TALENT PICTURES: “Lost In Translation”? Ask Ontranslation!

22 Sunday Apr 2012

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Today, in our Talent Picture Section, Oscar Nogueres CEO of Ontranslation, will explain us his vision about Translation and Interpretation Project Management.

Ontranslation is a hub of multilingual and multidisciplinary professionals that network to respond quickly and effectively to communication needs. They manage and execute multilingual translation and interpretation projects, to facilitate communication among people, with special attention to both linguistic and cultural aspects.

Barnatalent: What is your background?

I would use just two words: teaching and translation. Both almost happened at the same time. Teaching took me to talent and people management plus translation to translation management. However, if there is something that links both worlds together, is my passion for communication and team-building.

I studied English philology, because I was rejected from Translation and Interpretation due to my unacademic English, then a postgraduate in Translation and IT – I reckon that my English sounded more university-like type of English, then e-learning, human resources management and nowadays I’m trying to finish my psychology degree from the Open University in my “free” time.

Careerwise, I first started working as a teacher in academies and businesses, then I was offered collaboration with a museum to translate art catalogues which I obviously accepted and have been doing for more than 8 years, then I turned into teacher coordination, kept on translating as a second job, director of studies, more translation job in my free time, general manager of a training and language centre… Nowadays I combine my training and development consultant job with managing Ontranslation, a multilingual communication agency.

Barnatalent: What are you passionate about?

I love communication between different cultures, people coordination, training, translation… I also like literature and cinema, and really enjoy contemporary art. (I would tell you a secret: I sometimes spend my Saturday afternoons doing collage that I give to my friends for Xmas or for their bdays).

Barnatalent: What is Ontranslation?

Ontranslation or Ontrans, as we sometimes call it in the office, is a multilingual communication agency that facilitates communication among people. We manage and execute translation and interpretation projects with special attention to both linguistic and cultural differences. We specialize in marketing and communication, urbanism, innovation and biomedicine. We offer help with internationalization processes of companies that try to make business worldwide.

To illustrate what we do, we have a video mkt campaign called “No es lo Mismo” (It’s not the same) that tries to explain our services in a funny peculiar way. They triggered different reactions, especially one… It’s four 22-second videos about our most relevant services. The campaign ends with a fifth one-minute video entitled “No somos lo mismo” (We are not the same) that talks about us. Have a look and tell me what you think!

Barnatalent:How did you start your business up?

Ontranslation is a spin-off. It comes from a department of translation and interpretation of a training company I was managing a couple of years ago. We had quite an important portfolio of clients that had been trusting our team for four years. When I decided to leave the company, the owners didn’t want to keep on with the translation business so I decided to set it up independently… New brand, new ideas, and make it grow. However, most of the translators and collaborators that were working then, are still working with us nowadays.

Barnatalent: What is the profile of your customers?

We have a variety of clients. Most of them are marketing and communication agencies, web design studios, some big governmental institutions, but also small and medium companies and also individuals who look for sworn translations.

Barnatalent: What is your favourite motivation motto?

It’s quite difficult to choose one… I think it depends on the day… Maybe one of them could be Jeffrey Gitomer’s “Create a story of WOW that will be retold.” 

Barnatalent: What are the opportunities for start-ups n Barcelona?

To tell you the truth, I have not yet gone to any of the governmental or state programmes for start-ups. I’m planning to, though. I have to find the time to sit down, study the possibilities and go for it. I think your blog is a good starting point to see what Barcelona has to offer in this sense. Lately, there are lots of networking events that we try not to miss, and many other free socializing venues that can make it easier for entrepreneurs and start-up companies to meet and exchange ideas on their businesses.

Barnatalent: How do you see the development of your business?

We are growing slowly but steady. Rapid and uncontrolled growing can be fatal. I don’t like doing things in a rush. We are now planning to expand to UK markets. Let’s see how it goes!

Ontranslation

Balmes 167, 3-2

08008 Barcelona – Spain

http://www.ontranslation.es 

http://www.linkedin.com/company/ontranslation

http://vimeo.com/ontranslation

http://www.youtube.com/user/MrOntranslation  

https://twitter.com/#!/on_translation

https://www.facebook.com/ontranslation  

Save The Date: “Fund-raising Workshop with Mujeres In! “, April 26th 2012

20 Friday Apr 2012

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Mujeres IN! is a training, entertainment and networking initiative, which aims to boost the potential of women both at a personal and professional level. It is a participating platform for women who consider themselves or would like to become: Interesting, Intelligent, Intuitive, International, Innovative, and Independent. It is a meeting point for women who would like to improve as persons, businesswomen and entrepreneurs, who want to promote the qualities of leadership, make life balance, overcome obstacles, create networks and synergies, interact, help, learn and improve.

