There are Two People in a Job Interview

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On the surface, the title may seem obvious. You have the person conducting the interview, and the person being interviewed. And 99% of the time, that's the dynamic that is taking place in most interviews. I have never been part of that rather narrow dynamic. The thing is, I have never been in a position where I have had to settle—or at least, for the most part. I can mostly say that throughout the majority of my career, I take jobs I want. Not jobs I necessarily need or else. And so, when I sit down for an interview, I am not the only one in the room being screened. I am screening the interviewer as well, and the company they work for. I have to admit, it does sometimes take an interviewer by surprise when I start asking my own questions. But that's because they aren't used to that. And sometimes how they react initially to being questioned can offer quite a lot of very important information about how they view their employees and what it might be like to work for them. How solid is your business? What would you guess your turnover rate is? What matrix does the company use to determine pay increases, and how often is compensation evaluated? How does your company promote people? Out of your current pool of managers, what percentage started with the company at entry level? These are just a few examples of questions I might ask. An interviewer should be able to explain what they are offering, and more importantly, how solid the job is they are offering. If they have a high turnover rate, it can be an indicator there are problems with management. It's important to know how a company determines pay increases. Is it based on an industry-wide metric based on the type of job and what similar companies pay people doing the same jobs? It tells you whether or not the company is competitive in its offering of pay and benefits, and how well it values good employees, and how much they are investing in retention. It's important to know what my path will be. If I perform well and go above and beyond, will I be upwardly mobile within the company? Or is there a limit to how far up the ladder I can go? The question of the percentage of current managers who came from the bottom is a gotcha question of sorts—if in one breath you say "the company promotes good workers," and in another says no one or a very small percentage of management came from the bottom, its a fair indicator you won't be as upwardly mobile as they are lettitng on. At the end of the day, not only do I have to be a good fit for the company. The company has to be a good fit for me. You need a good, quality worker who will get the job done for you, and I need a job that will take care of my professional objectives and financial interests. This goes to another "way of thinking" about any job, for me. I never see myself as an employee. I see myself, instead, as a partner who will, under the right conditions and circumstances grow right along with the company I work for. Hopefully, if the interviewer passes my test, when I walk out of their office what they will see is a confident and competent potential candidate who understands what both our roles are, and I am not someone desperate for whatever comes along.