Interview Questions

Questions to ask before and during an interview.

In addition to understanding the role itself, these are questions I like to answer before and during the interview process. <h2>Company Information</h2> First, I like to get my ducks in a row and have some basic background information: <ol><li>How do they make money and in what industry?</li><li>Who are its customers?</li><li>How long has it been around and how many employees?</li><li>What is its GlassDoor.com rating? Is it recognized as being a good place to work?</li><li>How’s the commute?</li><li>Any recent good or bad news?</li></ol> <h2>Questions for HR</h2> Most interviews start with a call to a person on the on the HR or People team. <ol><li>What is the need for this position?</li><li>What’s the culture like within the company and IT itself?</li><li>How many people work in the Chicago office? How’s the work space itself?</li><li>What does a career path look like for this role at your company?</li><li>How long have you been at the company? What do you like about it?</li><li>Are there any other questions I can answer for you?</li><li>Next steps? </li></ol> <h2>Questions for the Hiring Manager</h2> After chatting with HR, the next round is typically with the Hiring Manager. <ul><li>The Position<ol><li>What are the day-to-day expectations of this position (e.g. technical work vs. leadership)?</li><li>To whom does this position report?</li><li>How stable is this position?</li><li>How many and what people report to this position?</li><li>Where does the company want to be in six months from now?</li></ol></li><li>The Team<ol><li>Where does this team fit in with the rest of the company (e.g. org chart)?</li><li>How many people are on the team and what are the roles?</li><li>Who are this team’s customers (e.g. what is the output)?</li><li>How does this team get its projects and priorities?</li><li>Do other teams fulfill a similar need for other departments or this this a centralized service?</li></ol></li><li>Technology<ol><li>What is the technology stack used by this team and/or position?</li><li>How often do upgrades occur?</li><li>In what ways are new tools explored?</li><li>What conferences have people on this team attended within the last year?</li><li>What roles are typically involved in business projects?</li></ol></li></ul> <h2>Benefits</h2> <ol><li>What's the base pay?</li><li>How's the work, life balance?</li><li>Medical benefits? Life insurance? Short and Long-term Disability?</li><li>When can I begin contributing to a retirement fund?</li><li>Is there a match to my retirement fund contributions? A vesting schedule?</li><li>Is this position bonus eligible?</li><li>When do medical benefits begin?</li></ol> <h2>Other Tips</h2> <ul><li>Make sure you have a chance to chat with your potential boss and coworkers. Do they seem like nice people to work with?</li><li>I approach interviews as conversations, an opportunity to see whether the role's needs match up with my experience and interests, and a chance to learn more about the company, its people, office, role, etc. This helps me be less nervous about them.</li><li>Some roles require a take-home test. I enjoy these actually and expect them. It's your time to shine!</li></ul>