Why Do Employers Always Ask If You Have Questions During an Interview?

Hi all,

During an interview, employers often ask the question, "Is there anything you want to ask?" What is the significance of this question and why is it frequently posed?

Thank you.

Dear Srishti,

This question is asked in every interview, and I always do. It is because the candidate may have some doubts in his mind regarding his job location, job profile, exact responsibilities, etc. Normally, in an interview, the candidate does not dare to ask questions to the interviewer. In this situation, by asking this question, we can give him a chance to clarify the above matters if he has them in his mind. I think there may be other reasons too.

Regards,
Padmini

Dear Padmini Mam,

In such a situation, should a candidate ask if they have any ambiguity or remain quiet?

Regards,
Srishti

A good question is posted. Yes, the candidate should be given a chance to ask questions to clarify his doubts if any. Now, looking at the HR perspective...

The kind of questions the candidate asks can help you understand his level of thinking. For example:
1. Is there any platform for innovations?
2. What is the percentage increase in salary for an employee every year?
3. What is the male/female ratio in the company?

With the varying questions, one can judge what the candidate is up to.
1. The candidate's level of ambition is not just about working but also about exploring different things.
2. The candidate might be more interested in monetary aspects than the work itself (although not true always).
3. I don't have to say much about the third question...hehe.

Vinod Vijapur

Hi Srishti,

Why did you feel that you have asked some wrong question? It is a good question. What I have observed in the citeHR forum is that there will be hundreds of members reading a posting but the responses will be nil! At this juncture, I would like to make an appeal to all the members of the forum to express their VIEWS and COMMENTS on the subject they read so that the person who has posted will get the answer and also many who had that question or topic in their mind but did not ask!

Coming back to your post, this question is normally asked by an interviewer to the candidate, as some friends have already mentioned! Any candidate coming for an interview nowadays will do some homework on the company they are interviewing for, like visiting their sites, collecting information from different sources, etc., and forming an opinion on the company which may be positive or negative. When the interviewer asks "if you have anything to ask," it opens up the door for the candidate to get clarifications regarding the doubts in their mind. By the candidate asking their doubts and expressing their views, it will definitely make an impact on the interviewer that the candidate has not just walked in for the interview but has done their homework well. The interviewer also gets an opportunity to clear any misquotes regarding the company, goals, vision, working environment, etc. This also helps the candidate to make up their mind to join the organization with a clear mind.

I hope I have cleared some doubts in your mind.

Best regards,
Srinaren

Hi there. Well, it is a very significant question as usually the first interview is conducted by the HR person, who might not know the technicalities of the job or exactly what is included in your job profile. In fact, most companies do not even have a proper job profile in place; hence, this is when you can clarify all your doubts with respect to your job responsibilities.

Natasha

Dear All,

The idea is to get to know you better. Smile and be polite, and you may ask the recruiter any of the following questions. Otherwise, simply smile and say you have covered everything and have nothing more to add:

1. Briefly, tell me what the assessment procedure is.
2. Does the company help in finding suitable accommodation, etc.?
3. When will I be given feedback about this interview?
4. Any other suitable questions that may come to your mind.

This is the last question, indicating to the candidate that the interview is coming to an end.

Cheers!

Dear,

This is a very formal question that HR managers usually ask. Typically, managers do not allow interactions or discussions with the individuals they are dealing with; they only provide instructions or communicate messages. However, Human Resource managers are different as they handle the emotions of people. They are solely responsible for addressing the doubts, clarifications, and inner feelings of others, both personally and professionally. This is why this question is often asked in interviews.

Thanks,
Kalpana

Hi Srinaren,

Your solution does solve my problem to a certain extent, but what I want to ask is, "What is the interviewer's main motive for asking that question?" Is he doing it intentionally to check certain parameters, or does he genuinely want to clarify the doubts of the candidate?

