Career Management and Job Search for Top Talent Blog

What is the most important question to ask in an interview?

We have interviewed thousands of candidates. We have sat in on hundreds of interviews with hiring managers. We have coached so many candidates we don't know if it hundreds or thousands. One thing is consistent - candidates rarely ask the one most important question before accepting a position.

Questions asked by candidates generally revolve around the company such as growth, goals, products and some other very general questions. Some of which are important, some are worthless and most are the same ones every person asks in one form or another. Less than 1 percent ask the single question that will determine if they will be successful.

"What defines success in this role?" is really the key to your success once you come on board. The candidate should then engage the hiring manager in a substantive discussion around what it will take to accomplish this success. Will it require more resources, are the time frame expectations realistic, is the infrastructure in place to get the job done, has this been done before by others and how much independence will you have to accomplish these goals. Just a few follow-up questions that will let you know you can be successful once you come on board.

Don't wait to come on board to find out if the hiring manager has reasonable expectations for you. If you wait till you are on board, then it might be too late. We have put together a list of the 10 most important questions to ask in an interview. They are free and available at the bottom of the Free Resource section on our website at www.impacthiringsolutions.com.

We welcome your comments on the article. Please let us know your favorite questions.

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