job. You’ll gain insight into daily life and company values, which can be critical when you’re considering whether you should pursue the opportunity. It’s good when candidates ask relevant questions about the inner workings of the job, not just information they can find online.
- Which projects will I work on once I begin?
- What will I accomplish in six months if I succeed?
- What kind of people will I work with in this role?
- Are employees satisfied with the company culture?
- Why is the position open?
- What about the growth perspective of your company?
- Can you describe the role in more detail?
Identifying the kind of job, such as full-time, part-time, freelance, employee, temporary, etc. will be important. A recruiter may not emphasize that it’s a temporary position that could become permanent, etc.
- What caused the last person to leave this job?
- Do you have a newly created role?
- Did your predecessor get promoted?
- Did anyone get fired?
- What is the duration of the job opening?
- A recruiter’s response can raise a red flag.
There may be a reason why other candidates have passed on a position that’s been open. Positions that have been open for some time may be indicative of other candidates passing on them. Perhaps you should be careful.
Perhaps you will have to deal with an especially stingy or indecisive hiring manager.
In the case of a brand-new position, the hiring process may take some time because the employer is likely to consider several candidates before making a final decision.
What are the most crucial skills?
An experienced recruiter can provide you with this information, so you will know what you need to improve in order to excel in the role. Furthermore, it can allow you to determine if you’re really interested in the job.
Can you tell me about the company culture?
A company’s culture should always be considered when hiring. The company needs to select the best candidate and so the candidates also need to work with the best company.
Does the company have a policy regarding remote work?
Work flexibility and remote working have passed the point of being a perk to become an expected way of working. Especially now when the world is facing the issues of pandemics. In case working from home or adjusting your schedule is important to you, be sure to find out as soon as possible whether this is possible in this role.
The website may provide you with all the information you need about remote work if the company has one. The company may not have a policy in place regarding flexible work, so you’ll need to dig deeper. Often companies say they are “open” to this, but if there aren’t any formal policies in place, then this might not be the best choice if flexibility is a top priority.
How soon will the position be filled?
Knowing the timelines of both the recruiter and hiring company can help manage your expectations. An experienced recruiter should be able to give you an estimate of how long it will take to hear back from them for the next steps, or even how soon the company would like a new hire on board.
How does the turnover compare to other companies?
It is important to know the turnover rate of a company since one with a high turnover rate may have challenges. You can more easily evaluate if the company is a good fit for you by asking about these factors before your interview.
Do you have any suggestions on how to improve my resume or cover letter?
An experienced recruiter will have read dozens, if not hundreds, of resumes. They’ve seen some of the best candidates and they’ve carefully analysed their resumes and cover letters. A good resume and cover letter can be helpful not only for this particular job opportunity but also for others. A recruiter can provide specific suggestions for improving your resume and cover letter by customizing them accordingly.
How do you conduct an interview?
Recruiters can explain the full interview process so you know what to expect at every stage. In addition to telling you if you will have to attend multiple interviews for a position, they can explain how long you should expect to wait between phone calls. You can prepare accordingly and wait patiently as you move through the interview process if you understand the process from the beginning.
Things you can’t ignore-Don’t ask the below-mentioned questions.
- Asking obvious questions?
- Interrogating the interviewer
- How much time will I get off?
- Don’t ask about salary expectations at an initial stage.
- Do I have the option of starting early or leaving late if I work the required hours?
- Who is your biggest competitor?
- Know when to stop.
- Saying “No questions” – signifies lack of research and preparation or a candidate is desperate to get any job.
- Ask only what you are comfortable with
Good closing questions for an interview
Some questions you can ask
- Why is this position open? (Newly opened position or fallen vacant)
- Expectations from me in the initial months. This shows to the recruiter you really care about performance.
- What is the workplace culture like here? It gives clarity to candidates whether it’s the right place for him to work.
- Where does the company see itself in the next 5 -10 years? It helps to understand what type of company you have to work with, whether this company has a vision and plan to achieve business goals in a given timeline. As a candidate you are forward-thinking.
- Challenges before the organization? In case of changing marketing dynamics, what kind of challenges will the company face in the upcoming years, what will be their strategy to face those challenges.
Questions for freshers-
- See if the company is in news- discussing the impact
- Qualities required to be successful here.
- What are the growth prospects here?
- What are the next steps in the process?
- What advice would you want to give me if you want to perform well in this role?
- If I am successful, what would you need me to focus on in the first few weeks of starting?
Conclusion
If you do not ask any questions, you are losing the wonderful opportunities to show that you care about their esteemed organization. If you don’t ask any questions, it can come across you’re not interested in the role. Remember a job interview should be treated as a business meeting, a discussion, wherein interaction between both the party’s recruiter and interviewee are significant. If a company is looking for the best candidate, then as a candidate you are even looking to work with awesome companies. It’s important to ask smart, intelligent and relevant questions to your hiring manager.
Ask 3 questions maximum at the interview, not more than that. Always remember the interviewer has limited time and he has to interview various other candidates.
