Questions to ask when tech recruiter calls

  1. How did you find me?
  2. Is this a retainer or contingency assignment?
  3. Are you dealing with the client’s HR people, or do you have direct contact with the hiring manager?
  4. How long has the client been with you?
  5. How many candidates have you placed with this client?
  6. When will I find out the name of the principal or client company?
  7. May I have a written job description?
  8. Where is the position located?
  9. Where is the company headquartered?
  10. To whom does the position report?
  11. Can you tell me about this executive’s management style?
  12. Why is the position open?
  13. What happened to the person who previously held this position?
  14. Is this a new position?
  15. How long has the position been open?
  16. How long have you been working on the assignment?
  17. What does the position pay?
  18. Are here any pay or compensation constraints that I should take into consideration?
  19. What can you tell me about the person who will be interviewing me?
  20. What is his or her position, title, management style?
  21. Who will make the final hiring decision?
  22. After you present my resume, when can I expect to hear from you regarding the status of this position?
  23. Can you describe, specifically, how the company navigates/balances work? and personal-life issues?
  24. What might I do that would violate the culture of the company during my interview?
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4 Comments on Questions to ask when tech recruiter calls

  1. Posted 5/22/2005 at 10:47 pm | Permalink

    Respected Sir,
    I found the Questions For the Interviewer really fantastic,since they leave a mark of confidence as they are asked. These questions do have a meaningful thought,especially for the freshers and make the interviw process,a unique one. They,most importantly describe the dynamicity of the person. More importantly they make the interviewer feel more secure.
    Your’s Truly,
    I remain,
    Pavan Metri.

  2. Posted 7/14/2005 at 5:37 pm | Permalink

    This is definitely a good list of questions. Some additional questions to ask may be,

    What is the work environment like, cubicles, offices, large open area, etc…?
    What is the proper dress code for the interview?
    How many people are there on this team/project/assignment that I will be closely working with?
    What is the normal/acceptable work schedule, 8/5, 10/4, etc…?

  3. Gary Perman
    Posted 1/12/2007 at 10:25 pm | Permalink

    Great Questions to ask a Tech. Recruiter.
    But without guidance to good answers, you can ask all the quesitons in the world and it won’t make a difference. As an example; Who cares how a recruiter finds you. If one digs enough, the internet can produce almost any contact name. Is it a retainer or contingecy search? who cares, in both circumstances the recruiter is paid some if not all of their fee based on the candidate accepting the job offer. What one needs to discover is the professionalism and professional ethics of the recruiter. How long have they been a recuiter. Do they have a successful track record of placing candidates who are happy whre they are. Are they certified by a professional recruiting organization, etc.

  4. Gerry Gadoury
    Posted 1/24/2008 at 1:28 pm | Permalink

    Great Questions!
    I am a tech recruiter and I would LIKE to get more questions from prospective candidates. The more involved they are in the process the more “real” they become. Also, it shows a level of critical thinking that is appreciated by professional recruiters (AND hiring managers!). I would strongly caution a candidate to think carefully about working with a recruiter who couldn’t answer most of the questions you’ve listed above (when applicable). Mr. Perlman brings up some very good points as well. Who the recruiter is and Where they are in there career are important, but I would caution people against allowing there questions to devolve into some kind of an adversarial tug of war over qualifications. I think an often over-looked criteria, after that recruiter has proven there competence by being able to answer your questions, is what your “gut” tells you. If the recruiter feels smarmy, or you get the feeling that they are disingenuous then walk away. No, scratch that, RUN away!
    –Gerry Gadoury
    http://www.linkedin.com/in/gerrygadoury

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