These days, job candidates are bringing their A-game to interviews. They’re prepared, well-researched, confident and sure that this is the job for them. However, we’ve all been in interviews where the recruiter or hiring manager was too busy to give you the interview you deserve. You know the type: rushed, disinterested, and simply “dialing it in.”

Before you walk away from another interview wondering, “Was I really that bad?” consider the alternative. You may not have recognized the red flags during the interview. Hone your interview skills by being on the lookout for companies that just aren’t bringing their A-game. Here are 7 interview red flags to watch out for this year.

1. Job Description Amnesia

You’ve read the job description more than a few times, plus you’ve circled and highlighted the skills and requirements you know you meet. However, now you’re on the phone with an interviewer and you’re not quite sure whether they’re asking you about the job you applied for or one that they just made up.

Glassdoor encourages employers to get prepared for interviews by reading and re-reading the job description as well as the candidate’s resume. They should be able to tell you exactly what the role requires, who the role reports to, what the team is like and what the day-to-day responsibilities might be. Watch out for interviewers who dance around specifics or seem to have forgotten the role they’re hiring for.

2. Company Culture Conflict

When you browsed the employer’s profile on Glassdoor were there pictures of fun company off-sites, team building activities and collaborative meetings, but then you arrive to find drab cubicles and employees who look less than thrilled to be working? This is what we call a company culture conflict. False advertising is a no no, and if you’re noticing that a company touts one thing but you see/experience/hear something radically different, that’s a red flag.

Informed candidates, like you, should have a good understanding of the company’s culture, products and goals. You should mention company updates, photos, videos or other things that you see on an employer’s profile. Plus you should ask poignant and specific questions. If what’s professed isn’t what comes through in the interview, take note.

3. Same Ol’ Same Ol’

What’s your greatest weakness?
Tell me about a time when you faced a challenge at work.
What do you like about our company?
What is your background?

If interviewers at various stages of the process seem to be asking the same handful of questions, it should make you pause and ask “Why?” While this may not be a deal breaker, repeated questions can imply that the interviewer is “dialing it in” or does not have specific questions for you as a candidate. They should be asking specific questions about your past experience, recent work history, work style and expectations. Each level of an interview process should feel slightly different and challenge you in different ways.

4. Lack Luster Leadership

The job may be everything you’ve ever dreamed of and the team may seem like you’d want to go to happy hour with them once a week, but it’s important to evaluate the leadership of a company as well. Like the captain of a ship, company leadership decides on the direction of the business, what’s important, what deserves resources and ultimately makes key decisions about future possibilities.

According to Glassdoor research, the number one factor of company culture that matters most to a satisfied workforce is the opinion of senior leadership. Be sure to ask questions about the company leadership and read reviews of the CEO on Glassdoor.

5. Future Fuzziness

Similar to leadership, one thing to dig into while you’re interviewing is the company mission, goals and roadmap. Try hard to get a clear understanding of those three things during the various stages of the interview process so that you’re clear about how your role ladders up to those elements. A clearly defined roadmap is essential for you to do your job well and for you to know how the company measures success.

If the future is fuzzy to those within the company, that may be a red flag that the ship is either shaky or sinking.

6. Unpreparedness

From the recruiter to the hiring manager and all of the team members you speak to, everyone should be prepared to interview you. A lack of preparation is a red flag, and only you can decide how important that red flag is to your final decision of whether to take the job. When an interviewer is unprepared, they aren’t giving you the most insightful answers, they aren’t able to direct you to the right people, they aren’t familiar with your background, and they aren’t engaged. Keep an eye out for these things.

According to Glassdoor research, more difficult interviews lead to higher employee satisfaction. A 10% more difficult interview was correlated to 2.6% higher employee satisfaction rating. But there is a threshold for how difficult is too difficult. On a scale of 1-5, 5 being the most difficult and 1 being the least difficult, the optimum level of difficulty for your interviews is a level 4. If you’re not getting at least one of these four things in your interview, raise an eyebrow:

• Asked behavioral interview questions
• Given skill-based assessments
• Assigned a project or a presentation
• Meeting members from cross functional teams in the interview loop

7. Tick Tock, Tick Tock

Think you are beholden to the whim of a company to determine interview duration? Think again!

