It’s natural to feel cautious about changing jobs. But with more jobs on offer than ever, there’s never been a time like this for exploring new opportunities. The number of advertised roles has steadily grown. The increased demand for employees means it could be a good time to consider changing jobs.
However, one in three Australians say it’s become much harder to assess new job opportunities compared to before the pandemic. Over half (56%) say they’ve been reluctant to change jobs because they feel secure in their current role.
Finding out about job security is hard, though, without inside information into the business or organisation. Asking the right questions during an interview can tell you a lot about the security of the role and the company, and how your potential new employer has adapted to change during the pandemic. I have suggested some specific, practical questions to ask during a job interview to find out about the security of a role and what it’s like to work for that business now.
Questions about the role
Part of assessing security includes working out whether the role is right for you, so that you don’t have to leave it just a few months in and find yourself back in the market for a job. Asking questions to better the role and the organisation will help you work out whether it’s the right fit.
1: What type of person usually succeeds in this role? Or what are the key skills and attributes someone needs to be successful in this role?
It’s nice to think we’re the right fit for a role we’re being interviewed for. Rather than assume this though, asking a question like this helps you discover whether you are a good fit for the role on offer. Is it what you expected it to be from the job description? Do you have the right personality, strengths, skills, and experience to be successful?
2: How do you measure success in this role?
This question will help you assess whether the expectations of the hiring manager or business are realistic, particularly given the challenges faced by many businesses now. This question will help you understand where the bar is set in terms of performance expectations, whether you think its realistic, and if it’s something you want to strive for.
3: What would be a typical career path for someone starting in this role?
4: What skills would someone usually develop working in this position, and what could this lead to?
5: What learning, and development opportunities are available in this role?
These questions will help you understand what the career path might look like and help to ensure you have a good sense of what the role may lead to on a longer-term basis. Organisations and managers who are clearly thinking about development and career progression can be a good indicator of job security.
Questions about the business or organisation
Plenty of industries and organisations have either directly or indirectly been affected by the pandemic. So asking some questions to get a better idea of those effects and what they’re doing to overcome those challenges may be useful.
6: What impact did the pandemic have on your revenue or profit (or business)?
This will help you understand how sustainable the company is, and whether they were able to adjust their business model quickly to the changing environment. This will also indicate how nimble the business is, and how resilient they are in difficult conditions.
7: What have you done to reduce risk and reposition you’re offering to customers?
This will show how the business is setting itself up to future-proof against future downturns and how forward-thinking and agile the business is. Have they learnt new and better ways to operate to protect themselves?
8: What is your medium-term strategy?
This will indicate whether the business is evolving and adapting to the new environment, or are they simply operating in the same way as before the pandemic and hoping for the best or not learning from the experience?
9: What headcount changes have you made in the last two years?
This will show how they have prioritised their staff and if they supported their key employees. Did they do what they could to retain people, or did they simply let them go as soon as the market was challenging, only to rehire again once the worst of the pandemic passed?
10: How have you adapted to flexible and remote working, including adopting new technologies?
This will help you understand if the organisation is looking to the future and learning how to evolve in the new world. Asking about technology will also reveal the options you have to continue working from flexible locations. If the business isn’t evolving, then its stagnating and in time could fail. Asking this question also provides you an opportunity to assess whether the organisation’s offering meets your expectations in terms of flexibility.
11: How do you feel you have performed compared to your competitors over the last two years?
Is the company taking market share or delivering on its objectives, creating opportunities for their employees? Or is it struggling to deliver and going backwards? This will give an indication of the future stability of the business.
It’s important to listen to responses to questions like these in the context of the past couple of years of the pandemic. Many businesses have struggled but kept their heads above water by being adaptable, innovative, and supporting their staff. Job security matters, of course, but it is important to note that being overly cautious can mean that a great opportunity might pass you by.
These key questions will reveal information about the business or organisation and potential level of job security. But asking them will also show that you have done your research and have put thought into the new role.