Copyright 2014. 1
It’s your turn to ask the interviewer questions. Here are 5 “blah” questions improved so you get beyond
round one interviews.
Brought to you by:
Melissa Llarena, the
interview coach for
ambitious leaders
who now find
themselves on the
other side of the
interview table.
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Oh, the awful, painful,
repulsive HR
screening interview.
They are meant to filter candidates and save the ultimate decision-maker’s time.
Screening interviews are necessary evils.
HR professionals serve as
gatekeepers during screening
interviews.
You can’t just dismiss human
resources professionals
Be Respectful, Delightful, and
Thoughtful
Treat HR
professionals as you
would treat hiring
managers.
And if you really want to impress
them (aside from answering their
questions) prepare HR-appropriate
questions.
Here are the 5 most common questions that
job candidates ask HR (and tweaks)
One of the most frequently asked
questions job candidates ask HR:
1. Tell me about your firm’s culture?
Here’s the tweak:
“My understanding is that evaluating cultural
fit is extremely important especially in
smaller firms where cultural differences are
harder to absorb, tell me about the firm’s
founders?”
2. What are you
looking for in a
candidate?
Tweak: I bring
sharp analytical
thinking….
Tell me about your
best hires.
What skills have
they brought with
them?
3. What does career
progression look like
within the business
unit for which you are
hiring?
Tweak: In my
last firm, I had
the opportunity
to …
What does career progression look like within the business unit for which you are hiring?
Note: This tweak keeps selling you as the
best candidate by subtly leading with your
history of promotions
4. Do you have any
concerns regarding
my candidacy that I
can address?
PS: Why throw
yourself under the bus?
Keep interviews positive!
Why don’t you try
this tweak instead?
Is there anything
else on your mind
that I can address?
5. What has been
your experience
working for
company X?
Tweak: What
drew me to your
firm is its
entrepreneurial
spirit.
How have you seen
entrepreneurship
come to life while
working here?Note: This is your chance to
mention why you want to
specifically work for company X.
In summary, your questions to HR
must accomplish one of four things.
Your questions
must
1) Continue to
sell yourself
2) Initiate positive
conversations
3) Showcase the
homework
you’ve done
on the company
4) Reinforce that
you respect an HR
professional’s
critical role
Here’s a checklist to filter the questions you’d
like to ask interviewers
• Are you still selling yourself?
• Is it positive?
• Did you show your homework?
• Will the HR interviewer feel important?
Other essential interview
preparation articles and tools
“Must reads” to gain better insight into the interview process so that you’ll
absolutely stand out
• See the full article here
• Review it’s #1 most widely read companion here : The 5 questions you’ll be asked during screening interviews or round one
Join a community of ambitious leaders and you will immediately receive a 20-page PDF of all of my interview preparation articles.
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After reviewing the guide, you will not only better understand what is happening behind-the-scenes during your next interview but also how to use that information to confidently highlight your skills and become the strongest candidate.
Want further guidance, right now?
Thank you and visit:
Career Outcomes Matter
for more actionable insights.