30 Questions That Could Determine Your Success
As the candidate, typically you answer questions during a job interview. But to guarantee your success in a new role and to make sure that you are taking the right opportunity that will be a great fit for everyone, you also need to ask some questions. Here are 30 questions to ask before you accept a job offer.
Recently, I received a call from a former client who wanted to discuss the potential of considering another job opportunity.
I have spent hundreds of hours writing a book (Recruiting High-Performance Sales Teams) and coaching people on how to build an internal sales interviewing process, but I had never considered the situation from the job seeker’s perspective.
Is This Role The Best Fit For You?
So I began creating a checklist of questions that anyone in the middle of a job interview should ask before accepting a new job offer.
They are not in a particular order, but I suggested to my client to rate each question on a scale of one to five. A ranking of one means that the question is of less importance, while a ranking of five indicated that the question is a high priority.
30 Questions To Ask Before You Accept A Job Offer:
- What is their business strategy?
- Why do they win in a sales environment?
- How strong/sophisticated is their marketing?
- How does the management team make decisions?
- Has the existing management team had success in the past?
- What happened to the last person? Why did they fail? Or Leave?
- Do they fit my culture? What is the attitude of the middle management team?
- What kinds of reporting do they have? How close do they manage their business?
- What seems to be the capability of the existing sales team?
- Do I have the necessary experience to do the job? Do I know what already needs to be done to fix the issue?
- How well does the President communicate one on one or in a group?
- What is the cash flow situation?
- What kind of market are they in? Growth? Turnaround? Limited?
- What niche do they have in the market?
- What kind of player are they in the market? Dominate? Minor?
- Are they a leader in technology?
- What is their end game? Sell out? Buy others? Are M & A opportunities brewing?
- What kinds of support could I expect?
- What kinds of turnover have they had in this job? Or other jobs that are important in the company?
- What is the ownership? Public, Private, Private Equity, ESOP?
- What is their revenue trend for the past 3 years?
- Profitable?
- Who does the position report to (title)?
- How long has that person been with the company?
- Will that person help me develop my skills and career?
- What is the risk to my career if this opportunity does not work out?
- What is the probability of success?
- Are they a quality company?
- Do they really want me?
- What makes them unique? Do I feel a passion for their business?
Checklist For Success
I have seen many great people take the wrong opportunity. To really succeed, both the employer and the employee must be in alignment from both a job skill perspective and an emotional perspective.
This checklist is designed to ensure that the interviewer does their due diligence necessary for the new candidate’s success.
