Conduct research on the organization you selected so you will be knowledgeable about it.
First ask the person you are meeting with to give you a general overview of the organization, then themselves.
Then ask your questions. Always ask the first six questions below, then you can select four other questions to go with it or you may search the Internet to come up with four other questions. You will need to ask the same questions of each person you interview.
Required Questions:
1. What are your mission, vision, and core values?
2. What is the culture of the organization?
3. What are the major goals or objectives of the organization?
4. How does the organization currently perform with respect to these goals/objectives?
5. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the organization?
6. What barriers do you believe stand in the way of good performance?
Optional Questions:
1. Do you have an organizational chart? Is it hierarchical (vertical) or flat?
2. What gets noticed and rewarded?
3. If you have had an audit or accreditation recently, what did you learn from it?
4. What areas do you need to redevelop or/and develop?
5. What is your employee retention rate? Why is it higher than you wish? (or, how do you keep it so low?)
6. Are relationships healthy throughout the organization? Why or why not?
7. Does feedback flow smoothly throughout the organization? Why or why not?
8. Is destructive behavior a problem in the organization? Why or why not? What are some examples?
9. Are trust levels high among members? Why or why not?
10. Do people have a sense of loyalty to the organization? Why or why not?
11. Do you involve your employees in the decision making process? Why or why not? Has this been successful? Why or why not?
12. In what ways does your organization ensure and maintain employee involvement in order to keep them focused on their job?
13. What qualities does this organization want your employees to possess?