Information is power. Having the right information is critical for the job applicant. It could potentially lead to a creative win-win solution, improve your bargaining power and will help you get the job.
- Gather information. The more information you can learn about the employer and their situation, the better insight you will have into their real motivation for hiring someone.
Some of the things that are helpful to learn:
- How long have they been looking at applicants?
- When do they need the position filled?
- What happened to the previous person doing this job? Were they promoted or fired?
- How many qualified people have applied for the job?
- What would disqualify an applicant?
- Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions. Ask tough questions directly but professionally. Even if the HR director refuses to answer the questions, you can learn a lot by judging their reaction to your questions. Don’t limit your information gathering by only asking questions that you know the employer will answer.
- Get information across peer group levels. Try to establish contact with someone within the company that is part of your peer group (i.e. an engineer like you, etc.) You’ll be able to get all kinds of information because he sees himself in the same peer group as you.
- Move conversation out of the work environment. Where you ask questions makes a difference.
- Information flows a lot more freely out of the workplace. In the workplace, invisible chains of protocol surround employers and employees. They are sensitive to what they feel they should talk about and what they feel they shouldn’t.
- Ask open-ended questions, questions phrased in such a way that their answers provide additional information. Open ended questions keep the employer talking and that relaxes them.