April 26, 2001, 3:57 PM — You're dead wrong if you're waiting for that special job to be handed to you on a silver platter. "The key to landing a high-powered job is having the foresight, confidence, and self-assurance to ask intelligent probing questions," according to John Sullivan, a maverick HR consultant hotly pursued by Fortune 500 companies and a management professor at San Francisco State University.
If you are determined to latch onto a job that's eventually going to catapult you into a corner office, Sullivan suggests following the lead of high-powered candidates. These are the hotly pursued folks who have no qualms about putting the employer in the hot seat and asking tough questions.
No matter how good a job seems on paper, be skeptical, advises Sullivan. "You need an accurate job preview and that means asking the right questions," he says. "In this hot seller's market, it's particularly important for IT professionals to be selective in their job opportunity sorting process."
Below is a list of Sullivan's questions to cover both company and job.
First, the company queries.
- What's the profit gross margin of the division I will be working in?
- What's your company's highest-producing product? What percentage of market share does it have? Will I be working on it?
- What percentage of your company's (and my division's) budget is spent on new product development?
- What makes this a great place to work?
- What opportunities are there to get "wealthy" in this firm? Is there an IPO, acquisition possibility or significant stock options?
- What percentage of the top management team has come from within this division?
- What is your firm's competitive advantage over its closest competitors? What about its weaknesses?
- Who is your best customer?
- Many of your competitors have great products and employee programs. What is the deciding factor that makes this opportunity superior?
- Are you willing to beat my best offer?
- When was the last significant layoff? What criteria were used to select those who stayed? What packages were offered to those who were let go?
- Does the company have a program to significantly reward employees who develop patents/great products? Will I be required to fill out noncompete agreements?
Now, here are some questions about the job and your department.
- What percentage of the total department budget is allocated to new equipment/software acquisition?
- How many approvals would it take (and how long) to get a new project approved?
- How many days will it take for you (and the company) to make a hiring decision?
- What is the current retention rate for high performers in my team/job title?
- What is your "learning plan" for me during my first six months? What competencies will I develop that I don't currently have?
- What are some of the decisions I could make in this job without any approvals?
- How many hours a week does the average person in this job function work?
- How will my performance be assessed? What are the top criteria used?
- How often will I get a new computer?
- What is the first assignment you will give me? Where does that assignment rank in the departmental priorities?
- What happened to the previous person holding this job?
- How much input do employees get in departmental decisions?
- What are the biggest problems this department will face in the next two years?
Some of Sullivan's questions are clearly off-putting. Obviously, you shouldn't ask them if they make you uncomfortable. But according to this veteran HR pro, if you're the "best of the best" you shouldn't have any qualms about grilling the interviewer. To this reporter's ears, it sounds like sweet revenge.
If only there were surefire questions and answers for winning at the interview game. Well, no one said life was easy. But, there is a method to most interviews. Nationally known HR consultant R. Wendell Williams offers priceless insights for impressing any interviewer.
