The Other Questions You Should Ask At An Interview

For some strange reason, job interviews were on my mind the past few weeks. It’s likely due to the small cabal asking for some advice on interviewing and resumes.

Admittedly, it’s been a long time since I’ve been in that chair, sitting across from an HR person, hiring manager or senior boss. From past experience, the most indigestion-inducing part of an interview is: “do you have any questions for me/us?” What do you ask? How do you phrase questions? As a general rule, people tend to go the “safe” route on these — which ends up becoming a trap of sorts and lumps you in with every other candidate.

Or, you could end up like me in 1992 and completely botch it.

Sure, there are some things that you could logically ask, but you really want to stand out, right? Of course you do.

Recently, I have noticed some fairly interesting and fresh takes on leadership that, on a gut level, tells me the door is wide open to ask questions that not only show your smarts, but your passion as well. We’re seeing more candor in leadership and it doesn’t hurt to be in lockstep with where things are headed.

I feel like there is a new opportunity to be more aggressive and truly separate yourself from the pack by going the more “emotional” route with the questions you ask.

The bottom line with this is that you’ll want to get comfortable going this direction first. These are questions that are designed to make the person interviewing you think a little more. In some ways, they are challenges, but thoughtful ones that require some practice asking since it may be out of your usual wheelhouse.

Yes, you want the gig but you’re also interviewing the people and the company as well. It really is a two-way street.

Below are some questions that I would ask in interview, knowing what I know now. They are merely guidelines — so if you use them, feel free to adjust and adapt to suit your style best.

Question: Why should I run through a brick wall for you?

This one should get their attention fairly quickly. It’s a more emotional, emphatic spin on “how do you lead and inspire your team?” The nuance here is that you are now personalizing it and forcing them to list, hopefully with candor, the reasons that they are a good leader worth going to the mat for every time. If they waffle, follow up by asking them, specifically, about a time when their team came together to rally for the greater good. This will tell you a great deal about how everyone is led and the style of leadership to expect.

Question: How do you handle curveballs?

Pretty obvious one here. But, again, it’s phrased slightly differently to make a point. A good leader will acknowledge that there are challenges every day. In fact, leaders pretty much have to endure a constant stream of changing tides to keep things on track. If the person you are interviewing with goes in depth and clearly articulates specific ways that they manage the influx of change, then you’re likely sitting in front of someone you may want to run through a brick wall for. If they dodge, ask them about a specific challenge and how they handled it.

Question: Who are the leaders you respect most?

You should be able to find out about leadership style from this question. The key thing here is that, when they rattle off a list of people, you should follow up with “why” for each. This requires them to go into depth and you can further the conversation by asking about how those attributes inform their leadership. If you hear a wide, diverse list, then this person is likely more in tune with the modern brand of leadership, where influences come from business, society and culture. If they mention Rush Limbaugh, run out the door. I kid. Kind of.

Question: How do you manage things when you’re burned out?

Yeah, a bold one. But the reality is, we all get fried on work and it’s always helpful to know how the boss manages their own stress. This clearly indicates how a leader will help you and the team manage burnout issues. In fact, it can’t hurt to follow up by asking how they help ensure that the team works at optimal performance levels without getting off track from exhaustion. Sure, you expect to work hard, but the reality is that we all have lives (the boss included) and not having the time or opportunity to recharge, refresh and enjoy it is a big ‘ol red flag.

Question: What is the one thing that drives you crazy?

My guess here is that the person interviewing you will balk or dodge this question as much as they can. But wouldn’t it be nice to know this before you sign on the dotted line? This falls into the “what are your weaknesses” type of question. You’re not really asking them what their weaknesses are, but you’re probing to find out the triggers that could get the boss off the rails. If you decide to ask this one, it’s probably a good idea to diffuse it with a smile or a qualifier like, “we all have things that drive us a little crazy…” Also, be prepared to answer this question because this feels like one that will be thrown right back at you.

There are certainly other questions that you’ll want to consider asking, but these are some that just felt right to discuss and share at this point. I’m curious to know what else you would consider asking.

And don’t forget, doing your homework and understanding as much about the company and its people is still the most important part of any interview. Before you can even get to these challenging questions, you should wow them with what you know first.

This post first appeared on the Advertising Week Social Club site.