Today I received a call from a former client and current friend, Barry Farbstein of Premier Office Supply. He asked "What questions would you ask if you were applying for a position in a company?" As I thought about the question I came up with a number of questions, I as an employer would want a candidate to ask.

Let me first say good employers are looking for employees to help the company be successful. Strong employers are also interested in rewarding Top Performers.

I am not interested in the candidate that wants to know how much vacation time they get, days off, etc. I am not discounting these items because they are important. The questions I am looking for are the ones that will indicate that I am having a conversation with a serious candidate. Here is a list of some of the questions I feel are important.

1. What is the vision the President has for the company?
2. Has the company grown over the past 3 to 5 years?
3. What has been the percentage of growth?
4. How does the company stand up against the competition?
5. Who are the company's top three competitors?
6. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the competition?
7. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the employing company?
8. What percentage of the market does the company have?
9. What geography does the company sell into?
10. What is the profile of the ideal prospect?
11. What is the profile of the ideal customer?
12. What are the growth plans for the company for the next 3 to 5 years?
13. Is the position to be filled a new position or a vacant position?
14. How long has the position been open?
15. How long was the former employee in the position?
16. Why did the employee leave?
17. What are the responsibilities of the position?
18. Who does the candidate report to?
19. How long has the person they would be reporting to been in their position?
20. What is that person's management philosophy?
21. Who else will the successful candidate interact with?
22. Can I meet with those people?
23. Do you hold staff meetings?
24. May I attend one?
25. How do you measure success in the position?
26. What are the behaviors, personal attributes and motivators necessary to be successful in the position?
27. Do you have a training program?
28. Do you have a mentoring program?
29. What is your on board process?
30. What is the length of the learning curve for the position?
31. What are the milestone steps for the position?
32. How often do you do reviews?
33. What is the growth path for the position?
34. How do you reward Top Performers?

To visit Barry's web site, go to http://www.premieroffice.com/