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:

1. What is their business strategy?
2. Why do they win in a sales environment?
3. How strong/sophisticated is their marketing?
4. How does the management team make decisions?
5. Has the existing management team had success in the past?
6. What happened to the last person? Why did they fail? Or Leave?
7. Do they fit my culture? What is the attitude of the middle management team?
8. What kinds of reporting do they have? How close do they manage their business?
9. What seems to be the capability of the existing sales team?
10. Do I have the necessary experience to do the job? Do I know what already needs to be done to fix the issue?
11. How well does the President communicate one on one or in a group?
12. What is the cash flow situation?
13. What kind of market are they in? Growth? Turnaround? Limited?
14. What niche do they have in the market?
15. What kind of player are they in the market? Dominate? Minor?
16. Are they a leader in technology?
17. What is their end game? Sell out? Buy others? Are M & A opportunities brewing?
18. What kinds of support could I expect?
19. What kinds of turnover have they had in this job? Or other jobs that are important in the company?
20. What is the ownership? Public, Private, Private Equity, ESOP?
21. What is their revenue trend for the past 3 years?
22. Profitable?
23. Who does the position report to (title)?
24. How long has that person been with the company?
25. Will that person help me develop my skills and career?
26. What is the risk to my career if this opportunity does not work out?
27. What is the probability of success?
28. Are they a quality company?
29. Do they really want me?
30. 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.