26 Unique Interview Questions to Ask Employers - Career Sidekick

26 Unique Interview Questions to Ask Employers - Career Sidekick 26 Unique Interview Questions to Ask Employers Interview Preparation / https://www.edenscott.com/blog Most people ask the same generic questions in their interviewsIf you want to stand out in your interview,you should aim to ask the employer a couple of unique questions that nobody else has asked.This is how youll stick in their mind, make them remember you, and get more job offers.So to help with this, Im going to share 26 unique interview questions to ask an employer based on my experience as a recruiter.Lets get started1. What’s one thing you’re hoping a new person can bring to the role?This question is a great one to ask employers for a few reasons. First, it shows that youre focused on coming in and helping them. And it also shows that youre looking to come in and bring a new spark or new ideas, rather than just copying what everyone else is doing.Asking this question will quickly show the hiring manager or recruiter that youre smart, proactive, and different than the other candidates theyve seen.2. What is something that the most successful p eople in this role do differently than everyone else?This shows the hiring manager that youre thoughtful, different, and genuinely interested in being a top-performer in this job.This will make them excited to hire you and will help differentiate you from other job seekers.This question shows them that youre focused on coming in and being successful before theyve even offered you the job, which will help you get hired.3. What does it take to be successful here?Like the questions above, asking this question shows the employer that youre not just trying to find a paycheck and be an average performer; youre aiming to be the best.This is the type of person they want to place into a new position! Someone whos going to be working hard from day one to make sure they succeed. This makes the hiring team a lot less worried about you failing in the role, taking a long time to get up to speed, etc.4. What are some of the things you saw on my resume that indicated this role might be a good fit?T his is one of the more unique questions to ask the interviewer, and it will reveal what pieces of your background caught their attention. (Then, you can make sure to discuss those pieces whenanswering questions in the interview).5. What are the most important things you’re prioritizing or looking for in the candidate you hire?This is another excellent, unique question to ask the interviewer, and most employers dont hear this often if at all.This question focuses on their interview process and what theyre thinking behind the scenes. Its a thoughtful, interesting question, and its bold, too! It takes guts to ask this, so itll grab the hiring managers attention AND make them think a bit to give you a thoughtful response.Any time you can ask a question that makes the employer stop and think before they answer, its a good thing!6. What would success look like in the first 90 days?This follows the pattern of a couple of the questions above it shows them that youre focused on success in the role and already thinking ahead about how to be a big success for them!Thats going to get them excited about you as a candidate because it shows them that you care about helping their company, not just getting paid.7. Where do you stand right now in terms of the hiring process and interviewing candidates? And how long has the job been open?This is one of my favorite questions for an interviewer because it will provide you with valuable information about the hiring process and situation behind the scenes.This can help you know what to expect as the process continues, and its also an original question that most candidates arent asking, so youll stand out in the interview.8. What are some things that would make someonenota good fit for this role?Most hiring managers dont get asked this (which is a good thing for you!)Ask this question to show them that youre careful and thoughtful in your job hunt (which is the opposite of desperate) and that youre looking for therightfit, not t he first job offered to you.This is how to position yourself as a top-tier, A+ job candidate.9. Why did you say yes when the position you hold now was offered to you by this organization?Its nice to ask at least one question to learn about the interviewer and their personal experience at the company.Everyone likes to talk about themselves, so most interviewers will be happy to share their experiences here.Also, since this is an opinion-based question, you can ask it to multiple people. If you meet with three people, you can ask all three about this topic, so youll never run out of questions!You should go into each interview with at least one opinion-based question like this, so you know you wont run out of things to ask (in case you meet more people than expected). And always make sure its a creative question like the one above so you stand out.10. Whats the most challenging aspect of the role?This question shows employers that youre realistic and ready for a challenge and that you realize its not going to be comfortable at the beginning.Its also a relatively uncommon question that most job seekers dont ask the interviewer, so youll get bonus points for being different.You could follow-up to this question by asking how they recommend overcoming the challenge, too. That will impress them even more.11. What is your leadership style? (Ask this to your potential future boss)Ask this question to your potential next boss (not HR or a recruiter) to find out whether youll enjoy working under this type ofwork environmentand leadership style.Its a thoughtful question that they probably dont hear often, and itll make them think before answering. Thats always a good thing, especially since hiring managers are typically asked the same generic questions in the interview and dont have to think much