How To Answer: Do You Have Any Questions About The Job Position?

When Human Resources pens a job post, it makes sure all the requirements for the position are clearly stated. It is part of their pre-screening procedure. This is why before writing your resume, you should always review the job post. Highlighting the relevant skills in your resume will help you get the interview.

Thus, if you get the interview, it would be safe to assume that the company has recognized you as a candidate who is potentially qualified for the job. In fact, during the interview, the Hiring Manager may ask you questions that dig deeper into your knowledge about the job position.

The Interviewer may bring in a top-level manager from the department to ask you questions about specific aspects of the job. Situational questions may be thrown in to assess your decision-making skills and leadership abilities.

Then, once all of the job-related questions appears to have settled down, the Interviewer throws you a curveball:

“Do you have any questions about the job position?”

Why The Interviewer Asks “Do You Have Questions About The Job Position?”

The short answer would be “No”.

Giving the “No” answer may send the message that you are willing to wholeheartedly accept the conditions of the job position without question. You are telling the Interviewer that you are ready to work right now.

On the flip side, it may lead the Interviewer to conclude that you possess some of these undesirable attributes:

• Untruthfulness
• Lack of Interest
• Unmotivated
• Arrogance
• Lack of Dedication

It may effectively end the interview but “No” may also mean you won’t get the job.

Many candidates get stumped by this question because they did not prepare for it. For the reason that they are sitting in the interview chair while others have found their way into the 201 File, they assume the company has found them “qualified”.

So why ask questions about the job position?

Qualifying the technical and fundamental competencies of the candidate is just one purpose of the interview.

The Interviewer wants to see if you have any type of apprehensions about the job.

Are you concerned about the pay for the job? This is not the time to ask about it. You may think you are being truthful, but asking about the pay shows the Interviewer what your priorities are.

It may be misconstrued as a lack of respect on the organization’s ability to manage its business. The apprehensions that are being alluded to by the question are related to the nature of the job:

• Working Conditions – Is the job in a manufacturing plant where toxic substances are present? Will I be assigned to a location where the crime rate is notoriously high? Will I be stationed in a country where social and cultural differences are very pronounced? What are the safety parameters?
• Level of Expectations – Are my skills, experiences, and certifications enough to effectively manage the duties and responsibilities of the job? Will the company fund the procurement of additional certifications? What are the company’s benchmarks for the job?
• Personnel – Will I work with other people? Will I get involved in the scope of work of my teammates? What is the hierarchy or organizational flow of the team?

The Interviewer wants to know how much you know about the company, its development plans, and the reasons for hiring someone for the position.

An accountant is a key position in a company. However, the application of an accountant’s skills varies from one industry to another. For example, in the food business, an accountant will be asked to monitor food costs while in the healthcare industry, an accountant may be hired to review insurance claims.

A job position has various applications depending on the industry and the needs of the company. By asking you “Do you have any questions about the job position”, the Interviewer wants to know if you are clear with your expected role in the position.

• May I clarify your duties and responsibilities?
• Will I be collaborating with certain individuals, agencies, and other third-party groups?
• Will I be coordinating with key people and decision-makers in the company?
• What is the timeline for the first project?

The Interviewer wants to gauge your level of interest for the job.

Generally, a person who has questions about the job position appears more interested in the position than someone who just says “No”. Of course, the questions should have substance. An experienced interviewer will know from the get-go if your questions are legit or just fluff.

When coming up with your questions, it would be a good idea to frame them in such a way that it would elicit feedback and an extended discussion. If your question is framed as one that only requires a “Yes” or “No” answer, it will not be as impressive.

The best questions are the ones that likewise challenge the Interviewer to dig deep and come up with the best answers.

If you find the Interviewer saying, “That’s a good question. Let me get John from IT on the line. He would be the most qualified person to give you the right answer”, then you are on the right track!

10 Ways To Answer The Question: “Do You Have Any Questions About The Job Position?”

Administrative/ Clerical Job Position

“I’m pretty confident that my current skills will enable me to do my job well. However, is there a specific software program that the company uses for organizing tasks, filing documents, and other administrative duties? Do you use proprietary software and would you provide training for this?”

Top-Level Management Job Position

“My only concern is the high turnover rate of your employees. Would you consider this a top priority? It seems to me that based on your earlier disclosure on performance reports, attrition continues to play a significant factor. Is there a process in place that measures employee ROI? I have experience in setting up Process Improvement Systems and may be able to contribute in this area.”

Marketing Job Position

“How committed is the company in investing resources for Digital Marketing? The reason I ask this is according to the latest financial disclosure, while the total amount of expenditures for marketing increased year-to-year, it was actually lower in terms of percentage of annual sales. Will the company increase its percentage allocation to marketing? And if so, would it favor digital over traditional marketing?”

Retail Job Position

“Is the company planning to increase its digital presence? I have only seen the company’s social media pages but there is no website. Several brick-and-mortar retailers have shut down as they refused to transition toward e-Commerce. Or is the company in the middle of planning for its first e-Commerce site?”

Sales Job Position

“I am very pleased and appreciative of the fact that my application is being considered for the sales job position. What caught my attention during the interview was that my predecessor was on the job for a very short time. Would you know what difficulties or struggles he faced when he was managing the territory?”

Research Job Position

“As I mentioned in our interview, my strengths in technical analysis are in Wave Theory and Fibonacci. I know your research team is amazing with Oscillating systems and moving averages. Would you by any chance provide training in these methods of technical analysis? I think that would help out in identifying entry and exit points.”

Entry-Level Job Position

“If I should get this job, it will be a tremendous milestone! I would just like to know what the usual career path is. As I discussed in our interview, my objective would be to find a position in Key Accounts. Am I on the right track assuming I am fortunate enough to land the job position?”

Teaching Job Position

“As a public institution, the school is facing the threat of budget cuts considering the fact that the government is in a deficit. What do you perceive will be the challenges teachers will face in lieu of these anticipated budget cuts in education?”

Finance/ Accounting Job Position

“Will I split time overseeing the records at the warehouse? Or will I coordinate with Purchasing Manager and the Inventory Manager on the transmission of all records and documents? I am fine with both arrangements. I would just like to know so I look ahead and prepare mechanisms that will protect confidential information.”

Restaurant Manager Job Position

“Are you considering having the restaurant available for bookings and reservations? I understand that as of last year, the catering service was launched as the new stream of revenue. I surveyed the dining area and have taken note the possibility of re-arranging some spaces for parties. As a Restaurant Manager, one of my duties was to book events for the restaurant. I can help you plan and coordinate events.”

Conclusion

Getting an interview is a big step toward landing the job position. Every question that you answer to the satisfaction of the Interviewer brings you closer to your goal. Don’t leave anything to chance. Prepare as well as you possibly can before the interview.

Role-playing is a good idea. Pretend you are the Interviewer. What kind of questions would you like to ask yourself to prove to the Interviewer you are the best candidate for the job?

For sure, the question “Do you have any questions about the job position” will be on your list.