These days you will probably speak to a recruiter at some point when you’re looking for a new job. This could be an Internal recruiter, who works for the company you’re applying to, or it could be an agency recruiter working on a consulting basis to support the company with hiring needs. Either way, the benefit of working with a recruiter is that you can find out as much information as possible before you ever meet the hiring manager. And the more knowledge you have, the easier it will be when you’re preparing for the interview. To make sure you get the most out of the conversations you have with recruiters, you need to ask the right questions. The best questions to ask recruiters are questions that will help you to dig deeper and understand more about the role and company beyond what’s on the job description. These questions will help you to understand if the company is a good fit, if the role is a good fit, and they’ll also help you to prepare for interview.With that in mind…

Here are the 35 most important questions to ask recruiters to increase your chances

Questions to ask about the company Culture

Why did you join the company (if they are an internal recruiter working for the hiring company) and what do you enjoy about working there?

What types of people thrive or get on very well in the company?

What’s the company culture like?

What’s the company policy on flexible/ remote working?

Questions to ask recruiters about the role

Why has the position become available?

Why did the last person leave?

How long have you been searching for someone?

How long was the last person in this role for?

What’s the biggest challenge in this role?

What are the long-term prospects for this role?

What opportunities are available as a next step after this role?

What’s the biggest priority for this role?

What is the salary range for the position?

How quickly do you need someone to start/ How Quickly are you looking to fill the position?

Questions to ask about the hiring manager and team

What can you tell me about the hiring manager?

What’s the structure of the team?

How long have the rest of the team been with the company?

What are the backgrounds of the other people in the team?

What type of person would fit well into the team?

Questions to ask recruiters about the ideal candidate

What is the hiring manager looking for in a candidate?

What’s the biggest priority for the hiring manager right now?

What are the most important skills required?

What are the most important experiences required?

Can you share with me why other candidates haven’t been selected/ suitable?

What qualities are you looking for in a candidate?

Questions to ask recruiters about the recruitment process

What are the next steps in the process?

Who will be involved in the interviews? / Who will be interviewing me?

What can you tell me about the interviewers?

How many stages will there be in the process in total?

Will there be any testing (Psychometric or otherwise)?

What type of interview questions can I expect? What type of interview questions should I prepare for?

How many people will be in the interview (s)? (Panel interviews or 1:1)

Is there anything I should focus on specifically during the interviews?

Is there anything I need to prepare in advance?

What is the appropriate dress code for the interview?  (If you’re in doubt)

Now you know the most valuable questions to ask recruiters in a job search, the next time you have a call with a recruiter, make sure you take the opportunity to find out everything  you need to know to increase your chances tenfold.