about answering.12. What are your biggest concerns about the department/team right now?This is another question to ask the hiring manager in a job interview (not HR). Itll force t hem to think and be honest about the downsides of the job, or the struggles of the group.You dont want to accept a job without knowing what youre getting into, right?13. What information will I have access to as an employee, in terms of whats happening overall in the companyThe best companies Ive worked for have been transparent and open about big decisions, goals, and strategic direction. The worst employers were guarded and secretive. So this question will help you know how this employer treats information, and how they treat their employees (with trust, or distrust).14. How often do you promote employees internally?The first recruiting agency I joined ONLY promoted from within the company. That meant that if you wanted to be a Manager, you HAD to start as an entry-level Recruiter. Everyone began this way.This gave me fantastic opportunities as anentry-level job seekermyself (and I did end upgetting promotedto Project Manager eventually).So this is something I like to see in an or ganization and something you should ask questions to find out about.Most companies wontonlypromote from within (its only really possible in a tiny start-up, which we were). But youll still learn a lot about asking the employer about this in your job interview.15. How will my performance reviews be handled?Dont take a job without knowing what your performance reviews will handled and how the process will look.This is one of the mostimportant questions to ask before accepting a job.16. What have people gone on to do in the company after taking this position?This is important to know for your future career growth, and asking this also shows the interviewer that youre goal-oriented and motivated. That will help you get more job offers. Every company likes to see this in their candidates.17. What has been your best experience working here?This is another personality-based question, which means you can ask multiple people in your job interview. Its also unique and engaging and could spark a great conversation. Then, you can build more rapport and get to know the interviewer (always a good thing!)18. Whats the first problem or challenge the person you hire will need to tackle?This question shows that youre coming in focused and ready to contribute from day 1. It also shows that youre making sure to look for a position that youre well-equipped to handle.So youll build trust with the company, and show them that youre a motivated candidate. Thats a win-win.19. What is your companys most significant competitive advantage?Asking this in your job interview will show that youre a big-picture thinker, and are naturally curious and interested in their business overall.While most candidates are just asking about the role and day-to-day work (which you should, too, by the way), youre ALSO asking about something bigger/broader, to show that youre able to see the bigger picture and think at a higher level.20. Have other people failed in this position? If so, why?This will provide you with valuable info, and its also something most job seekers arent asking, so youll set yourself apart and make yourself more memorable in the job interview.21. How fast is the company growing?This is another question that shows youre a big-picture thinker, and that you like to be aware of whats going on outside of your specific role, too.This signals that youll be strategic, smart, and potentially a great management candidate after they hire you!22. Who are your top competitors, and what do you think makes people come to work for your organization over the others?This is very similar to the question above it shows a general interest in their company, industry, and how they fit with their competitors.One note: You should have more questions about the actual job what youll be working on, the challenges of the position itself, etc. Dontonlyprepare questions about the company overall. This could be a potential red flag and make them worry that you like their company but arent pas sionate about working in this individual role.23. After I master the basics of the role, what opportunities are provided for continued learning and career growth?This is yet another way to show that youre goal-oriented while finding out valuable info to help you decide whether to accept ordecline the job offerif it gets to that point!This alsoshows a lot of confidence in the interview, which is always good.24. Which other teams will I interact with?This is one more way to show that youre a big-picture thinker. Asking this in your interview will help you understand how your role fits in with the other parts of the company.25. How would you describe the company culture here?This is important to know a job could look great on paper, but the company culture could be a disaster. So ask this and make sure youll feel comfortable in their work environment.Note that employers may askinterview questions to discover if the culture will fit, too. Two examples:Describe your ideal manager.What t ype of work environments do you prefer?26. Do your team members/employees ever get together outside of work hours?This is an interesting question that will help you know how close the team is and whether they get together after work. If this type of thing doesnt matter to you, then you dont need to ask it. But I like work environments like this, so Id want to find out about this.Conclusion: What to Do NextId recommend picking just a couple off the above questions, getting familiar with them, and using them in every job interview.That way, you dont have to think too much each time, and you can also compare the answers that different interviewers give you (to decide which job sounds best).If you use these questions, youre going to make a better impression, differentiate yourself from the competition, and land a better job!