Honestly, what are my chances of getting this job?

He'd hear the comma in my cadence.

 

One problem is that asking the questions puts the candidate in a bad light.

If you asked me that, I would probably assume:

1. That you know you don't have a shot in hell of getting the job but are hoping for a miracle.
2. That you think you are hot stuff and I am somehow going to hire you off the bat.
3. That you are overanxious.
4. That you have other irons in the fire and might be a short-timer if I did hire you.
5. That you are about to get caught diddling your boss's wife and are looking for a quick escape.

I can't really see how asking that question that way is going to help you or get you an answer you want.


Now, alternate forms such as, "What is your timetable for his hire?" might give you a glimpse of where you are in the proccess and leave a better impression.

 

There's so much different information about how to respond to questions, what to ask (I've heard you should always ask one or two well-thought researched questions about the company from one person, and heard someone else say you should ask to describe a typical day). Even this thread has sparked a few, I have no problems with those questions to the above post, that does have problems.

I think the bottom line is everyone is different. No matter how well-trained the hiring managers are, how experienced the interviewer is, they all end up forming their own opinions. There isn't a magical formula.
I've been lucky that I have a good job so the few jobs I apply for (like the one mentioned above) are ones I was interested in, not ones just to go for a change of scenery or get out of the biz. If I go after a job, it's a cool job. And I go in knowing that I'm happy where I am.
That's relaxing.

But I will say one question you should always ask up front is "What is your position on sex with the cleaning lady?"

 

If I was the hirer I would respond with "doggy."

 

Reverse Cowboy shows that you're a creative and enlightened manager.

 

One move that I used a couple times and it worked both times was telling them, "If I'm fortunate enough to be offered this job, at the salary we've discussed, I will accept it on the spot."

I got the offer both times. The first time, the SE told me about a year later that my saying that was what clinched it, because they were unsure if I would leave my current gig.

I've been told more than a few times that was a stupid thing to say because it takes away my ability to negotiate. That never deterred me. I did pretty well during my brief career, but I was certainly never in a position to make a ton of demands.

 

Interesting question: I recently was contacted by a headhunter concerning a very cool job with nothing to do with sports, asking if I had any suggestions, based on my connections, about people they might look at. I contacted a top digital industry veteran I have worked with and he said, "Well, they probably are trying to gauge your interest, too."

This would have actually been a position to ask that question -- although I really have no interest in going anywhere else -- but I answered it myself: I think I have the brain, but not the experience, to do the job required, so I gave them a couple of suggestions of other names and let it drop.

But asking this question crossed my mind.

There's a corollary that I don't think is asked nearly enough, or nearly early enough, in this process: "How much are you making, and how much would you need to leave?" People kind of dance around that a bit too much, and a lot of time is wasted before it finally comes up -- and the answer is often that the job and the person aren't close on that number.

 

That may be true, but doggy says I will stand behind my employees to get the job done.

 

I was told by an employment dude to shake the interviewer's hand and ask "What's the next step in the hiring process?" before walking out the door. Open-ended enough that it sounds like "their" hiring process rather than yours, but you might at least get some idea of when you'll hear from them. And you sound eager about the job. I start New Job in two weeks, so that at least didn't piss the interviewer off and make him decide not to hire me!

 

In one of the many post-Peace Corps job tips I've received, one was to ask a version of this question in the interview (as a wrapup, after all other questions).

Between the research I've done, what you've told me in the interview and the job ad, I feel confident of the duties of this position. My question is, based on what we've talked about, do you feel any hesitation about me being the right candidate for this job?

(Or something to that effect.)

Her reasoning is that this gives you one last shot at correcting any shortcoming they might have about you.

Only use it, though, if you actually fit the employer and the position.

 

Well, if I win the lottery I'm leaving, too. Do you refuse to consider people who play the lottery?

(And really, aren't the odds about the same these days?)