In a new Glassdoor study, our researchers looked at 25 countries around the world and show the latest trends in hiring duration. Among U.S. cities, the slowest hiring processes are found in Washington, D.C. (33.2 days), home of many federal government agencies. The fastest hiring processes are found in Kansas City, Kansas (16.9 days), a hub for rail transportation, manufacturing, and distribution. The U.S. industries with the longest interview processes are Government (53.8 days), Aerospace & Defense (32.6 days) and Energy & Utilities (28.8 days). The sectors with the shortest interview processes are Restaurants & Bars (10.2 days), Private Security (11.6 days) and Supermarkets (12.3 days).

This gives you the inside track on how long an interview process should take. If you’re an informed candidate, you should move through an interview process faster and a good company that really wants you should find ways to remove hurdles and unnecessary bottlenecks that may cause you to decline an offer.

While companies themselves do appear to have substantial control the length of interview processes and the style of the interview, if you are an informed candidate you’ll know how to spot the red flags and address them head on.

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They say that you have to write 100 resumes just to get one interview. So what happens when you finally land one? With any luck, you’ll be blowing them out of the water. After all, it’s been going great. You’re building rapport, crafting a strong narrative for your years of experience and the hiring manager’s head seems to be nodding in tune with your responses. You’ve been thrown a couple of softballs to get warmed up and a couple of tricks ones to show how you think on your feet.

And then, all of a sudden, you get thrown a pitch from left field: that’s a nice engagement ring, comments your interviewer. Are you getting married this year? If alarm bells aren’t sounding in your mind already, they should be – this was a classic example of a no-so-innocent, seemingly-benign, and entirely illegal interview question. While no one is going to burst in and read your interviewer their legal rights before making an arrest, this and many other types of questions can be grounds for filing a discriminatory complaint.

But, before we even get there, let’s avoid getting there, shall we? If this is a position you really want, then you might not want to burn bridges so quickly. Here are five illegal interview questions and how you can field them in the right way:

1. Are you comfortable working for a female boss?

Hiring decisions should be based on behavioral evaluations and your past experience. In this case, while the interviewer is not exactly asking you to identify with a particular gender, they’re inserting the theme into the question in general. Whether your boss is female or male is not relevant information so take that position in your mind when crafting your response.

Your response can focus on “management” instead, keeping it gender neutral: “I’ve worked well with all my previous senior managers and I’m a team player who has been part of multiple projects at a time.”

2. Your potential team members and you would have a significant age gap. Would this be a problem for you?

Once again, this illegal interview question is phrased in such an indirect manner that it seems perfectly innocuous. While it doesn’t directly ask you to disclose your age, it certainly does put you in the uncomfortable position of having to evaluate how your age rather than your experience would fare in a team.

The discrimination inherent in this question can go both ways. If you’re a younger person with relevant experience, you could feel intimidated by members of an older team not because you think you have anything to worry about but because this question suggests that it’s a point of concern. Or, if you’re older, with the relevant experience that would otherwise make you the right candidate for this position, it could be uncomfortable thinking about fitting in to a team of younger people.

So how do you handle this one? With grace and ease, once again bringing the spotlight back to you (where it rightly should be!) instead of your age: “I would feel very comfortable working in a team of experienced and like-minded individuals because it is an environment I have thrived in before, as evidenced by my previous positions.”

Round one, You!

3. Where are you from?

Questions regarding your nationality, or that require you to reveal any ancestry are strictly discriminatory and, regardless of how it’s phrased, you should keep your ears open for them.

Only respond to questions that are relevant to the job or that have been specifically advertised in the job description. For example, if an interviewer asks, “Do you speak any language other than English?” that is not allowed. But if the job you’re vying for requires bilingualism, interviewers are well within their rights to ask if you’re fluent in both languages required.

4. When was your last credit check performed?

This is an interesting one because, unlike the previous examples, it’s quite direct and yet wouldn’t automatically register in our minds as an illegal interview question. You may think that the nature of the job might be an exception – financial positions in a bank, for example – but you’d be wrong.

The only time you should be asked about your credit history and rating, up front, is when getting a loan of any type. Other than that, this has no real-world relevancy. And the best part? Large corporations that hire for senior positions often have the practice of performing a background check on a candidate anyway. Which means they have the resources to find the answer themselves and you should not be put in the position of revealing it.