They host a FREE workshop in Spanish about Fund-raising ”“Conferencia taller Fund –raising. Los programas europeos pueden ayudar a las empresarias” on Thursday, April 26th at 07:30 p.m. at Esei International Business School, Barcelona to connect businesswomen related to start-up world, and help them with the fund-raising for their business and the presentation of their business plan.

For registration and location details, please check this link:

http://mujeresin.es/260412-conferencia-taller-fund-raising-los-programas-europeos-pueden-ayudar-a-las-empresarias/

 

The Importance of Evaluating a Training: Kirckpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation

19 Thursday Apr 2012

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Evaluation of training means measuring the effectiveness of a training program. Evaluation helps in defining the learning outcomes more sharply, remove unnecessary training content, and ensure that the training method meets the training needs of the learners and consequently of the business.  This effectiveness is as much about short-term retention as about the long-term retention and application by learners.

 Today most organizations talk about measuring the effectiveness of the training programs. While most traditional institutions have mechanisms in place where they measure the effectiveness of the classroom training programs, most modern day training programs are still not evaluated objectively or accurately.

Kirckpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation

There are several approaches used to measure the effectiveness of training in an objective way. One popular approach is Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation, created by Dr. Donald Kirkpatrick in 1959. In this model, each successive evaluation level is built on information provided by the earlier lower level.  The Four-Levels are as follows:

  • Level 1 – Reaction. To what extent did the participants find the training useful, challenging, well-structured, organized, and so on?
  • Level 2 – Learning. To what extent did participants improve knowledge and skills and change attitudes as a result of the training?
  • Level 3 – Behaviour. To what extent did participants change their behaviour back in the workplace as a result of the training?
  • Level 4 – Results. What measurable organizational benefits resulted from the training in terms such as productivity, efficiency and sales revenue?

By going through and analyzing each of these four levels, you can gain a thorough understanding of how effective your training was, and how you can improve in the future.  It’s not that conducting an evaluation at one level is more important that another. All levels of evaluation are important. In fact, the Kirkpatrick model explains the usefulness of performing training evaluations at each level. Each level provides a diagnostic checkpoint for problems at the succeeding level.

Should I evaluate all levels in all training programs?

Bear in mind that the model isn’t practical in all situations, and that measuring the effectiveness of training with the model can be time-consuming and use a lot of resources. The difficulty and cost of conducting an evaluation increases as you move up the levels. So, you will need to consider carefully what levels of evaluation you will conduct for which programs. You may decide to conduct Level 1 evaluations (Reaction) for all programs, Level 2 evaluations (Learning) for “hard-skills” programs only, Level 3 evaluations (Behavior) for strategic programs only and Level 4 evaluations (Results) for programs costing over 50.000€.  

When considering what sources of data you will use for your evaluation, think about the cost and time involved in collecting the data. Balance this against the accuracy of the source and the accuracy you actually need. Will existing sources suffice or will you need to collect new information?

Think broadly about where you can get information. Sources include:

  • hardcopy and online quantitative reports
  • production and job records
  • interviews with participants, managers, peers, customers, suppliers and regulators
  • checklists and tests
  • direct observation
  • questionnaires, self-rating and multi-rating
  • focus group sessions

Above all else, before starting an evaluation, be crystal clear about your purpose in conducting the evaluation. Once you have completed your evaluation, distribute it to the people who need to read it. In deciding on your distribution list, refer to your previously stated reasons for conducting the evaluation. And of course, if there were lessons learned from the evaluation on how to make your training more effective, act on them (process improvement).

Networking: a Key Part in Professional Development Processes

12 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by in Business, Careers, Networking, Personal Branding

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Networking means “working over a network”. The concept comes from IT, where a network consists of a set of computers and management programs that are connected together for the purpose of sharing resources and exchanging information. Similarly, among humans networking is the exchange of knowledge between two or more people, to facilitate the processes of work.

