The document provides questions for pharmaceutical professionals to ask during job interviews. It suggests asking questions to demonstrate proactivity, preparation, and interest in the position. The questions focus on understanding the department and team culture, challenges and future competencies, leadership styles, opportunities for projects, decision-making, innovation, development support, and learning support. Failing to ask questions is a common mistake that interviewers expect candidates to avoid.

1. Interviewing:
Department-Related Questions
Top Pharma Pros Should Ask
By Dr. John Sullivan
brought to you by
Wiley Job Network

2. Interview Process for Pharma Pros…
cont’d
• A critical but common error made by many
Pharma applicants is failing to ask questions
during job interviews.
• This is a major mistake because most
managers in the pharmaceutical industry
have a scientific background and as a result,
they expect “questioning behavior”.

3. Interview Process for Pharma Pros…
cont’d
• By asking questions, applicants demonstrate
they are proactive, well prepared and very
interested in the position.
• It’s important for any applicant that wants
their next job to be a “perfect fit” to go
beyond simply knowing about the company,
and gather information about the
department and how it operates.

4. Interview Process for Pharma Pros…
cont’d
• Questions about the team and the position
manager should also be asked.
• If you have ever regretted taking a job in the
past, you also probably wished that you
would’ve asked more questions during the
interview.

5. 10 Powerful Factors
That Differentiate a Good
Department From a Great One!

6. 1. Strong Departmental Leadership
• Who are the key leaders in the
divisions/department and can you describe
their typical leadership style?
• What % of the current top management
team came from this division?

7. 2. Departmental challenges and
future competencies
• What are the biggest problems and
opportunities facing this department in the
next 2 years?
• What key competencies have you identified
that I and others will need to develop over the
next 2 years in order to be prepared for the
future?

8. 3. Great Co-workers
Explain that you thrive while working alongside the
very best coworkers…
•Then ask “Who are the top performers and key
contributors in the department that I would get a
chance to work with?
•Will I have an opportunity to talk to any of them?
Note, this question can be even more powerful, if prior to the
interview, you have looked up and studied the LinkedIn or
corporate website profiles of the key leaders and some
coworkers.

9. 4. Team culture
• Because I thrive working in powerful teams, “Could I get a
chance to see the team in action?”
• Can I sit in on a team meeting or shadow someone for a ½
day?
• Can I review examples of your latest work?
• What information can you provide that would give me insight
into the culture of your team?
• What are the team’s goals and how do they measure success?

10. 5. Ample project opportunities
• What types of opportunities and projects would
a typical top performer expect to have during
their 1st
and 2nd
year?
• What specifically does the firm do to enhance
internal movement of employees between
projects?
• Is performance or is seniority the factor used to
make assignments?

11. 6. Involvement in decision-making
• What level of input do employees typically get
in departmental decisions?
• Are they involved in decisions related to goal
setting, new initiatives or the hiring and
assessment of co-workers?

12. 7. Support for innovation
If you are an innovator, you should state that you are looking to
maximize your opportunities to innovate and take risks…
•Then ask, “Can you outline what the firm and the department
does to support and encourage innovation?”
•Can you give an example of how a recent hire in this job family
has made or contributed to a significant innovation or
breakthrough that was implemented at your firm?
•Does the firm have a program to significantly reward individuals
that solve complex problems, develop patents, scientific
breakthroughs or create great products?

13. 8. Leadership style of my manager
• If you’re interviewing with your future manager, ask “As my
manager, can you describe your leadership style?”
• What are the factors that you believe make you an effective
leader?
• What are the most common ways that you like to assess
performance, communicate, recognize and discipline?
• How many hours of your time (as my manager) can I expect to
get each week for the first 6 months on the job?

14. 9. Support for my development
• What is the average annual budget allocation
(as a percent of total salary) for my personal
professional development?
• What typical development opportunities
could a top performer expect to have during
their 2 years?

15. 10. Support for learning
• Continuous learning and growth is one of my
top priorities. So can you outline what
support I will be given to enhance my learning
and growth?
• Are employees provided with a learning plan
and a mentor?
• What new competencies can I expect to
develop during my 1st
year?

16. For more tips and insight and the latest
pharmaceutical, healthcare, science
and academic jobs
visit:
www.wileyjobnetwork.com
This presentation is based on an article written by Dr. John Sullivan.