5 Questions Great Job Candidates Ask

As the workplace environment is changing these days, so are the way interviews are being conducted. More than ever, at Paxus we find that great candidates are taking the time to ask questions that they want to be answered. We find they are asking them because they're actually evaluating you, the job, your company and whether or not they really want to work for you. Now more than ever, our Paxus Recruiters are finding that our clients need to be just as prepared for the interview as much as the candidate. Here are five questions that our IT Recruiters are finding that great candidates are asking in an interview. Ask yourself, can you answer them for your own company if question time rolls in?

What do you expect me to accomplish in the first 60 to 90 days?

Great candidates want to hit the ground running. They don't want to spend weeks or months ‘finding their way into an organisation.'They want to make a difference and settle into the role right away. When answering this question, make sure you have some instant projects that you can answer back with when they ask. Big or small they want to know what they will be sinking their teeth into with their new IT role.

What are a few things that really drive results for the company?

Great IT job seekers want to know what truly makes a difference. They know helping the company succeed means they succeed as well. They want to know that they are contributing to the growth and success of your company. Employees are and should be considered an investment and every employee should generate a positive return on his or her salary and assist the organisation to improve. In every job some activities make a bigger difference than others. You need to find the right candidates for your IT positions as it will improve retention rates, lower your training costs, improve your culture and increase overall productivity.

What do employees do in their spare time?

Happy employees 1) like what they do and 2) like the people they work with. Granted this is a tough question to answer unless the company is really small, you can answer this is by talking in generalities. What's important is that the candidate wants to make sure they have a reasonable chance of fitting in and enjoying their workplace generally because great job candidates usually have more than one job to decide between. They want to know who they are working with, what value does your company place on culture and what is the general mood of other employees is like before they even start. Ask yourself, do you know what your employees do after hours? Should you know their general interests for example which football team they support or how many kids they have? Research has found an engaged, enabled and energised workplaces are more productive than a stressful, dull and pressure driven environment. People want to work where they know they will be happy.

What are the common attributes of your top performers?

Great candidates also want to be great performers. Every organisation is different and so are the key qualities of top performers in those organisations. They want to know what will make them successful or highly regarded in your organisation. They want to advance their IT career the best and quickest way possible. Perhaps your top performers work longer hours. Maybe creativity is more important than methodology. Maybe it is keeping the project on time, schedule and within budget. Perhaps it's a willingness to spend the same amount of time educating an entry-level colleague as helping an enthusiast who wants high-end equipment. The reason that they are asking is that great candidates want to know, 1) if they fit into your workplace, and 2) if they do fit in, what do they need to do to be considered as a top performer in your organisation to achieve top outcomes.

How do you plan to deal with...?

Every business faces a major challenge, it's inevitable: technological changes, competitors entering the market, shifting economic trends, the project holds. While an IT candidate may see your company as a stepping-stone, they still hope for growth and advancement. If they do eventually leave your organisation, they want it to be on their terms and not because they were sacked, retrenched or dismissed. This type of question may be varied and broad, so make sure that you are prepared to answer anything that might come your way. A great candidate doesn't just want to know what you think; they want to know what you plan to do--and how they will fit into those plans.

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These are the five questions you can ask during an interview to be put ahead but what questions will they ask you? Here's our list of the top 25 interview questions for IT tech professionals.