You can politely decline to answer or even ask the interviewer to clarify which part of the job this would pertain to. It will get your point across – without teeth.

5. Are you willing to make arrangements for childcare to cover any potential overtime?

This question turns your personal and family status into a liability. While it seems like the interviewer and company is watching out for your commitments and, it could be argued, warning you that overtime is often a possibility with the position, it’s benign outer cover is wrapping a more distasteful center: the idea that parents who have commitments outside of the workplace will be discounted.

You want to work for a company where merit counts first: your work, behavior and performance as directly related to deliverables are the only things that should count when it comes to hiring, firing and promotions.

To field this one, try to put your own spin on a variation of this: “I’m very excited about the potential for long-term growth in your company and I am open to staying flexible and doing what I can to give the position the best of my abilities. My past experience shows that I’m more than capable of performing the duties this position calls for.”

When you’re faced with illegal questions, often it’s the phrasing that will set you off. Interviewers can ask questions in a certain way that do not automatically seem like the question has any illegal dimension and yet you have to be on the lookout for factors related to demographics. So if it in any remote way requires you to disclose information about political and/or religious affiliations, gender, age, marital status, and any of the examples listed above, steer clear.

You can always maintain your boundaries and control with a polite but firm response such as, “There is nothing in my past/present circumstance that would affect my ability to perform my duties related to this job.” This kind of response is succinct and cordial.

And, lastly, never feel cornered, as though you don’t have options. If you face illegal interview questions at any time you can either re-pivot and choose simply to not pursue the discussion, answer with a polite “no,” like in our example, or reframe the question, bringing it back to the job at hand, the position in general and your experience as it relates.

If all else fails, remember: there are plenty of other fish in the sea!

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How to Answer Some of the Toughest Questions to Get the Job

There are the basic interview questions that almost every hiring manager asks. There are also interview questions that are more of a challenge to answer. These tougher questions give the interviewer a deeper sense of who you are and whether you’re a good fit for the company.

Some are trick questions and others are designed to put you on the spot to see how you react. There are also those that don’t have a right or wrong answer.

With those, how you respond is as important as what you say when you answer.

Here are some of the toughest interview questions that employers ask, along with advice on how to respond and sample answers.

Personality Questions

Preparing for an interview is a good chance to reexamine yourself because the interviewer wants to see what type of personality you have. These questions get to that core and dig into who you are on a personal level.

• Are you nice?
• Do you have any pet peeves?
• How do you handle stress?
• If you could relive the last 10 years of your life, what would you do?
• What motivates you?

The “Weakness” Questions

Ah, the “What is your greatest weakness?” questions! They are painful but interviewers love to ask them and you need to be ready with a good answer. They want you to be honest, but you don’t have to dig into your dark past or reveal everything.

There is a good and a bad way to answer these questions.

One thing is for sure, you should never say, “I don’t have any.”

• Have you learned from your mistakes?
• Interview questions about weaknesses.
• What do people most often criticize about you?
• What has been the greatest disappointment in your life?
• Interview questions about handling problems at your last job.
• What did you like or dislike about your previous job?
• What was it like working with your supervisor?
• Who was your best boss and who was the worst?

The “Why Are You Leaving” Questions

Questions about why you are looking for work are among the toughest you will face, particularly if the circumstances are less than positive. An honest, well-thought out answer can get you through this round of questioning.

Ending on a positive note or showing a new direction in your life can turn a negative experience around. Be confident in this answer.

• Termination interview questions.
• Why are you interested in a lower level job?
• Why do you want to change jobs?
• Why have you been out of work?
• Why were you fired?

Tough “On the Job” Questions

This round of questions is trying to probe for how you would work in the company’s environment. Each workplace is different and they have expectations of their employees, but honest answers can help bridge any gaps.

• Are you overqualified for this job?
• How would you handle it if your boss was wrong?
• How much do you expect to get paid?
• What do you expect from a supervisor?

Tricky Interview Questions

You will need to put a little thought into answering these and they’re just a few examples of tricky questions. Many times, the interviewer wants to see how well you respond to changing environments and how fast you can think on your feet.

