5 killer questions from candidates and how to answer them

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Most candidates are well-aware of how asking the right questions at an interview is going to earn them extra points.

However, sometimes an interviewer can be caught off guard by bonehead questions from the candidate.  Here are five questions from candidates which will stun the interviewer and the smart ways to respond shared by CTgoodjobs.

1. May I meet my future teammates?

The immediate response from the interviewer will be "What were you thinking? You have not been hired yet."

While getting to know colleagues is the first step to building a collaborative culture, there is no way such meetings can be arranged.

The right response is to give the candidate an overview of the job duties and explain to him or her who they are going to collaborate with.

2. Why did the person I am replacing leave the role?

Why an employee leaves a job is confidential information that the HR department has every right not to share.  However, instead of giving the candidate a hard no, the interviewer can reply by saying the colleague has moved on to pursue other opportunities or has been transferred to cope with business development needs.

3. How can this role support the development of the organisation?

This question shows that the candidate wants to know how he or she is able to succeed with the organisation.  This is an opportunity for the interviewer to further explain details of the role and to give the candidate a full picture of how he or she can thrive in the role.

4. What is the happiest thing about working for this organisation?

The interviewer should take advantage of this opportunity to explain to the candidate what makes the organisation an employer of choice.  Savvy candidates are interested in knowing more in-depth about the corporate culture and other intangible factors to determine whether he or she is a good fit for the job.

Remember a job interview is a two-way process, so do not hesitate to share more.

5. Do you have any comments about me or my qualifications?

It is understandable for the interviewer to be annoyed by this show-off move from the candidate but let's be the bigger person here.  Instead of focusing on finding flaws in the candidate's background, take this opportunity to get the candidate to share more about how his or her background fits in with the role.

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