I read an article recently that gave incredibly bad interview advice.  It said that despite the economic tsunami that's swirling, you need to make sure you check deeply into a company's benefits DURING YOUR INTERVIEW.  The article warned that employees might not realize they can't contribute to a retirement plan, or that the insurance they need will become more expensive.  OK, that might be true, but when there are so incredibly few jobs open, do you really want to take your precious interview time delving into the company vacation policy?  How does that make you look? 

I had a candidate interviewing last month for a great job.  "Josie" had 8 years at an ad agency and was laid off a few weeks before.  She saw it coming and seemed pretty comfortable with her fate. I set her up with the department head and the hiring manager and both interviews seemed to go well.  They asked if she had any questions and she pulled out a list:  How much can I contribute to a 401K?  What do employees pay for health benefits?  Do you have dental insurance? 

When I heard this, I was stunned (so were her interviewers, by the way, and she didn't get the job).  Here's her chance to put her best foot forward.  To show that she had done research on the company, their clients, and their work.  Here's her chance to relate her experience more directly to the job open.  Here's her chance to show that she was special and could be a unique contributer to the team.  Instead she's checking to make sure she'll get enough vacation time.

These questions are all important ones, and certainly, before you sign on with a company you should absolutely make sure you know what you're getting into regarding benefits.  But really, are you going to turn down a job if their 401K requires you to wait 6 months before you can participate?  WAIT until you speak with someone in HR (I promise you'll have that opportunity) and don't ask specifics.  Ask the HR person if there's some printed form with benefit information, slip it into your bag, and review it in detail when you get home.  IF you get an offer you want to accept, you can say something like "THANK YOU!  I'm thrilled and I expect I'll accept quickly, but I just have a few questions about benefits.  Who is the right person to speak with?"  You'll convey your enthusiasm for the job and still have an opportunity to get your specific questions answered.  And if there's really a problem (ie: health benefits are wildly expensive, you're getting married and need an extra week of vacation next year) you can negotiate that from a positive place, with everyone knowing that the "deal" is close.

Keep your questions positive, relate them to the job at hand, don't put your interviewer on the defensive.  It seems like a no-brainer, doesn't it?  Hmmm....