Be prepared with a few answers to the most common questions but be ready for something totally off the wall. If you need to, repeat the question as you come up with an answer. It’s a great trick because it gives you time to think.

• Brain teaser interview questions.
• Questions without right or wrong answers.
• Tell me about your dream job.
• Where else are you interviewing?
• Why should we hire you?

What to Do if You Don’t Have an Answer

Sometimes, despite doing all the preparation you can for an interview you just don’t have an answer or can’t think of something to say right away. Don’t panic! Here’s what to do when you can’t answer an interview question.

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There are a few general interview questions that you are likely to be asked, regardless of what job you are interviewing for. One question you will often be asked is, “What interests you about this job?” The interviewer will want to see that you know quite a bit about the job, what the key requirements are, what skills will help you to excel, and how your experience matches up with those expectations.

How to Answer Interview Questions About Why You are Interested in the Job

To help you prepare to answer a question about what interests you about the job, you should carefully read the job posting, noting the stated requirements, skills, and experience. It is also helpful to see if there is more information on the company website about what is expected in the role for which you are applying. Make a list of your skills that pair well with the stated requirements, and try to think of specific examples of when you used these skills for success on the job.

Best Answers

The best way to respond is to describe the qualifications listed in the job posting, then connect them to your skills and experience, using anecdotes from your previous positions. That way, the employer will see that you know about the job you’re interviewing for (not everyone does) and that you have the qualifications necessary to do the job.

Example #1

For example, if you were interviewing for a Human Resources Manager job where you would be responsible for recruiting, orientation and training, you would want to discuss how you were responsible for these functions in your past positions, and why you are interested in continuing to develop your expertise in Human Resources management.

Example #2

Another example would be if you were interviewing for a Programmer / Analyst position. In that case, you would mention your interest in learning and excelling at new technologies, your experience in programming new applications, and your interest in and ability to problem solve.

Make sure you convey your appreciation for the opportunity to interview, as well as your enthusiasm for the position and your solid ability to do the job.

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Hiring managers don’t always say what’s on their minds, and sometimes this results in a less effective interviewing experience for you, the job candidate. But, regardless of how good or bad your interviewer is, you’ll very likely still get this question: “Why are you interested in this position?”

The reason for that is because your answer says a lot about all of the most important things the interviewer will be evaluating: your skills, your cultural fit, and your interest. In other words, this is definitely not a question you want to screw up. Here are four common mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. You Never Talk About the Company

I recently had a conversation with a recruiter, and she shared this great tidbit with me about what she considers to be the kiss of death for interviews. When people answer, “Why are you interested in this position?” with something about being passionate about programming, writing, or some other skill with no mention at all about the actual company, it’s immediately a red flag. Think about it this way: You can bring your skills anywhere. The trick is explaining why you want to use them for this particular company.

2. You Only Say What’s in it for You

This mistake is particularly common because, well, this is what the question is asking for, isn’t it? Maybe this job would give you the chance to learn a lot about marketing, or it’s an opportunity to grow your quantitative analysis skills—that’s great, but it’s not what your interviewer really wants to hear. At the moment, the hiring manager isn’t the most invested in what’s in it for you; he or she wants to know what’s in it for the company. The solution? Align your interests and say something about your enthusiasm for using your skills to contribute to the company’s greater goal.

3. You Bring Up Points That Aren’t Relevant

In the heat of the moment, it can be really tempting to reveal that the office is actually quite close to your daughter’s school or how the company’s flexible hours policy would make it easier to carpool with your roommate, but don’t give in. These are nice perks, but (hopefully) they’re not the only reason why this position is exciting for you. Plus, you’ll be giving up an opportunity to share the more relevant ones.

4. You Answer the Wrong Question

Have you ever gone on a date with someone who wouldn’t stop talking about his or her ex? Well, turns out this happens during job interviews, too. Don’t be that person who can’t shut up about why you need to leave your old job, stat. Even if the reason you’re job searching is directly related to your previous position, focus on the future. Bring up the skills you’ve developed for sure, but no need to dive into the history of how you acquired them.

This seemly innocuous question is a surprisingly tricky one, especially if you try to answer it without first thinking about your audience. Read this to learn more about how to answer this question strategically. Then, get your story straight, and remember who you’re talking to. It’s just one question, but it can completely shape the way an interviewer views your candidacy.

