The 7 most impressive questions candidates can ask hiring managers

The overlooked reverse interview

CareerBliss.com recently asked hiring managers what candidates had asked to impress them, which yielded interesting answers, but also got us to thinking about how often job seekers neglect the reverse interview.

Everyone has Googled endlessly how to answer interview questions, use the proper tone and posture, what font to use on a resume and so forth, but asking the interviewer questions about the company and brand prove the capacity to think critically and think outside of yourself.

But what do you ask in a reverse interview? What really knocks the socks off of an interviewer? Let’s take a look at what CareerBliss uncovered:

Ask about their challenges

Amy Ogden, Director of Marketing and Development for J Public Relations said one of the most impressive questions she’s been asked by a candidate is, “what is an example of a client challenge you have recently faced?”

She addes that in your follow up thank you note, the candidate should address that challenge and how they would tackle it.

Stump the employer

Brandon Seymour of Beymour Consulting says that a candidate once asked “Where do YOU see teh company going in the next year? 10 years?”

“He actually stumped me,” Seymour said.

Going the extra mile

Robert Moskovits, VP of Business Development at Kars4kids Charity was hiring for a senior business manager, and one candidate asked, “Can I work in the call center for a few weeks to get a sense of your donors’ needs?”

Moskovits said, “I was blown away.”

Opening the floor in a meaningful way

“What is the question you all really want to ask me but havent?” one candidate asked Aaron Basko, Assistant VP for Enrollment Management and Career Services at Salisbury University.

Basko notes, “This was a brilliant question because it encouraged the committee to tip its hand about the concern we all had about the candidate, which gave him a chance to address it.”

Thinking about success

“What impact would I have on the team if I get hired,” Mazin Abou-Seido, Director of IT at Halogen Software was asked.

He was impressed because “the candidate was already thinking about what success would look like in the role.”

Doing legitimate homework

Heidi Ferolito, HR Director at World Travel Holdings said she was impressed when a candidate said in an interview, “I was looking at your social media presence and I can see that your brands have been more active over the past few months. Has your strategy changed?”

“Clearly they had done their research and were already thinking about marketing our brands,” Ferolito noted.

Come to compete

“What would make someone really successful in this role?” Ashley Verrill, Content Strategist at Software Advice was once asked.

She said, “This makes me think they are A-players. They want to blow everyone out of the water.”

Now it’s your turn

When job hunting or even being interviewed by potential clients, there are ways to impress while not kissing butt. Thinking critically, considering the hiring manager’s needs as well as the brand’s needs, and reverse interviewing are all ways to set yourself apart from the competition.