Imagine everybody on earth could share human knowledge with the maximum possible freedom and accessibility” Jimmy Wales (Wikipedia founder)

In the world of business, contacts have always been used as a means of communication and obtaining details. Through this, recruitment managers saw the potential for hiring new candidates. Similarly, jobs are frequently advertised by word-of-mouth and contacts are therefore considered to be a valid job hunting channel.

Networking though is not simply knowing people and getting what you can out of them; it is also helping them to be successful too. It means being generous with the time that you give to other people and establishing relationships on the basis of “give and take”. Thus, more than a way of working, some people consider it to be a general philosophy and extrapolate it to all aspects of their life.

In short, networking is a work-related tool that can be used as part of the process of professional improvement, as a way of learning about the job market and even as a direct channel for finding work.

 Having good relationships with the people you work with is essential for the process of professional improvement – whether this relates to doing things better or changing job or industry. Furthermore, knowing people outside your immediate work environment helps expand your perspective of what you do, and what you could do, professionally, learning and staying up-to-date with new subjects, technologies and ways of working as well as locating resources and people that may be of help in your career development.

The best professionals, beyond using their technical or personal competencies according to each situation, know how to apply these effectively, and mix and match them to achieve their objectives. In other words, they make the most of their competencies because they are able to balance the specific knowledge they have of their working area with the relationship that they have with their environment.

There are basically two different types of methods for establishing and maintaining contact: 

  • Physical networking: This is the most common type of networking given that it occurs naturally. We all interact face-to-face with people that we meet in our daily lives.
  • Virtual networking: This form of networking has developed as a result of new technologies being incorporated into our daily lives. This can be done by telephone, by sending e-mails to contacts, or by taking part in web 2.0 applications, such as wikis, forums, virtual communities and so on.

In developing relationships with other people, most of us combine the two methods. The factors that determine which channel of communication is selected for each situation is dictated more by physical (time and distance) and social (level of relationship and trust) factors rather than psychological matters (the person’s communication style).

Advantages Drawbacks

Physical networking:

-       Enables the message being communicated to be backed up by non-verbal communication

-       Closer and more natural

-       The other person’s reactions are seen immediately

-       Requires finding the right time and place

-       Requires a proactive attitude and social skills

 Virtual networking:

-       The ability to communicate anywhere and at any time

-       Focus on the message to be communicated

-       Enables contact with people that we would not otherwise know

-       Lack of non-verbal communication to back up the message (can lead to misunderstandings)

-       Requires technological devices (telephone, computer, etc.)

-       Communication may be slow and may not even go in both directions

Webography

Digital identity and social wealth. Digital article that discusses the loss of digital identity with a change in professional career; how we can adequately manage contacts with our surroundings; and the importance of our digital identity within our self-concept.

Design your “Twitter Pitch” and get ready to find work . Digital article. Post about how to put together a summary of your profile and what you are looking for when using on Twitter. Although these tips are applicable to any other networking activity.

Google yourself before you are Googled. Digital article about the importance of online reputation for recruiters.

The eight habits of highly effective bloggers. Digital article about the habits that a blogger needs to be highly effective and even turn their blogs into a source of income.

Web 2.0 and networking, essential for finding work. Digital article that brings together the main contributions made by different experts during the session”Improve your career through networking” organised by Porta22 in collaboration with XING and AERC.

Key things you need to do to avoid losing control of your social network .Useful tips to bear to use Internet-based social networks.

Plaxo.com.Online application that synchronises social networks with e-mail and automatically updates details’contacts and what they have published on the internet.

Networking Activo Magazine. Digital magazine.Complimentary to the social network and blog Networking Activo; this is a publication that covers all types of news, events and articles about networking.

TwitterJobSearch.com. Search engine for job adverts using Twitter. Search for potential work based on keywords and filter results by date, salary and required skills.

Jobsket.es. Website that combines employment portals and social networks. Its main appeal is that when candidates publish their CV, the value of their profile can be calculated, based on parameters such as the companies that they have worked at, their experience, and their professional skills competencies. 

 

Save The Date: “Barcelona Guiri Business Drink” Barcelona, April 11th 2012

07 Saturday Apr 2012

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April will see  Barcelona Guiri Business Drink back. This business networking event had over 75+ members last month in Barcelona.

- Where? 7 Sins Lounge, Calle de Muntaner, 7 08011 Barcelona
- When? April 11th 19:00- 21:00
- How much? Entrance to the business drinks is 10€ but FREE for LinkedIn Guiri Business group members. First drink is on sponsor Barcelona Metropolitan Magazine and 7 Sins provides mingle food (“pica pica”) for free.
- IS RVSP required? Yes it is.

