Introduction
A job interview is a tool for the assessment of a potential employee. Interestingly, it also allows interviewees to obtain otherwise inaccessible information. The following paper provides a review of an article “32 brilliant questions to ask at the end of every job interview,” connects its content to personal interviewing experience, and provides the rationale for the selection of questions.
Main body
The article was selected for three reasons. First, the content of the article provides thought-provoking content that presents the familiar situation in an unusual light. Despite a reasonable amount of tension, job interviews eventually become a routine. Such development creates a false impression that few deviations from the familiar course of action are possible. In this regard, the article provides a fresh perspective and highlights the aspects that I personally tend to overlook. Second, the majority of questions in the article are provided by prominent experts from a variety of reputable organizations.
Such diversity of opinions significantly increases the scope of the included content and provides a trustworthy compilation of views and experiences. In addition, according to the references, at least some of the contributors are directly involved in interviewing the applicants, which makes their insights especially relevant. Finally, I was expecting to find in the article the information that could be utilized outside the job interview area – that is, in a broader context of everyday life.
I would like to point out several interesting ideas obtained from the article. First, I find interesting the idea that the process of asking questions determines the dynamics of the conversation, which I consider an example of knowledge that, with few adjustments, can be adopted in numerous aspects of personal and professional life. Second, I would like to point out that the questions suggested in the article can be categorized based on their area of inquiry.
While it is not explicitly stated in the text, this idea allows for more comprehensive planning and better chances of success. Third, the idea that an interviewer anticipates being asked questions and makes conclusions based on their availability adds a new dimension both to the job interviews and to the domain of formal conversations as a whole.
While I cannot recall a definitive event in my interviewing experience that would relate to the information from the article, the synthesis of the obtained experience allows me to confirm the majority of statements. For instance, I agree that in most cases, the interviewers do not rely solely on the information articulated by the interviewees – instead, they use several subtle indicators, not all of which are immediately apparent. In fact, some of which remain obscure despite numerous justification attempts. I can also confirm that both asking and answering questions creates does produce a notable shift in perception of the conversation, although the actual effect differs depending on the status of the participants and the nature of the questions.
The list of questions I would ask at the end of an interview is as follows:
- Who do you think would be the ideal candidate for this position, and how do I compare?
- What do you like most about working for this company?
- How would you score the company on living up to its core values? What’s the one thing you’re working to improve?
- What are the challenges of this position?
- How do you help your team grow professionally?
- How do you evaluate success here?
I have included these particular questions for two reasons. First, all of them require in-depth knowledge of the company and do not reside within the interviewer’s area of responsibilities. This means that they will need to process the information and come up with an answer immediately, providing relevant information. Second, four out of six questions inquire about subjective views on the matter, which would allow the interviewee to approach things from a perspective that is otherwise unavailable.
Conclusion
Job interviews are valuable tools for both the interviewers and the interviewees. They provide access to important details, shape personal perceptions, and help to identify specific traits and skills. Thus, it is reasonable to perceive them as an essential component of the conversation and pay attention to their appropriate usage in order to achieve the desired result.