The Ultimate Interviewee Question

The best marketing question to ask in a job interview.

I’ve always thought the job interview process is a little strange.  For the most part, it seems to be an interesting case of supply and demand.  A company has one job and multiple applicants.  Even the questioning is built on this supply and demand model, with the company asking most of the questions.  Whole books and articles are written about the best questions to ask potential candidate.  Imagine if the tables were turned.  I think there is one totally amazing question candidates can ask that can turn the tables on who is evaluating who.  Would you dare ask it?

People leave jobs for many reasons.  Oddly enough, money is rarely the reason.  I once had an employee say she left because of money, but after further questioning, she was actually leaving because she hated my boss.  Money may help push folks out the door, but what is it that makes them look in the first place? I find often that it’s a lack of connection with the mission or brand, if not by them, then by others within the organization.

There are those companies that people fight over to get in like Google, Apple, Dave Ramsey, Disney, etc.  So what do these companies have in common?  They have burning purpose that transcends money.  They are brilliant marketing machines (and that has nothing to do with advertising).  That’s an easy trait to pick out of a nationally or internationally famous brand, but how do you find that burning  and unifying passion at a local bank, the regional media outlet, the new restaurant?  It’s with one question: Why should I do business with you?  If they can’t answer that question completely and with unbridled passion, then move on.

Of course, you could be unlucky enough to be interviewing with the one charismatic person in the company, perhaps even the owner, so ask that question of everyone you can in the company.  Heck, call the call center and see what they say.  Ask every person interviewing you that question.  As you ask multiple people, look for consistency in their answers. Essentially you are asking what is the company’s value proposition. If you get five divergent answers, it doesn’t really matter if they are positive and passionate.  They are also schizophrenic and may pull you in as many or more directions.

Now, you may say, “wouldn’t it be better to ask, ‘why would I want to work here?’”  I say no for two related reasons.  One, it identifies you as a selfish person saying “what’s in it for me.”  Two, it forces the interviewer to provide an outside perspective of the company.

So be brave and ask the deep, probing “why” question.  You may find that the question makes folks uncomfortable and less interested in you as a candidate.  Good!  Run away as fast as you can, because it won’t be long before that interviewer is out looking for a job and competing with you!