Questions To Ask A Prospective Employer

 

Questions a new sales rep should ask a prospective employer

Selecting a new job is one of the most important decisions a young person will make. A job can turn into a lifelong career that is fulfilling and rewarding, or it can be a complete waste of time for months/years until you decide to make a move. Below you will find a few questions to help someone entering the job market to evaluate a potential employer. Don’t be shy about asking these questions. You are preparing to spend a large percentage of your life working for an employer. You have every right to ask questions to make sure it is a good fit. Being well informed helps you make a good decision, and it is in the best interests of the employer as well. A failed hire is very expensive in many ways, and unfortunately most employers don’t do a great job of making sure the position is well suited to the person. Be sure and ask questions in a respectful and sincere manner. Take notes, be interested. There are many more questions that will come up, but these should get the conversation flowing.

Good luck!

  

Duties/expectations

Can you provide me with a list of the specific duties of the position?

How will my performance be evaluated?

Who will I report to?

How long has that person been in the job/industry?

Will I have an opportunity to meet my supervisor before moving forward?

 

Who does my supervisor report to?

How long has that person been in the job/industry?

Will I have an opportunity to meet this person before moving forward?

Is there a scheduled team meeting on a regular basis?

Will I have a one-on-one meeting with my supervisor on a regular basis?

 

What are the typical work hours?

How much weekend work is involved?

How much travel is involved?

Will I have an office or work from home?

Will I be given an allowance or reimbursement for cell phone/Internet service?

Will I be provided with a computer?

Is there a defined geographical territory that I will be assigned?

Is there a specific industry vertical (medical, biotech, manufacturing, etc) or market segment I will be assigned?

Will I sell a specific product or service, or will I sell all the company’s offerings?

What training will be provided?

What are the specific products or services I will be selling?

Who is the manufacturer?

Who do you buy from?

Am I replacing another rep, or is this a new position?

What happened to the last rep?

Tell me about reps that have been successful.

Tell me about reps that have not worked out?

Tell me about your marketing department/efforts.

Tell me how the marketing department supports the sales team.

Can I see some of your promotional material?

What do you attribute the company’s success to?

How is the company’s market changing?

How is the company evolving?

Who are the company’s main competitors?

Who are the company’s main clients?

 

Company

Can you share the company’s formal mission/vision/values statement?

Who owns the company?

Describe the company organizational structure for me.

Are there formal job descriptions for each position?

Does your company have an annual business plan? If so, can I review?

How is the company funded?

How long has the company been around?

Is the company profitable?

Has the company ever had any tax issues?

Has the company ever been party to a lawsuit?

Is there any pending litigation against the company?

Are there any changes in ownership being planned or contemplated?

Can you share some financial metrics from the past couple of years?

Is the owner involved in the day-to-day operation of the company?

Are any of the owner’s family involved in the day-to-day operations of the company?

Will I be required to sign a non-compete or any other type of employment agreement?

Can I review it before moving forward?

Does the company have a policy handbook that I can review prior to moving forward?

Do you conduct a background check on your employees for criminal history?

Do you conduct drug screenings?

How does the employee gather/report/take action on employee feedback?

Can you give me an example?

Can you tell me about turnover? What percentage of the company’s employees left in the previous year?

 

Pay/Benefits

Will I be on commission or salary?

If commission, please explain the compensation plan in detail, including all sources of income.

Is commission based on volume of sales or gross profit?

Are there “accelerators” for exceeding targets?

How often is commission calculated?

Will I have access to the commission calculations?

Will I have access to metrics showing my performance during the reporting period?

How much of a lag is there between the reporting period and the payment of commissions?

Is there any type of situation that would trigger a “claw back” of commission?

When was the last time the commission plan changed?

How did it change?

Are there any plans to make additional changes to the plan?

If so, is there a “ramp up” period while I learn the business?

If so, what is that salary?

Is it a “draw” on future earnings, or is it a true salary?

Is there a 401K plan?

When would I be eligible?

Is there a profit-sharing plan?

If so, when would I be eligible?

Does the company contribute a matching amount?

If so, how much?

What is the health insurance plan? Who is the carrier and what is the specific plan?

How much of the premium will I have to pay?

What are the co-pays on typical medical issues and medications?

What is the vacation/sick leave plan?

How are holidays treated (do I have to use vacation?)

Any other benefits?