“Do you have any questions for me?” That’s the time when you should be ready to ask the interviewer or the hiring manager a couple of questions that you may have in mind. But what really matters is the type of questions you ask. If you put forth the wrong questions, you should expect to lose the job.
Given below is a list of questions you should never ask at a job interview – unless you really don’t care about the job offer.
How much does the job pay?
To ace a job interview, what you should really try to project is that you have a keen interest in the job you have applied for. And that’s exactly what hiring managers or interviewers want to know. They want to hire candidates who have a strong passion for getting the job. However, the question about salary or payment during a job interview sends the wrong signal to the hiring manager.
But don’t worry you’ll get a chance. You can ask this question once you have been offered the job and informed about the salary.
What employee benefits do you offer?
Again, this is a question which shows you are less interested in the job and more in the benefits or perks. So, never ask this question.
Can I work from home?
If it was a home-based job, the job advertisement would have mentioned it already. It’s a wrong question and you should never ask this at a job interview. Asking this question simply translates to asking for a special favor. How can you ask for a special favor when you have not even been hired?
Who are your key competitors?
Since we live in a highly digitized world, most of the information you are looking for is on the web. If you want to know about the competitors of a company or business, all you need to do is search on Google.
Therefore, asking this question will most probably leave an impression that you haven’t done your homework.
Do you conduct background checks?
Most of the employers do a background checks these days. But this is not a question you should ask the interviewer or the hiring manager. What problem do you have if the company does conduct a background check? Asking this question will only raise suspicion in the mind of the interviewer.
What are the working hours?
This is a question which interviewers hate to hear during a job interview. Are you more interested in giving more hours to the job or the time off? Unless you want to leave the wrong impression, never ask this question.
Asking these questions will ruin your chances of getting the job. So, the next time you face an interview, make sure you stay away from asking such questions. Instead, create a list of a few smart and thoughtful questions which show that you have a genuine interest in the advertised job position and you have done your homework really well too. And ask questions only when you’re given the chance.