For more information: http://ow.ly/a8jcj

Guiri Business Group is primarily on LinkedIn, where they host discussions and post most of our information and tips. It mainly consists of English-speaking, Spanish-based, foreign professionals – many of them self-employed – that become member for business networking purposes.

The group eases professional networking through the exchange of information, knowledge, jobs and business opportunities. Guiri Business Group offers useful resources, Business drinks & Business community contacts in  Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao, San Sebastián, La Coruña, Seville and Granada.

 

5 Tips to Choose Your Business School In Barcelona

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

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Recently, Barcelona became a magnet for international students and the number of them has more than doubled in the last three years. It is not surprising because Barcelona is known for its beauty, multicultural friendly atmosphere and its long sandy beaches.  To start with the location of Barcelona – between the bulk of Spain and the northern heart of Europe, and also facing the Mediterranean sea and the emerging markets of north Africa remains a strategic advantage for the economic success of Barcelona and for the international companies located in the city. Barcelona is home to more than 60% of all foreign companies located in Spain. Because of its excellent location, it is not surprising, that Barcelona attracts highly qualified international professionals, embraces mobility, and serves as a development point for new ideas, products and services.

The authorities of Barcelona offer different instruments to help foster innovation and access to knowledge and technology in companies with the aim of generating new business opportunities and opening new markets. Thus, a special district called 22@ has been created in Barcelona which enlists innovative companies to work with their network of associations, which included members like: the Network of Science and Technology Parks of Catalonia, the Association of Science and Technology Parks of Spain, and the International Association of Science Parks.

Apart from this, according to European Cities Monitor, Barcelona is recognized as one of the best cities in Europe and in the world for doing business, and the city best promoted as a business center after London. Mild climate, nice sandy beaches and low level of criminality, as well as good transportation and the existence of a big international airport, also make Barcelona as the top European city for the quality of life for workers. European Cities Monitor is not the only report that gives Barcelona a high world ranking. While Ernst & Young’s European Attractiveness Survey for 2011 ranks it as the 6th most attractive city in Europe to be based in, their “Citizens for Citizens” report presents the city as the most admired for its urban development model.

Considering the good climate for doing business, Barcelona is a particularly entrepreneurial city. Its multicultural environment and stable economy attract ambitious entrepreneurs not only from Spain but from many European and non-European countries. The capacity for entrepreneurial initiatives, talent and creativity of entrepreneurs in Barcelona are constantly rewarded by local governmental organizations, such as Barcelona Activa, which promote entrepreneurship as means for developing local economy and attracting foreign investment into the region. The economic indicators show how the city has been opening up to the outside world: exports that have grown by nearly 15% with respect to 2010 and the year-on-year increases in the tourist industry are over 15%.

For students studying business in an international business school in Barcelona, being based in this city, gives a great opportunity for developing a network of like-minded people and business professionals who live and work in Barcelona. Barcelona also opens doors for the future business graduates to many of the foreign companies located in the city, thus providing them with better internships and employment opportunities. Choosing an international business management in Spain is also not difficult – different business schools in Barcelona offer management specializations of all kind; so each student can study whatever is more interesting for them.

Spain is also famous for its high-quality business education with several business schools in Spain featured every year at the top of the most prestigious MBA rankings. 

With so many business schools in Barcelona, how do you choose the one that is right for you? Here are several pieces of advice which will help you find a business school in Barcelona that suits your professional and personal interests.

1. First and foremost, be clear about what you are looking for. If you think that you will benefit more from a specialized Master’s degree, such as Master in Finance, then you should only look for business schools offering this degree. If you want to study business because you aspire to become an entrepreneur and start your own business, than Master in Entrepreneurship will offer everything you need.

2. Don’t forget to check the list of electives or specializations that a business school offers within their MBA degree. You might be surprised to find out, after checking the list of elective subjects, that the business school you like doesn’t have anything interesting personally for you that will enrich you as an individual and as a professional. On the contrary, if you chose a program with many interesting electives, you will be able to tailor your business education according to your needs and aspirations.

