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.Who knows? Maybe if you act like asuperstar, they will treat you as one.139Copyright 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.Click Here for Terms of Use.THE QUESTION LIFE CYCLETHE COMPANY13-1What s the gross profit margin of the division I will be working in? Whatpercentage of the total profit from the company does it generate? Is itincreasing or decreasing?It s critical to know the contribution of your division or department tothe total profit of the organization.13-2What s your company s  killer application ? What percentage of themarket share does it have? Will I be working on it?Every company has a core product that often generates the lion s shareof the revenues.If that s where you want to be, make sure that s whereyou will be placed.13-3Can you give me some examples of the best and worst aspects of the com-pany s culture?Does the hiring manager have enough insight to know that every cor-porate culture has both positive and negative qualities?13-4What makes this company a great place to work? What outside evidence(rankings or awards) do you have to prove this is a great place to work?What is the company going to do in the next year to make it better?This is a fairly aggressive question, but if it s fair for the company to askyou to prove you are the best, the reverse is also true.13-5What would I see if I stood outside the front door at five o clock? Wouldeveryone be smiling? Staying late or leaving early? Would everyone betaking work home?Why not conduct this experiment before you ask the question? See if theinterviewer s answer squares with your observations.13-6Lots of your competitors have great products and people programs.Whatis the deciding factor that makes this opportunity superior? Are you will-140QUESTIONS FOR SUPERSTARSing to make me some specific  promises on what you will do to makethis a great experience for me if I accept the position?The superstar is asking for the interviewer to  sell the company.13-7Can you show me that the company has a diverse workforce and that itis tolerant of individual differences? Does it have affinity groups or sim-ilar programs that I might find beneficial? Is there a dress code? Canyou give me an example of any  outrageous conduct this firm toleratesthat the competitors would not?How tolerant is the company for the kind of chaos that many superstarsgenerate in the course of greatness?13-8Does your company offer any wow! benefits? Does it pay for advanceddegrees? Does it offer paid sabbaticals? On-site child care? Relocationpackages? Mentor programs? How are these superior to those of yourcompetitors? What about job sharing? Flex-time arrangements?Telecommuting? Workout facilities?If these practices are important to you, by all means ask.13-9When top performers leave the company, why do they leave and where dothey usually go?This is tough for the interviewer to answer because he or she doesn twant to give you names of other employers to consider.But if the inter-viewer is confident in her case, she will.13-10When was the last significant layoff? What criteria were used to selectthose to stay? What packages were offered to those who were let go?Layoffs are a fact of life even in the most stable companies.It s fairgame to talk about the company s management of layoffs.13-11Does the company have a program to significantly reward individualswho develop patents/ great products? Is there a program to help individ-uals  start their own firms or subsidiary? Will I be required to fill outnoncompete agreements?141THE QUESTION LIFE CYCLEYou plan to generate great intellectual property for the company.It s fairto know how those assets will be managed.THE JOB ANDTHE DEPARTMENT13-12How many approvals would it take (and how long) to get a new $110,000project idea of mine approved? What percentage of employee-initiatedprojects in this job were approved last year?Ask for examples.If you want to be part of a nimble organization, thisis a great way to ask.13-13How many days will it take for you (and the company) to make a hiringdecision for this position?The superstar might as well have said  hours. Organizations these daysknow they have to move quickly to snag the best candidates [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]