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Preparing for interviews is serious business. But even if you practice, and practice, and practice, you could still get a question you just don’t know how to answer. Whether it’s a technical question on something you’ve never heard of before or just something completely unexpected, a question that stumps you can really throw off the pacing of the conversation and leave you a bit shaken up.

So, what should you do when you get an interview question that you have no idea how to respond to? Try one of these pain-free approaches.

1. Take Your Time

First things first: Acknowledge that the question was asked and that you’re thinking about it. Something as simple as, “Hmm… that’s a great question. Let me think about that,” will suffice as you take some time to work through your first thoughts on how to approach the question.

This is important to remember, especially since it’s so natural to fill up any empty airspace with words to avoid awkward silences. Take a bit of time to gather your thoughts and make sure you don’t blurt out anything that gives away that you’re—well, completely stumped.

2. Think Aloud

Remember that half the time, hiring managers are asking tricky questions not to hear you spurt out the right answer immediately, but to get a better sense of how you think through problems. So, after you’ve taken a minute to gather your thoughts, try explaining succinctly where your thoughts have been and go forward from there.

For example, if you get asked something like, “Tell me about your copyediting process for long form articles,” and you don’t actually have a process (yet), a good approach would be to imagine that you’re editing that article and share the steps out loud. Add transitional adverbs like “first,” “then,” and “lastly” to give your answer some structure. You can also finish off with a qualifying statement that “the process varies depending on the situation,” which shows that you’re flexible even if your answer isn’t what the hiring manager would do.

3. Redirect

If you’re asked a question that you really can’t work through, own up and try redirecting to an area you are familiar with. You may not be able to speak to a certain skill directly, but if you’re able to connect it to similar skills, you’re much better off than just saying you don’t have the skill they’re looking for.

For example, say you applied for a position that requires social media marketing experience and are asked about your experience in this type of marketing. If you simply don’t have it, try redirecting the answer to something you do have experience with. In this instance, you could move toward your experience in social media community management or print marketing and say, “That’s one of the reasons I’m so excited about this position. I have extensive experience in social media community management from blogging in my previous position, as well as experience with print marketing for my professional organization. I think I’m very well equipped to combine these two skills into the necessary social media marketing for your product, especially since your company has been focusing its efforts in building up a community.”

4. Have a Fail-Safe

Of course, you might get a question that no amount of stalling, thinking aloud, or redirecting can help with. Questions that call for definitions or understanding of concepts that you don’t know can’t just be worked through on the spot. For these questions, lean on the research you’ve done about the company and industry the position is in.

Say you’re applying for a mergers and acquisitions position in finance and are asked, “What is working capital?”—and you really just have no idea. Be prepared with a fail-safe answer that focuses on your enthusiasm for the position and knowledge of the industry. Something like, “That’s not a concept I’m really familiar with yet, but finance is something I’m really excited about, and I’ve been actively trying to learn more. I’ve been keeping up with deals and have read about a few that your company has been involved in. I’ve also learned a lot about the industries that you advise. I think the consolidation that’s going on in the auto industry is going to create a lot of interesting opportunities going forward, and it’ll be an opportunity to learn a great deal about the M&A business.”

Above all, learn from all your interview experiences. And remember that regardless of what question you get, consider what the hiring manager is really trying to learn from the question. You may not be able to answer the actual question asked, but if you’re able to figure out what the hiring manager is really trying to learn with the question and assuage whatever concern he or she might have — you’ve already done well.

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Sometimes a job interview gone wrong is not your fault. Despite all of your hours of preparation, one thing you likely did not count on was meeting with an interviewer who is woefully unprepared for the task.

Luckily, there are ways to prepare for an inexperienced — or just plain bad — hiring manager.

Hiring new employees is one of the most important decisions for any organization so it’s likely you didn’t spend much time considering what you should do if the interviewer is not up for the task. While it is rare to encounter such a situation, you should still take at least some time to game plan in case this scenario becomes a reality. From the silent one to the newcomer, there are many different types of interviewers who can cause trouble for you.

