The second most regular question we’re asked at tml Partners, after CV guidance, is for interview advice. Well, asking great questions at the end of an interview is an absolute must.
Nicola Eyre is our HR Business Partner at tml and has interviewed hundreds of candidates including some of the sharpest minds with one of the leading management consultancies. Nicola believes “…if you want the job, then it’s imperative you show interest and enthusiasm by asking insightful questions at the end of the interview.”
Nicola says, “It’s amazing how many candidates still miss this opportunity. You will always be asked ‘do you have any questions’ at the end of the interview and the worst response is to say ‘no, I think we’ve covered everything, thank you’.”
If you don’t have any questions then not only do you miss the best (if not only) opportunity to probe whether it’s the right company for you but you’re potentially displaying both lack of enthusiasm and preparation.
Simon Bassett is the MD of tml Partners and has engineered hundreds of senior marketing appointments over a career spanning 15 years. Here he gives some great probing questions experienced marketers should be asking.
Firstly, a quick Google search will give you lots of generic tips on this topic. But these are a few nuggets if you want to show a great marketing mind-set.
- Who is the most senior marketer in the business?
Obviously this will depend on the size of the business, but it’s a great way to understand more about the hierarchy and influence marketing has at a senior level.
- Does that person sit on the main board?
If you want to take question 1 a step further, this simple question will identify just how serious the business takes marketing strategy and what influence it has in the boardroom. If there is a Marketing Director or CMO, do they actually sit on the main board and report into the CEO?
- What is the background of the CEO and their view of marketing?
C-Suite buy-in into marketing strategy is critical to foster the right culture in the marketing department. Researching the CEO’s background and asking about it will probe and often be very revealing whilst also displaying your awareness of the bigger picture. (Note: don’t ask “who is the CEO?” do your research before).
- Who is your most challenging stakeholder and what could I do to help in this role?
Marketing leadership requires influencing skills, period. This has never been truer in today’s digital age when senior stakeholders can be overwhelmed by the pace of change in marketing. This question acknowledges that reality and shows commercial aptitude with pragmatism to be part of the solution. Music to the ears of a Marketing Director with a lot of challenging stakeholders.
- What does success look like to you in this role?
A great commercial question, cuts to the chase and shows your interviewer you want to deliver success for you and them.
Lastly, always show interest in your interviewer. What is their background? Why did they join? What has kept them there? What do they love about the culture? How has their role progressed? Apart from anything else, this is just friendly interest that will build rapport but most people love to talk about themselves.
And remember it’s still a nice touch to follow up with a warm email thanking them for their time. Most don’t.
Try to avoid asking more than 3 or 4 questions. If time has gone over, you may risk starting to annoy your interviewers. Though if it feels right and conversation is flowing, just politely check if you can ask another question.
And what are the worst questions to ask? Well that’s a blog for another time… but asking what the bonus is or how many days a week you can work from home is not a great way to close an interview.
There’s a time and a place for those questions.
We’d love to hear if you’ve heard some other great questions (and maybe some of the bad ones too)?
Good luck.
Simon
