Sure, employers and hiring managers usually have a bunch of questions for their employees. What about the other way around? After all, if you do say yes to the position, you will be working at the firm for a while! To help you avoid the dread of thinking on the spot, here are some questions to ask employers before you say yes to the opportunity. This list should help to get rid of some unnecessary stress too.
Many think that it is impossible to anticipate what sort of questions employers can ask you, and the other way round too. If you take a second to think about it, there are some ways you can prepare ahead of time! You may have to tweak them a little, but these questions can provide you with insights into what’s expected of you at the workplace.
“Do you have any questions for us?” No matter how much effort one puts into preparing for an official conversation, this question always seems to momentarily get the better of us. Well, none of that jitters and stutters anymore.
In this article, we will be sharing 5 questions that you can ask before saying yes to the opportunity!
A word of caution before we delve into the article: the following mentioned tips and tricks are information that has been generally observed across numerous work sectors. There may be instances in which specific advice may not match or suit what is expected for a specific firm, industry or job role.
As such, this written piece aims to function as a guide. It should not be read as a comprehensive or exhaustive list of advice when it comes to the questions you can ask your employers. The best way to find out what may work for you would be by conducting ample research.
Browsing through this article could function as the first step you take into exploring different ways to succeed at work. Without further ado, let’s get right into the article!
How will my performance at this role be measured?
This is one of those questions you can ask your employers or hiring managers the next time you are invited to have a chat with them. Finding out more information as to how your performance at the firm will be measured is an important gateway to understanding your responsibilities.
Will there be weekly or monthly check-ins with a particular superior or will there only be a periodical chat to ensure everything is running smoothly?
Will there be annual performance review sessions? Or maybe an “employee of the month” system that will be monitored through quarterly or yearly reviews?
Will there be appraisal sessions to assess one’s contributions to the workplace? How often are these conducted?
Be sure to figure out if there are individual KPIs or if progress will be assessed on a group/team basis. This can better assess how the level of responsibility is distributed and assigned to individuals on specific projects.
Asking these questions can help you get more specific answers on how to excel at this job role. In the event where you may not be offered the opportunity, you still get to walk away with information that can help you at your next job!
Thus, making this one of the questions to ask employers before saying yes to the opportunity.
Can I anticipate any specific challenges you've seen previous employees experience in this role?
This is yet another one of the questions to ask employers before saying yes to an opportunity.
By making this enquiry, you can communicate with your employers openly to figure out some of the struggles one can anticipate from taking on this role. This puts into focus the job responsibilities and what other employees may have shared as pain points with regards to this work opportunity.
You can also expect to find out why this job can be both rewarding and difficult when asking this question during your chat. This enables you to get an insider’s perspective on the matter. Perhaps, it could also provide you with a more balanced and holistic idea of the position.
If you are forward looking by nature, asking this question can also help you think in advance of some ways to curb said difficulties. After the confirmation of your post, you could even discuss methods to avoid such problems from taking stage again.
If a specific challenge raises some concerns, you can also enquire about how these problems have been addressed at the firm previously. This will provide you with a bit more information about the organisational culture the company adopts and practices.
Can you roughly tell me what my day-to-day responsibilities may include?
This is one of those questions that you can ask your hiring manager or potential employer right off the bat. There is a common misconception that employers frown upon those who try to clear this doubt. Asking this question will not affect the impression they have of you.
Sure, you should have a rough idea about the job scope as you should have applied for the position after reading through those pointers. However, one’s day to day responsibilities at work can vary from designation to designation.
The information they provide as they attempt to answer this question can help you get a better idea of what may be expected of you, should you be hired.
It can detail who you may need to report to or what you cannot avoid doing as part of your job responsibilities. The answer can also lead you to determine whether or not you feel if this job opportunity matches what you are searching for in a job too.
These are not information you’ll be able to find in the job scope, hence why this is a great question to ask employers!
Your employers’ response to this query can also reveal a little bit of insider information on the company’s workplace culture. Assess these replies to see if the firm matches your expectations too!
1. Will I be assigned a mentor?
2. Which communication tools are commonly used at this firm to stay connected amongst employees?
3. How would you describe the team’s dynamic when working together?
4. What do you personally enjoy about working at this organisation?
5. What are some of the company values or culture at <firm>?
These are some of the questions to ask employers before you say yes to the job opportunity. Ensure that you clear your doubts before taking on the position so that you don’t find yourself with doubts in the future!
We hope the tips we have shared in this article will help you better manage your nerves as you look forward to joining a new firm or the workforce. We wish you the best of luck!
If you’re on the lookout for jobs within other industries that are nonetheless located in Singapore, here’s an article that shares with you the top 19 job portals in Singapore.
No matter the industry or the position, remember to visit GrabJobs to find a job opportunity in Singapore easily!