Robert Half International is a career-consulting services with locations across the United States. In an article the company posted on Career Builder, four types of bad interviewers were listed, along with strategies to overcome them:

The Newbie: You think you are nervous? Just imagine how a hiring manager interviewing his first candidate feels. Because it’s his first time, this type of questioner will likely stick to his pre-determined game-plan; he will not at all be interested in spontaneous moments, and might simply ignore your off-the cuff insights. If you want to make sure you are able to highlight the information you want the interviewer to know, ask if you can talk about some of your accomplishments after he is done asking his questions.

The Silent Type: Nothing is more disconcerting than complete silence when you try to establish dialogue with the questioner. There’s nothing wrong with answering questions at length, but it’s much more comfortable having a back-and-forth. There’s no way you can force someone to speak, so your best bet in this case is to get details from other sources. For example, you can do further research into the organization online or make use of contacts you have in the workplace.

The Distracted One: This is the type of person who doesn’t have your full attention from the minute you walk in the door. Whether it’s a cell phone constantly going off, or another employee popping his head in the door every few minutes, you are going to be hard-pressed to get your points across in this situation. If this becomes too much of a problem, you might want to offer coming back at a time that is more convenient. If the Distracted Interviewer is still disorganized and distracted on your second visit, you should consider moving on from this opportunity.

The Intimidater: On the opposite end of the spectrum from the Distracted Interviewer is the individual who will overwhelm you with details. Some job seekers like being flooded with information about the job but it can be off-putting to some. If this is the case for you, and you think you’re going to have a hard time accomplishing everything that will be thrown at you, it’s best to be honest and tell the manager that you don’t think the position will be a good fit for you.

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If you have ever been on a job interview the odds are you were asked this open-ended, break-the-ice question, which is often the first one asked. Now if you worked with a resume writer/job coach like me, inwardly you would be jumping for joy because the exercises used to prepare your resume also prepared you to knock this out of the park.

However as a recruiter and hiring authority I was shocked at how many people were caught off guard when asked this question and how many struck out in my evaluation of them before the interview even started. After all, this question is a slow pitch lobbed right over the heart of the plate and I expected them to hit a home run, or at the very least to make contact and get on base.

OK I admit it, I am a huge baseball fan and the division playoffs begin this week.

So now that I got my baseball metaphors out of my system my advice to all of you is “expect to be asked this question and be fully prepared to offer the proper response.” After all this is not really a question, it is a request for information and your reply will set the tone for the balance of the interview.

How do you reply?

1: First off keep your reply as brief as possible, not less than 60 seconds but no more than 2 minutes. Remember this is generally the beginning of an interview so you have ample opportunity to present relevant information later on.

2. Write your answer out and rehearse it until it comes out sounding natural and unrehearsed.

3. Be aware of your body language. Keen interviewers judge you by eyeballing you as well as listening to what you have to say.

4: Your reply must offer the following personality traits that employers look for no matter what level job you’re applying for: intelligence, enthusiasm, confidence and professionalism.

5: Present yourself in a positive yet humble way and by all means avoid sounding negative, cocky or braggadocios.

6: If you ever heard a politician or professional interviewed in person, on TV or the radio you will know that most reply with the same opening line, and you may want to adapt it in your response by saying, “That’s a very good question, where should I start,” and then go into your prepared spiel.

7: When you are done, politely throw the ball back into the interviewer’s court in a way that puts you on a more equal footing as the interview moves forward.

What do interviewers want to hear?

When you prepare your response weave the following information (in any order) into your response.

1: A brief introduction of your experience and education.

2: Your key strengths as they relate to the position you’re interviewing for.

3. Relevant past accomplishments that demonstrate your understanding of what needs to be accomplished in the position you’re applying for and your track record of success in this area.

4. How you see yourself contributing in the position you’re applying for.

Here is a sample response:

That’s a great question and I am glad you asked it. To begin I earned my Bachelors in Computer Science from CUNY Baruch College cum laude and I have an MBA with a concentration in Business Management from Hofstra University.

In terms of business I have 4 years experience as a programmer/analyst, 2 years experience as a senior business analyst, and for the past 18 months I was a project manager at your main competitor, JJ Kindle.

