Exit Interview Tips: 5 Questions You Must Ask Before You Exit The Interview

Candidates are often relieved when an interview concludes, but that relief immediately turns to tension when asked by the hiring managers if they have questions for the interviewers. This tension need not be, as an interview is often said to be, a two-way street. The hiring manager decides if you are a good fit for the company and the candidate decides if the company is a good fit for the development of his career. Hence, when this question is asked, it is an open invitation to the candidate to assess the company and if it meets his career goals. It is also a room to find out more about the company’s culture and the responsibilities attached to the role interviewed for. Furthermore, asking questions at the conclusion of an interview is often interpreted as an interest in the role being interviewed for.  Here are five questions you must ask before exiting an interview;

• How Has This Job Position/Role Evolved? This is exit question is a clever way of gaining more insight into the job position. It gives a clear understanding of what the job entails and the expectations of the company have for the prospective employee. This question also aids the candidate in gaining insight to the skill most required and valued by the company for the responsibilities attached to this position. Here the candidate can compare his skills to those highlighted by the company and what skills he may lack regarding this position. If this position has been previously occupied information about the achievements of past employees who occupied the position may be given. A further follow-up question to this to gain insight on this job position is asking about the day-day responsibilities attached to this position. This exit interview question aids the candidate to know how he can utilize the role in contributing to the growth of the organization. Finally, it also helps the candidate to know if the job is a dead-end job.   
• Can You Tell Me Something Specific About the Company? This is another intelligent exit interview tip. This question helps to gain insight on the company, not the job position. As this is the opportunity for the company to sell itself in compared to its competitors. Here the expected response often contains information concerning the company’s culture, objectives, vision, growth margin, etc. This exit interview question aids the candidates to know whether the company’s goals align with his. It also helps him to weigh his options carefully.
•  How do you see the Company Evolving in the Long Run? This is an exit interview question which seeks to know the company long terms goals. Asking this question shows the candidate’s interest in the future company. Also, it shows how these future goals may fit into the candidate’s career objectives in a long run. Most importantly, where the company’s goals fit into the candidate’s career goals in a short run, the candidate may want to be informed on how these goals would be of aid to his career growth.
• What do You Think is Your Favorite Part of Working with this Company? This exit interview tip is an opportunity to gain insight on workings of the company from an individual’s experience. Here the company’s strength and weakness may be revealed to the candidate. This question may be rephrased as ‘What are the benefits and challenges of working with this company?’
• Do you see any reason I might not fit into this position? This exit interview question may be seen as an obvious inquiry on the candidate’s performance and may seem rude. However, according to human resources experts, this question is an opportunity to evaluate your performance and gain insight on the interviewer’s opinion on the candidate. The candidate can clarify any misconceptions the interviewer may have formed during the interview.

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The number of questions a candidate can ask at the conclusion of an interview is numerous, but what is important in asking any of these questions is that the candidate’s gathers enough information about the role and the company. As this helps him determine whether the company and the role are a good fit for his/her career goals. Therefore, candidates are encouraged to conduct adequate research on the company to determine the exit interview questions to ask at the conclusion of the interview.