3. Check if the school offers any scholarship programs for international students or attractive terms of financing your business education. You may discover that a business school that mostly suits your interests has high tuition fees that you cannot afford paying. It is not time to discard this business schools yet. Some business schools in Spain offer scholarships for students from developing countries and for women in business. However, even if the business school does not have any scholarships, you may still try your luck out and apply for a scholarship for international students offered by some financial Spanish organizations, such as La Caixa.

4. When choosing a business school in Spain, consider the schedule of the studies. If you are planning to work or doing an internship while studying abroad in Spain, then evening programs may be more appropriate for you. Check how often you are required to come to the school per week: there are some business schools where you have to be present just for a few hours three times per week. If you are looking for team working, interaction with professors and students and solid education, this type of business schools may not be good for you. Even if the program is full-time and requires dedication to studies, you can still do an internship during the summer term. Many business schools also require an internship as part of their academic programs.

5. Finally, check what extra-curricular activities the business school offers. This may be University sport clubs, industrial visits to different local companies with the purpose of getting to know how to do business in Spain and in Europe, organized educational and leisure trips, different societies within the business school, volunteering initiatives, etc. The more things the business school has to offer according to your interests, the more enriching and benefiting your educational experience in Spain will be.

Here  is a list of the most known Business School in Barcelona:

Save The Date: “Ellas 2.0 Founder Friday” Barcelona, May 4th 2012

25 Sunday Mar 2012

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Come join Women 2.0 and ELLAS 2.0 on May for Barcelona Founder Friday and you will not regret it !

This event takes place on Friday, May 4th from 6:00-9:00 pm at La Fàbrica Moritz, Ronda Sant Antoni 39 in Barcelona. Host introductions begin at 7pm. Come hear them speak, share, and support the burgeoning female tech community!

Founder Friday is a Women 2.0 monthly networking event organized in partnership with like-minded organizations and people. Founder Friday  is open to aspiring and current entrepreneurs, technologists and investors and is free to those who attend (this is an open event for women and men) to network and connect. Which industries are represented? You can have a look at attendees list here.

About Women 2.0: Women 2.0 is an emerging global media company for aspiring and current female entrepreneurs to launch successful scalable, innovative ventures. Women 2.0 distributes its intellectual capital across multi-platforms online (mobile, social, web) and offline (events, workshops, conferences).

Women 2.0 is a global network and social platform for influencers that drive trends and decisions — as startup founders and as consumers.

The Women 2.0 mission is to increase the number of female founders of tech startups, tell, inspire and educate a new generation of women that are entrepreneurial and successful.

About Ellas 2.0 ( in Spanish) Ellas 2.0  is a Spanish community powered by Women 2.0, founded to help female entrepreneurs to run or to start a tech business up . For more information, have a look at Ellas 2.0 Web page (in Spanish) and to the video of First Founder Friday in Spain.

Just a small tip : don’t wait too long to register to Barcelona Founder Friday of May 4th 2012 (in English) as attendance limitations are set due to the success of this networking event.

Save The Date :” The Future of Entrepreneurship. Hungry Start-Upper vs. Spiritual Entrepreneur”, March 21st 2012

19 Monday Mar 2012

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On the occasion of the International Weeks, the EADA Entrepreneurship Center is pleased to invite you to:

The Future of Entrepreneurship

Hungry start-upper <> Spiritual Entrepreneur

An interesting session to review the entrepreneurial activity from two points of view – maybe controversial but not necessarily conflicting- in which we will try to synthesize the future of the activity.

Speakers:

Dr Sharda S. Nandram. Professor in Entrepreneurship at the University of Applied Sciences HAN, Associate Professor Entrepreneurship at Nyenrode Business University, founder of Praan Solutions.

Peter Cohan teaches strategy to MBA and undergraduate students at Babson College, advising MBA teams in their consulting work with companies through the Babson Consulting Alliance Program (BCAP) and Management Consulting Field Experience (MCFE) programs.

Date: Wednesday 21 of March

Time: 19:00

Place: Schneider Auditorium, Room 43. EADA (Barcelona)

Link:http://www.eada.edu/es/comunidad/alumni/agenda/2012/03/round-table-on-entrepreneurship

Language of the conference: English

Save The Date: “Meet the American Business Society at March Happy Hour ” March, 21st 2012

18 Sunday Mar 2012

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Are you interested in networking in the English language community? Would you like to meet the American Society  Board, find out what’s going on in the English speaking community or get the latest information on all the new events the ASB is planning? Then come to their monthly Happy Hour. No registration required, just show up, all are welcome!