However the most important thing I think you need to know about me is that I pride myself on my ability to face every business challenge head on – and I thoroughly examine all options and seek the opinion of my peers and superiors before I decide on a solution. An example of this is a project I recently completed where the budget was cut midway through the project. I was able to complete the project on time and slightly under the new budget by revaluating the project’s priorities, renegotiating our outside consulting costs and bringing some tasks in house at a lower cost, and I got stakeholder buy in to scale the project down by eliminating some costly enhancements that were mostly cosmetic and would not be missed.

I also think it’s important to mention that I thrive when working in a fast paced turn around environment like the one I would be working in here at Best and Company, and I can contribute valuable insights on how to achieve the efficiency and cost savings you are seeking to achieve over the next 24 months.

The final thing I think you should know about me is that I am a hands-on manager, and I have been told I have great communication skills; and at my previous position I was very successful in building productive teams and getting the most out of each team member by creating a positive work environment, mentoring the team members, and making everyone on the team understand their role and how important they are to the company’s success.

I know my skills and work experience will make me an asset here at Best and Company and I know I can deliver the results you are seeking from the new hire in this position.

Now is there anything you would like me to address in greater detail?

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Most people, when interviewing for a new job, forget the process is supposed to be a 2-way street.

It’s as important for you, as a candidate, to determine if the job, the company, the culture, and the work environment is right for you as it is for the company to determine if you’re right for them. You do yourself no favors by accepting an offer for a job that is not a good fit. It will make you miserable, your employer dissatisfied, and likely not end well.

In order to make a rational judgment as to the fit, you must have your criteria figured out in advance. Very often, when you’re in the middle of an evaluation process, it’s easy to rationalize all the things that don’t feel right to you because you want a job, any job, so much. Having a list of criteria that you created before you’re in the heat of the process helps you tremendously in determining if this role is a match, or not.

Then, it’s up to you to ask the questions, and do the digging necessary to see how well the position and the organization matches your list. No one, no company, and no position will ever be perfect. However, you will be much more aware of what fits and what doesn’t, and make wiser choices.

Possibly, due to your financial situation, you may need to take an offer you know is not a great match for you in order to pay the bills. However, in that situation, at least you are going in with your eyes wide open instead of deceiving yourself into believing you’re taking your dream job and find you’re disappointed later. Most people want to believe that any new job they take is the ‘perfect’ job for them. Know if that’s the case for you before you jump in.

So how do you determine the fit? First, create your list.

Take the time to truly determine the things important to you…

• What kind of physical work environment suits you best?
• What characteristics are important to you in a Manager / Supervisor?
• What management style enables you to do your best work?
• Do you thrive on office politics or wither in a highly political environment?
• What are your true “values” in your job or environment?
• Do you work better as an individual contributor or as part of a team?
• Are you looking for mentorship or an opportunity to be a mentor?
• Are you ready to step up to new responsibilities or still need time to develop?
• How far are you willing to commute to work each day?
• Do you work best in a very structured environment, or with a great deal of freedom?
• Are you looking for an opportunity to be creative, or work within established guidelines?
• Do you like the buzz of a downtown position, or like outlying locations better?
• Do you prefer an environment that allows you to build relationships easily?
• Do you prefer an environment where people tend to keep to themselves?
• Do you prefer a role with a lot of contact with others, or one where you work on your own?
• Do you want to work for a company that is socially responsible, or meaningful in some way?

These, and many other questions help you craft an ideal for your personality, work styles, and preferences. Once you have your criteria, you can be much more deliberate in the interview process.

Interviewers respect and expect questions that seek out answers to those kinds of questions. A good hiring manager will appreciate your desire to determine the fit for you as much as they are determining your fit for them. They want a good match… from both perspectives.

Throughout the process, ask questions at appropriate times like…

• Describe the group I would be working with?
• How would you gauge if someone has been successful in this role 6 months into it?
• Where do you see someone successful in this role going next?
• What personality characteristics tend to be most rewarded in this organization?
• What’s the difference between successful people here and ones that only get by?
• Would you say this is a very structured environment or not… can you give me examples?
• What, if any, leadership traits are you looking for in this role?
• How would you describe the company’s values?
• What do you enjoy most about working here?
• What surprised you most after you started working here?
• Tell me about your own path in the company.

…and many others.

Depending on your personal criteria, your questions will vary based on what’s important to you.

