Page 82 - 301 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview, Second Edition

PART II

INTERVIEW THE
INTERVIEWER

All interviews are important, but some are more
important than others.

The one interview that is all important is the one with the per-
son who has the final hiring authority. We’ll call that person
the hiring manager.

All other job interviews, while important, have the agenda
of screening you out. When you meet with recruiters or human
resources, you are being evaluated for whether you are a good
enough fit to have an interview with the only person with the
authority to offer you a job. Thus your strategy for presenting
yourself and the questions you ask depends on whom you are
interviewed by. There are three general classes of interviewers:
• Recruiter or headhunter
• Human resources
• Hiring manager

In Part II we look at the different expectations and roles of
each of these types. Because the expectations and the power of
each of these groups within the organization differ, the ques-
tions you ask will necessarily be different. You don’t want to ask
a hiring manager detailed questions about health benefits. By
the same token, recruiters probably don’t know intimate details

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