When: Mar 21, 2012, 20:00

Where: Pomarada, Passeig de Gracia, 78, Principal Barcelona

Registration: not required

Price: FREE

More information: http://www.amersoc.com/index.php/events/upcoming

The American Society of Barcelona (ASB) functions as a non-political and non-profit organization and strives to be the focal point for people who are interested in developing and maintaining business and social relationships in an international environment.

Founded in 1974 by a group of American businessmen, the Society was originally established for the purpose of enhancing social contacts among themselves in the Barcelona area.

Since then the American Society has grown, thrived and evolved due to the diversity of its members, who come from many countries and are engaged in a wide variety of professions. This diversity has become one of the most exciting elements of the organization as it continues to grow.

The American Society of Barcelona (ASB) strives:

- to promote goodwill, understanding, mutual respect and cooperation between the people of the United States and the people of Catalonia
- to promote a community spirit among American residents in Catalonia
- to assist new US residents and visitors in joining the community
- to share the cultural richness and heritage of both nationalities
- to give back to the community by donating to a special cause, group or interest

Whether for business or social occasions the Society provides an excellent opportunity to be involved in the English speaking community of Barcelona; it’s a great meeting point and resource for all people.

Job Interview: Any Question?

18 Sunday Mar 2012

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One of the last questions the interviewer will ask you is “Do you have any questions?”  If you reply with a simple “No” you are telling the interviewer that you aren’t really interested in the job or the company. 

When you ask questions, no matter how thorough the conversation has been, it shows you’re genuinely interested in that particular company and position, not just desperate to get any job.

Plus, by asking smart questions, you can get some crucial intelligence into how the company works and what you can expect if you work there.

 

 

DO NOT

  • Avoid asking about salary, vacation time, employee benefits, etc. until those subjects are raised by the employer.
  • Avoid asking questions that are clearly answered on the employer’s web site and/or in any literature provided by the employer to you in advance. This would simply reveal that you did not prepare for the interview, and you are wasting the employer’s time by asking these questions.

DO

  • Formulate your questions based on information you hear during the interview. Paying attention to clues and listening are the keys to asking intelligent questions. Listen carefully to the answer given as this may be your chance to inform the interviewer of our past experience with the same type of problem.
  • Pay attention to the interviewer’s body language to determine how many questions to ask – relaxed and willing to talk, or in a hurry and running late?
  • You will impress the interviewer if you ask questions that indicate you’ve done some research beforehand, such as “I read in the ………last week that your company is planning to expand its retail operations in Mexico.  Could you give me more details about the company’s plans for expansion?
  • You should always prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewer before going to the interview, at least four or five, as a back up. 

Below are some possible questions you might want to ask during a job interview. 

  • What will my responsibilities be?  How does the role fit into the structure of the department?It is essential that you clearly understand your role and the tasks that you would be expected to undertake. 
  • Why is this position vacant? You want to know why the position is vacant because it can give you insight into the nature of the job and the culture. Maybe it’s newly created because the company is growing. Maybe someone was promoted from within. Both potentially positive signs. But maybe it’s vacant because of high turnover. You don’t want to discover on Day One that you’re the eighth person in six months to occupy that desk.
  • What is the biggest challenge facing the organization today? This sort of question takes the interview away from the detail and towards strategic issues.  It allows to you see and discuss the bigger picture.  It proves that you are interested in more than just the 9 to 5 aspects of the job.  It can lead to interesting discussions that can show you in a good light – especially if you have done some intelligent preparation.
  • What are the opportunities for training and career advancement? This question serves two purposes.  It helps you to understand where the job might lead and what skills you might acquire.  It also signals that you are ambitious and thinking ahead.
  • There are a lot of companies laying off right now. How has this company been able to maintain the workforce and continue to hire new employees? You’ve done your research and know some of the reasons, but are interested in the insider point of view.
  • How would you describe the culture or spirit in this company? One of the interviewer’s concerns is whether you will fit into the company culture.  Success isn’t only about performing your particular position; it’s also about how you fit into that environment.You need more information to see if this would be a good environment and fit for you.
  • What is the next step in the hiring process? When can I  expect to be informed about the recruitment process? By whom? It is best to find out what the hiring plan is so that you will know the sense of urgency and how to follow up.

Lastly, make sure your questions are succinct and to the point, demonstrating your knowledge and interest and do not forget to send a thank you note after the job interview.

Good Luck!