My blog last week: Demystifying “Reverse” Interviewing, got me many personal emails and a few phone calls mostly from my clients, who had not thought of some of their recent interview experiences as “Reverse Interviews” until after reading my post. Some of the insights are worth sharing with my readers to further their understanding of how better to ace this way of interviewing. Here are some additional insights straight from those who have gone through an experience—successfully!
- Preparing questions directly not just in the areas of activity in which an interviewer is working, but also in allied areas of their work is important to understand the company’s culture, especially when it comes to its siloe’d existence. For example, asking the Chief Strategy person a question about why they selected certain strategy to grow their business is good, and getting their response can tell you how they think about strategy in today’s business ethos. But, more importantly, asking a similar question to someone not related directly to this topic can give you much greater insight about how the company operates. So, in your rounds with interviewers in the Operational area asking how the Chief Strategy person’s strategy translated into operational processes or imperatives can tell you much about how well the company is connected across different functional areas and how much it suffers from “silosis.”
- In many companies—especially at Google—interviewers share the questions you asked and exchanges you had with them. So, when asking the same question to different interviewers may come across as you have not formulated the right questions to each interviewer or that you have a limited repertoire of good questions. It is all right to ask the same question to different interviewers, but it is best to acknowledge that during such discussions that you have already raised this topic with a previous interviewer, telling them why you’re bringing it up again.
The same applies when a question is asked of you that is a repeat of what a previous interviewer asked and you were able to ace it. It is best to say that you were asked that question and you were able to give the right response. If the interviewer then asks you to still respond to the same question decide what response may be best in the current situation. Both these instances are a test of your honesty and integrity, which is often more important to an employer than always having a ready answer.
- Thoroughly research each interviewer’s LinkedIn Profile and other materials available publically. Dig into their history and find something insightful from their past to bring it up during your discussion. For example, if your interviewer was VP of Engineering two companies back and is now heading Customer Success, asking them how they made this career change could be a worthwhile discussion. People often talk about their personal conquests and adventures in an excited way!
- In few such interviews some found that bringing up a long tenure at a company could also be worthwhile. One of my clients was “Reverse Interviewing” for an Operational role at a manufacturing company on the East Coast. Some of the interviewers were at that company for nearly 20 years. Asking questions about their long tenure in a positive way can give you insights about how you may fit in with their ethos. You may also uncover what challenges you face fitting into such a culture.
- If a discussion segues into an interviewer’s personal life as they respond to your questions, tread lightly and use your judgment in pursuing that line of discussion further. Avoid political, religious, or financial topics at any time during such interviews.
- Asking why this company is different from its competitors and other players in the industry can reveal how those already working there view their employer. If they are not able to articulate that difference clearly then you have something to think about. Often, outsiders peeking into a company for jobs through the interview process have certain perceptions about the company and carry a certain image about that company. Insiders can have a different view of the same company. So, it is a good check on reconciling those two perspectives.
- The Ultimate Interview Question: Recently, a client got job offers from two companies playing in the same space. Both offered him the same title and a comparable salary package. Both jobs were “posted” with near identical job descriptions. So, when my client was torn between the two offers we decided to ask his hiring manager this final question: After doing many interviews in the past few days and exploring your needs I am clear about the value I bring to this role. Can you please tell me what value you think I bring, now that you’ve made me an offer?
My client was an ace strategic marketing pro. He wanted a meaty job where he could develop new marketing strategies, open new markets, and grow the company’s brand in a strategic way. So, when one CMO told him their priority was ratcheting their Marcom capability and developing new collateral for their emerging product lines, my client realized that the other offer was the right one for him and his career. Their CMO told him that they wanted to leverage his strategic experience in growing new markets and position their brand in a different way than they had before. Comparing the two responses made the selection of the right employer easy! (“The Ultimate Interview Question YOU Must Ask” blog was posted on August 15, 2016)
Most job seekers get all excited about preparing for an interview to answer all the questions so that they would be selected and are offered the job they seek. Take a step back and understand that to grow your career you must explore as much about the employer—even more—than they explore about you. So, going in armed with the right questions—and the right mindset—can make the difference between landing another job and managing your career.
Good luck!