Regards,
Srishti

Hi Srishti,

You have asked -

"What is the interviewer's main motive for asking that question? Is he doing it intentionally to check some parameters, or does he genuinely want to clarify the doubt of the candidate?"

The interviewer who is asking this question will have more than one motive! From my personal experience, I would say that if the interviewer is happy with the candidate and wants to offer the job or actively consider his candidature, he will ask this question rather than the last question of the interview. The candidate who has been asked this question can surely presume that he is in the reckoning for the job. The interviewer, with this question, tries to find out how the candidate poses his queries and how he seeks solutions, whether his communication skills are adequate, whether the candidate has done any homework regarding the company, whether the candidate has some false hopes or inhibitions about working in this atmosphere, etc. It also gives an indication of how bold the candidate is in asking the question. In my opinion, this question is definitely not out of context, and if this question is posed to any candidate, he should be happy to make use of this situation.

- Srinaren

You have asked a very right question, Srishti. Many people are unaware of these facts which are important to win the interviewer's mind. The things like job location, your role, and responsibility will be explained during the interview itself because without those details, the interview doesn't happen.

You can ask:

1) How is the environment in the organization?
2) What is the dress code?
3) How many employees are there?

Regards,
Jwalini

Hi,

The question from the interviewer is significant. To understand the motivation of the interviewer and propriety of such a question, one must understand the context of the INTERVIEW!!

Is the candidate a fresher? Is the candidate being considered for a junior, middle, or senior-level opening? What is the company culture? and many such questions.

It is necessary to understand all this as the candidate's answer is in all likelihood judged on the following criteria: Dignity, Relevance, Maturity, Authenticity, and Interests.

Candidates who have otherwise handled the interview well are known to have blundered at this step by asking questions like "how soon would I be required to join? OR I will need... months' notice before I can join. OR What would be salary package?" Clearly, this was NOT the time or occasion to raise such matters, but the candidate did, and suffered. On the other hand, candidates have made good use of this opportunity to improve some answers given during the interview or to provide useful information to the interviewer. Some others seek clarifications of important aspects of the company as relevant to what subjects they have been discussing during the interview.

It would be fatal to ask "when should we be meeting?" etc.

The five factors stated above should be seen related to the job level for which the candidate is being interviewed.

This question is a slippery opportunity. It can make or mar your chances depending on how you handle the question.

I suppose this response will at least be able to set you thinking. If I can help further, you are welcome to present your difficulties.

Regards,

Samvedan

September 22, 2006

Hi Shrishti,

I guess to judge how interested the candidate is in the company, role, culture, environment, etc...

Hi,

I wanted to discuss the third one. How can the male/female ratio make a difference in building the brand image of the organization? Please share.

Rooma

Rooma,

This is how it would make a difference!! Salary and all are okay, but this info is most important... what do you say?

Male to Female Ratio Among IT Professionals

Company & M/F Ratios
Rolta - 24:1
Mascon Global - 19:1
HCL Infosystems - 12:1
Adobe - 11:1
EDS - 500:1
Digital Globalsoft - 7:1
HCL Technologies - 6:1
Sun Microsystems - 6:1
HP - 5:1
Capgemini - 5:1
Infosys - 5:1
Kshema Technologies - 4:1
Wipro - 4:1
TCS - 4:1
SAP - 4:1
Hughes Software - 4:1
iFlex - 4:1
Philips - 3:1
Cognizant - 3:1
NIIT - 2:1
THOMSON FINAN - 1:3

Guys look out for THOMSON........... And gals, please help EDS....

Vinod Vijapur

Hi Srishti,

This question is asked to check the candidate's maturity. The answer will show how mature, tactful, seasoned, curious, smart, and focused the candidate is. The answer will also clearly indicate how immature, idiotic, stupid, and unfocused the candidate is. Samvedan's answers will be a very good guideline for answering the question.

Jeeva.

