Do you ask the same questions in all your interview stages?

When you are invited to interview with a company, there are generally a few different people who will interview you.

In this post, I'll help you navigate the recruiter interview and a hiring manager interview.

Recruiter Interview

Generally, the first interview you have is with a recruiter. This phone screen is usually about 30 minutes long and is a time for the recruiter to make sure they want to recommend you to move on in the hiring process.

During this time the recruiter gets to know you more and makes sure your skills & experience align with the job requirements. They rarely ask technical questions or situational/behavioral questions. It is generally focused on "housekeeping" items such as your desired pay range, your work history, the reason for your job search, company culture, and benefits.

These calls are usually very low-pressure and are a good opportunity to showcase your communication skills. Here are some good topics and sample questions to consider:

High-level position details

Why is this role open?
If it is a backfill, why did the prior employee leave?
How are the team and department structured?
Are there any skills not listed in the job description that would help me be successful in this role?

Company culture and work-life balance

What is your favorite part about working at [company X]?
What values do the company leadership teams encourage most?
What is the expectation for completing work during busy periods?
(If unlimited PTO) How many days off do you take or does the average employee take off each year?

Feedback to be prepared

What stood out most about my resume/application? Is there anything you recommend I change?
What kinds of questions can I expect during the interview process?
What does the interview process look like moving forward?

Remember that recruiters want to fill the position. That means they want you to succeed! Ask them about what it takes to be successful and get to know them personally; that's why I like the "What is your favorite part about working at [company X]?"

You'll want to prioritize your list of questions knowing many of them will be answered without being asked directly. I recommend preparing 3-5 questions and asking 2-3 when they give you time for questions. You can always follow up via email with further questions.

Hiring Manager Interview

Generally, the second interview you have is with the hiring manager. This interview typically lasts between 30 and 60 minutes. This interview comes after the recruiter (or a referral) has recommended you for the role. A good hiring manager will have reviewed your resume and agreed you could be a potential fit. It is also a chance for you to get to know your potential manager to see if you would want to work together.

This interview is a time for the manager to evaluate your past experience, communication skills, and overall abilities. Often times behavioral and situational questions are asked. They expect you to share past experiences you have in those areas as examples that you will be capable of the job functions. Depending on the interview process (ask the recruiter) you might even be asked to answer technical/coding questions. Otherwise, you will likely be given a "take-home" assessment to gauge your technical skills. Expect 3-5 questions.

These interviews can be more stressful but this is what the goal of your job search is: make your pitch to the hiring manager. While answering questions is very important, the questions you ask are often just as important as it tells the manager many things: can you research, can you lead a conversation, do you ask well-formulated questions, what is important to you, etc.

Here are some good topics and sample questions to consider:

Get to know the manager

What is your favorite part about working for [company X]?
You've been at [company X] for [Y] years, what is the most unexpected lesson you've learned in that time?
How do you prefer to give and receive feedback?

Job performance and projects

What is the biggest challenge your team is facing right now?
How has your team been recognized for major accomplishments?
What is the expectation for completing work during busy periods?
Fast forward one year, what would the person in the role have done to exceed all expectations?

The closer

It'd be great to know more about you, what do you like to do outside of work?

Hiring managers will likely remember the questions you ask more than they will remember your answers. Again, I recommend preparing 3-5 questions and asking 2-3 when they give you time for questions. Don't be afraid to ask follow-up questions after they answer or provide a short pitch for why you would solve the issue they bring up.

Ending with a question about them outside of work finishes your interview with them talking about themselves. This is powerful because it also gets them talking about their interests – things that make them happy. You can uncover common interests that might have you going 10+ mins over the interview time (a good thing) and gives you great insight into how to craft your thank you email.

Whether you have an interview with a recruiter or a hiring manager, the questions you ask are key to you landing a job offer.

You're now well-equipped with great questions.

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