Asking these questions throughout the process has multiple benefits…

• They provide the answers you need to make an informed decision.
• It distinguishes you from other candidates that don’t ask those introspective questions.
• It shows you are thoughtful and gather good information in your process.
• It shows you’re not just desperately seeking any new job.
• It shows a sincere interest in knowing about the company, the role, and the people.

These are all good reasons to make sure you’re interviewing the interviewer as much as they are interviewing you! The process should be a 2-way street.

The post Interviewing the Interviewer! appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

You may think you know what it takes to nail a job interview — how your cover letter should look, what to wear, how to make your greatest weaknesses sound like strengths. But just before the parting handshake, what will you ask your prospective employer?

Crafting the right questions for the interviewer will display confidence and knowledge about the company. While asking the wrong questions can make you appear unqualified or even desperate.

We spoke with staffing professionals and hiring managers who weighed in on what queries will impress interviewers as job competition intensifies. The unemployment rate, now at a 25-year high, is expected to hit 10 percent by the end of the year.

It’s important to note that the worst thing you can do is decline to ask questions, said Stephen Tryon, senior vice president of logistics and talent management at Overstock.com. It could show laziness or, worse, a lack of interest. Still, you want to avoid asking questions that can easily be researched on the company’s website, or about pay and benefits packages — at least during the initial interview.

“Hiring is like a blind date, and nobody knows how it’s going to work out,” Tryon said. “But in that encounter, you should offer good value for their time and ask questions that will really determine whether you’re a good match — or not.”

It’s a good idea to ask very specific questions that demonstrate your knowledge about the company and that you’ve done your research, said Doug Arms, chief talent officer for Ajilon Professional Staffing. This can be about products, competitors or the company’s strategic plan.

“It’s important how you phrase the questions and cite things you’ve already learned,” Arms said. “A good question might be about how the company has poised itself for growth in the past. You might be able to use that response to help formulate your own answers during future interviews.”

You should limit yourself to three questions, Arms said, and make sure they’re short and to the point.

Showing an interest in the company’s culture and asking about management style also will help you determine whether the job is a good fit, said career coach Jo Singel.

Finding out why the position is open is great for insight about the job itself and what the employer would like done differently, according to Jennifer Warne, senior recruiting specialist for consulting firm Towers Perrin.

You’ll also want to ask for specific details about how performance is measured, and whether your interviewer sees potential gaps in your experience, she said.

“This can be a really great opportunity to assess and address problems head on,” Warne said. “Often times, the interviewer will give you an honest response, and it will give you a good idea of where you stand.”

Arms and Singel give these examples of strong questions to ask about the job:

How long have you been trying to fill this position?

What does daily life in this job entail?

How do you evaluate success?

What are you expecting from me in the first 60 days I’m working here?

What kind of orientation program do you have for new employees?

What have others who’ve worked with you said about your leadership?

How much confidence do you have in your team right now?

What’s more important to you, productivity or creativity?

“At the end, don’t forget to ask for the job,” Singel said. “Tell them you want it. A lot of people forget to do that.”

Hiring managers agreed that the last thing they want to hear is, “What’s in it for me?”

“The function of asking questions isn’t so much about getting information about the company as it is about conveying your own talent,” Tryon said. “The purpose of the interview is to get the job, and asking about medical benefits isn’t necessarily working toward that goal.”

Susan Leonard, human resources business partner at ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s, said there’s a tactful way to navigate the issue of salary. The interviewee shouldn’t ask about pay or benefits during a first interview, but if it comes up, ask what the hiring range is to get a sense of whether it’s in your ballpark.

“As part of the dance, the interviewer may ask you what your salary history is,” she said. “Avoid the question completely and say it’s too early to discuss salary. Gently turn it around to ask what they’re offering, so you don’t oversell or price yourself out of a job.”

Avoid questions that are aggressive and can display a “lack of emotional maturity,” said Kristen Weirick, director of talent acquisition for Whirlpool. Some of the questions on her forbidden list:

Are you going to hire me?

When will I be promoted?

How much does this job pay?

Am I more qualified than the other applicants?

Can I call you tomorrow?

The worst question Weirick has heard from a job candidate: “That’s a really good question. What do you think the answer is?”

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