Thanks for all the responses. I thought of one other thing I'd like feedback on: When it comes to salary negotiations, do people ask for signing bonuses these days?
Ask HN: What do you ask a potential employer
11–16 of 16 posts
Re: Ask HN: What do you ask a potential employer
#12Where do you see this company in 1 / 3 / 5 years ?
Re: Ask HN: What do you ask a potential employer
#13I wrote a blogpost on this exact topic last year: http://hackerjobs.co.uk/blog/2012/5/16/assessing-a-company-q... If you want me to elaborate on anything, just say the word.
I really like your question about the impact if they can't fill the position. It seems like a tough one to get away with, though. It could come off as too cocky, or as too much of a salary negotiation setup. Does this one go over ok? What kinds of responses have you gotten? Also, on feedback: have you ever gotten useful feedback from an interview that didn't result in an offer? I've tried, but rarely gotten anything,…
Personally, I think the 'impact' question is completely valid and not even remotely cocky. It's important to avoid structuring the question in a way that sounds like "what's the impact of not hiring me" and make it clear you're interested in hearing about what's important for the business. It shows commercial awareness which is usually quite lacking in technical interviews.
As for feedback, unfortunately most companies fail to offer useful feedback if you aren't successful in getting the job as you're no longer considered to be of any importance to the business. Some companies have policies that prevent them from giving you too much detail and some simply refuse in order to avoid opening up a legal can of worms. One seemingly harmless question that you could ask after you get rejected is "What one thing should I work on to improve my chances of working for your company in future?". Take the advice and address it in your next interview with the next company.
Re: Ask HN: What do you ask a potential employer
#14I always like to ask about how a "normal" workday goes. When to arrive, can I have a coffee in the morning, how large are the offices, how much do I need to use my phone or anything.
The other question I like to always ask - how do you treat professionalism? Of course every employer says that you need to be professional and your work has to be professional. But there are many places where quality is not really matters (lets say it this way). So why do they need professionalism then? (I hope I was clear.)
Also asking about possible challanges is a good thing in my opinion. Some employers might mean high workload and high stress under the term challange. (Dynamic, young team is also a term which makes me afraid sometimes.)
Re: Ask HN: What do you ask a potential employer
#15I ask how their typical day looks like (especially if I speak with developers).
Re: Ask HN: What do you ask a potential employer
#16"Can I bring my dog to work?"