Picture this. You’ve applied for a job, and a few minutes later, you receive a call from the recruiter in charge of filling the position. They provide you with some first details and find out a little bit more about you.
Now what? Well, you can do a lot worse than to ask some pertinent questions about the role you’ve applied for. In this article, we’ll explore some of the best questions to ask recruiters when looking for a job.
1. What’s the Workplace Culture Like?
It can be challenging to picture fully what a role will be like from a job spec alone. That’s where this question can come in handy. The recruiter can help paint you a picture of your day-to-day work life and whether it aligns with what you’re looking for as a professional.
When you spend as much of your life at work as you do, you want to be sure it’s somewhere that you’ll truly feel happy, comfortable and welcomed – even when there are the inevitable professional stresses that come with any job.
2. Why Has the Position Become Available?
Is the company expanding? Did the previous employee leave? Is the role itself a new one? By asking why a job has become available, it can shed more light on the company’s culture, economic position, and plans moving forward.
3. What Opportunities for Growth are Available?
This shows you’re interested in longer-term progression within a role and company, rather than the job just being simply a stopgap until the next role comes along.
A desire for career progression shows a hunger and willingness to move forward with the company, which will only reflect positively on you as a candidate.
4. How Does the Company Support Training and Development?
Naturally, you’d want to know whether a company supports your training and development, and again, it also highlights to the recruiter that you’re interested in being with a company for the long haul.
You’re less likely to care about training on the job if you don’t envisage yourself being at the job for long. It’s another ‘green flag’ from the recruiter’s perspective.
5. What are the Company’s Values?
Whether or not an employee’s values align with a prospective employer’s goes a long way toward deciding whether the professional match will be a successful one or not.
Does the company have a family feel? What’s its approach to work-life balance? Are trust and accountability integral? These are the sorts of questions that may branch off your first enquiry.
6. Is the Role Remote, Hybrid, or in-Person?
In the post-pandemic era, many employers are still offering hybrid working, whilst others have sought a total return to the office. Some have ditched the workspace altogether and have shifted to a fully remote working configuration.
Find out from the recruiter what the situation is and whether there’s any flexibility on offer. If this is a dealbreaker for you, it’s better to find our earlier rather than later in the process.
It’s worth knowing what’s important to you before you apply for a role; obviously, some jobs will need you be there in person all the time, however if it’s a degree of flex you’re looking for, then this is an important question to ask right from the off.
7. Have You Placed Candidates Here Before?
Part of a recruiter’s role is to understand the companies they’re helping place candidates in. However, if they’ve already helped individuals secure employment within a company before, then they are likely to have an even better understanding of the workings and machinations of the company in question.
Recruitment often goes beyond helping secure an individual employment. Often, they check in with the person once they’ve started in the new role. Successful candidates, therefore, might have supplied feedback once within the position, and this can be helpful in giving potential new employees a more representative idea of what the job is like.
Get in Touch With Our Recruiters, Today!
If you’re interested in a role in social care, healthcare, education, or recovery and criminal justice, then we’d love to hear from you! Our team of friendly recruitment consultants will be able to answer any questions you might have – whether they be those on our list, or any others!