Hi Srishti,

The interviewers usually ask this question to clarify your doubts, if you have any. They may also ask this question to check whether you have done your homework about the position that you are applying for and the company you are going to join. The interviewer expects you to ask questions; they are not checking you on any parameters. Also, it is usually at the end of the interview that the interviewer will ask this question, so clarify all your doubts regarding the job role, what is expected of you, whom you will be reporting to, etc.

I hope this clarifies your doubts. Do let me know if you still need any clarification.

Regards,
Roma

Hi FRIEND,

Well, what my professor told me about this particular question is that you can ask anything related to current news or something like that, which may or may not be relevant with respect to the company. But something which may give a good impression to the interviewer. However, what everyone is saying in the forum is that you should ask about the company, which is not wrong, but one can only ask those questions when you are sure that you have been selected. What do you say?

Well, I have another question. What to reply when the interviewer asks "TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF" with respect to the post of HR (FRESHER)? Please give examples because this is the place one can ask questions and expect answers for even any stupid doubt which otherwise is not possible to ask anyone, not even the professor. So please reply in a little detail at least. Looking forward to your replies.

Cheers!!! Seema

Dear,

This question could be asked by the manager for both purposes depending on his/her thinking and mindset. If you think about the logical sense of the question, then you'll come to know that it can clarify the doubts of the candidate as well as help the HR Manager to know the psyche of the candidate as well. Nowadays, we also see that interviewers have to take care of thinking patterns and psyche of the candidate even much more than his competency. That's why Psychologists are hired to assess the candidates for different posts.

Anyway, a lot many other things could be related to each and every question asked during the interview as these fulfill somewhat the requirements of the interviewer.

But one thing is for sure that it all depends on the intention of the interviewer as to why he wants to ask that question.

Regards,

Khalid

Hi All,

Basically, this question is asked to check to what extent the candidate is interested in a job change and to what extent he/she is interested in this particular job. However, this question can also be asked based on the information that the company provides about the job opening. If you have hardly given any information about the job opening, then the candidate will have many doubts in his mind. If everything is cleared beforehand, then you are safe from your end, and it's the candidate's turn to prove himself. What do you say, guys?

Regards,
Vijaykanth

Dear,

I added the above comment in reply to your previous question which was "Do you want to ask anything."

As far as your new question is concerned, "Tell me about Yourself," in my opinion, the interviewer wants to know:

1. How exactly do you know yourself?
2. How do you explain yourself?
3. What kind of personality do you have?
4. What kind of attitude, behavior, skills, etc., do you possess?
5. Whether the skills that you claim are present in you or not?
6. How visionary you are while explaining yourself?
7. What interests and activities do you have?

A lot many other things could also be assessed in relation to psychology, personality, hobbies and interests, commitment, and vision of the candidate.

Regards,

Khalid

Hi Srishti,

Though I am not a manager, I have some experience of conducting the HR round of interviews. All the other reasons mentioned above are correct, but sometimes the reason for asking such questions can be:

1. To check the communication skills of the candidate as this is a very open-ended question that requires a person to speak.

2. To gauge the level of knowledge and other competencies that help in determining job fitment, such as leadership qualities, drive to learn and excel, etc. When people ask questions like "what is the growth path and the hierarchy," it gives a sense of the candidate being very ambitious.

3. To assess his/her interest in joining our organization.

4. Normally, this question is asked towards the end of the interview. Therefore, it is expected that the candidate is fully aware of the role and the organization. If the candidate still asks questions like "what exactly will be my role, to whom am I supposed to report, what is the designation?" with doubt, it may indicate that we have not explained well, the candidate is slow in grasping knowledge, not concentrating, or confused.

Hence, this is a very important question. Basic courtesy requires an interviewer to give a fair chance to the candidate to ask relevant questions. This will make the candidate feel comfortable to ask any questions at any point before joining and join with a confident mindset.

