Handling Interviewee’s Questions

In addition to asking questions to the candidate, the interviewer should ensure that the candidate feels free to ask any question that may arise in his/her mind. It is at this moment that the interviewer would more formally acknowledge the questions from the interviewee.

The interviewer should keep in mind that the candidate’s list of questions might very well shed even more insight on him/her. For an instance, the following questions might be asked by an interviewee −

• Is an employees' plan possessed and contributed by the company?
• How many vacations are provided in the first year?
• Does the organization provide opportunities and privileges to move to other departments within the organization?

These questions might express the additional concerns or motivations of the candidate. At the same time, they could either strengthen or weaken the manager’s interest in him/her as the right fit for the job, assuming his/her questions go counter to the objective criteria the manager has in place for the position.

After answering any questions and finding that there is still mutual interest in both the parties, the manager may move on to the next area of the interview. Here is where the candidate will likely want to know what the company really has to offer him/her and if this is a place s/he could see himself/herself working. Not at any point of time should the manager exaggerate or try to over-glorify the job.

If the manager has handled the interview process very well this far, he should be able to know the applicant's key desires and motivators. By using this knowledge, a manager would be able to explain the position and the opportunities associated to it in the terms that are most relevant to the applicant. In other words, the manager has by now reached that point of time where he can make a formal offer.