“The Monty Heat Treat News” is proud to work closely with “International Search Partners” the premium recruiting firm for the North American heat treatment industry. ISP has provided “The Monty” with regular articles about finding and hiring the best people in the industry, typical wages and salaries and tips on what to ask during a job interview-all of these can be found at Articles & Interviews | The Monty

Today we offer the latest article from Managing Recruiter, Josh Hale, and Senior Recruiter, Jessica Maier.

Managing Recruiter, Josh Hale, and Senior Recruiter, Jessica Maier, recently addressed a common reframe from potential candidates for employment:

At some point through the hiring process, the company will ask for questions… what’s a good question to ask at the end of an interview

Josh: Many jobseekers obsess over giving the “right answers,” but it’s important to also be prepared with the right questions – nobody wants to be the person who freezes when asked at the end of the interview: “do you have any questions for me?”

So, what’s a good question to ask at the end of an interview? There’s one question that can really set the stage for the candidate to receive an offer and that question is:

“After I’m hired and we’re looking back on my first 6-12 months in the job and there is one thing that I have accomplished that would blow your mind and make you think that I was the best hire you ever made – what would that be?”

This question shows strategic and forward thinking in way that also demonstrates to the employer that you don’t do just the bare minimum and plan to go above and beyond. Plus, it shows confidence.

Jessica: That’s a great question for a candidate to ask, Josh, but how they respond to the interviewer’s answer is what will really make or break the deal!

Typically, the hiring manager will smile and think for a minute before commenting on some current goal they have for the company and how the ideal candidate would perform (or over-perform) to reach said goal… at that point, the most successful candidates will share how they’ve reached a similar goal in the past, with, and this is key, SPECIFIC examples.

Let’s say the manager tells you: “I would be thrilled we hired you and you were tracking to hit 100% of sales quota after six months.” An ideal answer sounds like: “I’ve done just that! In fact, I helped my current company hit 143% of quota by spearheading initiatives into two key new markets and landing a marquee new client in each!”

Josh: That’s a great response, but only if true…

Jessica: Of course, which is why I always stress giving SPECIFIC examples and telling stories with DETAILS. It helps the interviewer get a better visual of you doing work with their company, while also acting as a BS detector.

Josh: Good points... one more tip is to not ask about salary and benefits until an offer is eminent (or at least not in the first round). Companies have an idea of market rates for employees and, while there are some very rare exceptions, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be interviewed if your salary is way outside the company’s pay scale.

Jessica: Agreed.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that working with a good recruiter is a great way to address the compensation early too as any professional in our business worth their salt will be able to help negotiate on your behalf and would never waste your time or their clients –

Josh: Or their own!

Jessica: Or theirs – if salary expectations weren’t on the same page for all parties.

Josh Hale collaborates with companies to identify, engage, and hire top performers as a professional “headhunter” where he’s focused exclusively on the thermal processing industry as part of International Search Partners since acquiring the firm in 2015. He works closely with Jessica Maier to support the practice, and, together, they’ve helped dozens of companies make hundreds of hires in a variety of roles within the industry, including engineering, sales, quality, metallurgy, and management. For more information email [email protected] or call 619-465-9621.

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