Regards,

Payal

hi friends

well everyhting u all are saying is correct but it all depends industry to industry for which ur being interviewed well friends i will be giving the first interview of my placement im kind of scared its a consultancy "laurent and bennon" and i have given preference for two posts:

Laurent & Benon Management Consultants Ltd.

Position: Trainee Assistant Consultant (CRM)

This position provides a wide ranging exposure to all dimensions of business development, client servicing & relations management and also to all dimensions of HR and related services. A fast track growth path with appraisals, happening every 6 months .

Job Profile

· To identify and acquire prospective clients.

· To own and manage all clients acquired.

· Manage all aspects of relationship management with clients, so as to facilitate growth of business and cross selling of all services of the company.

· Co-ordinate between the client and the various departments within the company to ensure effective servicing of the client's requirements.

· Achieve preset targets and objectives.

· Prepare and submit all related M.I.S.

The right candidates for this position would need to posses:

· Must have Marketing as major/ minor

· Candidates with Pre-M.B.A work experience shall be preferred.

· Minimum 23-24 years of age

· Willing to take occasional outstation travel

· A strong personality and communication skills.

· Open to hardcore corporate sales profile

· A natural aptitude towards building relationships and P.R.

· Female candidates preferred

· Candidates with their own conveyance would be preferred

2.Position: Business Co-ordinator.

This position reports directly to the top management in the company and will provide a wide ranging exposure to all aspects of management. It provides a growth path on the absolute fast track.

Job Profile

· To co-ordinate with the various business heads and prepare M.I.S for the senior management.

· To co-ordinate all ongoing promotions and business development efforts and assist the management in maximizing returns from all such initiatives.

· To assist the senior management in finalization of all initiatives across departments.

· To represent the senior management at events, as and when required.

· To plan and implement initiatives for maintaining a good and cordial work environment, within the organization.

The right candidates for this position would need to posses:

· A strong personality and communication skills.

· A burning desire to grow and excel.

· A natural aptitude towards being a capable manager.

· The qualities to be considered as a natural leader.

WELL THESE ARE THOSE TWO POSTS PLZ I NEED SUGGESTIONS FROM YOU PPL TO ATLEAST IMPRESS MY EMPLOYERS LIL BIT HOPE TO RECEIVE UR REPLIES.

REGARDS

SEEMA

Dear Seema,

If you could share your background and interests, as well as any prior experience (if applicable), I will be able to assist you.

Regards,
Vijaykanth

Hi Vijay,

Thank you so much for your reply, sir. Well, currently, I am pursuing an MBA with a major in HR and a minor in Marketing. I am in my final semester and have completed my graduation in B.Com. I also completed my M.Com this year through correspondence.

Regarding my experience, I have worked in retailing for 2 years with Swarovski and also have experience in a call center. However, I have not mentioned this in my resume as I have lost all my experience certificates. I will be starting fresh, specifically in HR.

Regards,
Seema

Good to know about your education and experience. Now tell me one thing, what's your area of interest in HR? Specifically, what function of HR and what kind of passion do you have towards HR?

Vijaykanth

Hi Vijay,

That's a tough question as I want to do everything from recruiting to employee welfare seriously. I may sound stupid, but I never seriously gave a thought to it. But today when you asked me, so I am thinking about it. So far, I was concerned just with completing my MBA. Well, L&B interview was over yesterday. I got selected, though for the recruiter's post which I didn't even opt for. I shouldn't be saying this, but honestly, this company was a disaster. Sick, unprofessional people; don't know exactly what they were up to. They wanted people only for the recruiter's post and were offering very low compensation. The job responsibilities were at a graduate level with no growth opportunity. Six out of twenty people were selected; I was one of them, and we backed off.

Coming back to your question, Vijay, I have a great interest in the welfare of employees, but I guess that's not possible at an entry level. Maybe later, I'll get the opportunity for the same. For now, I don't mind recruiting people. But I want to ask you, what, according to you, is the most challenging aspect of human resources? And what should an entry-level HR professional like me start with? Looking forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Seema