Common Questions Candidates Ask Recruiters and How They Can be Adjusted for More Impactful Conversation
Going through the interviewing process can be tough, you spend a lot of time editing your resume, completing applications and if you’re lucky interviewing with several people at multiple companies. Why put in so much work just to bring the same questions to each interview hoping for different results? Recruiters are tired of hearing the same generic questions and you are tired of hearing the same generic answers. Let’s change that.
Below are some of the most common questions that candidates ask when initially interviewing with a recruiter. The original question is listed along with an adjusted version. The adjusted questions will help open up the conversation and hopefully provide a more impactful experience for both parties.
Question 1: “Tell me more about your company culture?”
We all have different interpretations of what “culture” means. Yes, the word “culture” can be defined, but how does this translate in the context of a professional setting? Asking a recruiter their opinion on their work “culture” will only lead them to try and sell the things that they like about said “culture”. Based on how this question is worded, the answer is going to be biased. It is coming from the recruiters perspective and doesn’t really answer what you really want to know about the company and employees that work there.
Question 1, adjusted: “Tell me more about your company’s development programs, your company’s dedication to diversity and inclusion, as well as the different working styles that exist?”
This is a fully loaded question and can certainly be broken up into multiple questions and catered to your curiosity. Think about what “culture” in the context of the workplace means to you and ask questions that will get at the answers you are looking for. By asking more specific questions you are going to get the answers you did or didn’t want. Either way, it provides clarity and you can feel confident in knowing more about the organization and what it has to offer.
Question 2: “What do you like about working at X company?”
Again, this is a question that leads a biased answer. When asking this question you’re only really getting at what that recruiter likes about working there. While you might genuinely want to hear the response, keep in mind that it is based off of the recruiters own experience with the company. It’s also important to recognize that the response will likely only focus on the positive side of working at the company.
Question 2, adjusted: “Share with me what you like about working at x company as well as what you don’t like?”
Recruiters are used to talking about and selling what they like about working at their own company, but how they explain what they don’t like is a lot more interesting. The recruiter might be able to list off multiple things they don’t like right away and this might be a red flag and should indicate the need to ask more questions. By using the words “don’t like” it implies negativity, and this might be a tough angle for a recruiter to sell. They might naturally change the way the question was worded by stating something along the lines of, “well, I’m not so sure there is anything I don’t like, but what I would change if I could is….” This is pretty telling, the recruiter was not able to come up with examples of things they don’t like right away. Maybe that’s because they’ve never thought about it, which is a good thing, or maybe they don’t want to taint your perception of working there. Either way, it’s an extension on question 2 and doesn’t only focus on the positives but gets at the inevitable negatives.
Question 3: “Do you have any reason to believe I won’t be a fit for this role?”
While this question has good intent, it’s not worded very well. The way this is worded makes it seem like you want the recruiters honest opinion on your qualifications. What you really want to know is if the recruiter understood the experience that you have to offer and believes you have the capacity to take on the role. At the end of the day, it is not the recruiters decision to bring a candidate in for an interview. Asking the recruiter their opinion is not going to lead you to the answers you want. You want to make sure the recruiter has a solid understanding of what you have to offer.
Question 3, adjusted: “Do you have any questions or hesitations that you want to address regarding my experience?”
The way this question is worded redirects the attention to the recruiters understanding of what you have to offer. It tries to get at any hesitations that the recruiter might have based off of how you answered all of the interview questions. You should be able to tell right away if the recruiter is crystal clear on the experience or if they are doubting specific areas by asking clarifying questions. This is your time to listen to where there might be a misunderstanding or need for further explanation. This if your chance to expand upon why you are a good fit for the role and to re-iterate your interest in the role itself.
While this is certainly not an exhaustive list of questions you should ask during your initial interview with a recruiter, they are likely questions you want answered. Asking them in a more thoughtful way, will hopefully lead to the answers you are looking for. Plus, asking common questions in a different way is going to leave a bigger impact on the recruiter and lead to more thoughtful and engaging conversations.
