Hey Dustin, when recruiting I think 50% asking questions and 50% answering questions is a great balance, but I'm sure organisations and individuals have different opinions on that...
One thing I find makes a huge difference is a candidate's ability to answer questions both well and succinctly by giving specific examples/evidence wherever possible. I find good preparation helps significantly. Plus, asking for clarification if in doubt, to be sure of answering the right questions.
Making sure to do that leaves more time for more questions.
In terms of when to ask, I think it's great if/when interviewers invite candidates to ask questions as early and as often as possible in the interview. If that doesn't happen, when I'm being interviewed, I aim to ask some of my questions along the way if/when they match the topics I'm being asked about, but to expect to ask some at the end of the interview.
I think it would help to make sure the list of questions is prioritised as well, so that even if it doesn't feel right to me to ask all of my questions, at least I can have the most important ones covered.
In addition, it's helpful to know in advance if it's a multi-stage recruitment process or not, and what those stages are. Maybe there are other opportunities to ask my questions.
Also, if I felt comfortable enough, I would just say, I have a few questions for you too, shall I save them to the end or what would you prefer? (That way, if time runs out, hopefully it's easier to have a conversation about possibilities for having questions answered another time.)
Elena, thank you for sharing your questions. Really useful for individuals and organisations alike.
Thank you for sharing your approach, LiLi. I think you're working with your candidates very well, leaving them space to ask questions and making sure you answer what they wanted.
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Hey Dustin, when recruiting I think 50% asking questions and 50% answering questions is a great balance, but I'm sure organisations and individuals have different opinions on that...
One thing I find makes a huge difference is a candidate's ability to answer questions both well and succinctly by giving specific examples/evidence wherever possible. I find good preparation helps significantly. Plus, asking for clarification if in doubt, to be sure of answering the right questions.
Making sure to do that leaves more time for more questions.
In terms of when to ask, I think it's great if/when interviewers invite candidates to ask questions as early and as often as possible in the interview. If that doesn't happen, when I'm being interviewed, I aim to ask some of my questions along the way if/when they match the topics I'm being asked about, but to expect to ask some at the end of the interview.
I think it would help to make sure the list of questions is prioritised as well, so that even if it doesn't feel right to me to ask all of my questions, at least I can have the most important ones covered.
In addition, it's helpful to know in advance if it's a multi-stage recruitment process or not, and what those stages are. Maybe there are other opportunities to ask my questions.
Also, if I felt comfortable enough, I would just say, I have a few questions for you too, shall I save them to the end or what would you prefer? (That way, if time runs out, hopefully it's easier to have a conversation about possibilities for having questions answered another time.)
Elena, thank you for sharing your questions. Really useful for individuals and organisations alike.
Thank you for sharing your approach, LiLi. I think you're working with your candidates very well, leaving them space to ask questions and making sure you answer what they wanted.