I'm trying to fill out one of my job applications and stumbled upon a question which I can not give a straight answer.
I was going to either answer towards something related to what they sell "or customer service.
They where asking:
If you could ask us one question what would it be?
It's basically a personality question. The type of question you ask reflects what type of person you are.
If you're an ambitious person always looking for career progression and success, go ahead and ask "How does COMPANY NAME evaluate success?"
If you don't give a stuff what kind of job you're geting but just want the money, ask "What's my salary"?
If you're a sociopath ask "Will I get my own private office?"
I have tried googling but couldn't find anything relating to this question especially when this relates to food.
What job is it? Chef? Waiter? Bartender? Griller? Butcher?
In the hospitality field, you could play it safe and ask about the company itself.
E.g
What distinguishes this restaurant / hotel / bar from its competitors?
Or you could ask about what kind of expectations they have and at the same time show that you're up for a challenge
e.g
Beyond the hard skills required to successfully perform this job, what soft skills would serve the company and position best?
What can I do to show you I’m a great fit for this job?
the latter may come off as overconfident/arrogant, but sometimes a bit of confidence goes a long way.
You're not looking and thinking hard enough. This question isn't only asked in the food industry, try to think out side the box and relate it to your job. Eg. Asking questions that show interest in the company.
The questions suggested by scrimsaw above aren't even specific to food/hospitality, but are the type of questions any applicant can ask (apart from 1st question, but hotel/bar etc can be replaced by different job titles/companies in another industry)
As a technical question, that focuses in one on aspect of the company. It portrays that you have in-depth knowledge of the company, passion for your field and a rounded thought process. For instance with a previous application at a capital city Oval my answer was something along the lines of "Because of the high number of staff as well as the many different function rooms/restaurants how do you organise shift plans to be both efficient and effective when dealing with unforeseen circumstances, such as overbooking or under-staffing?" It doesn't actually mean much, but it looks flashy and makes you seem a lot more thoughtful about said company.
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There is heaps of angles you can go down, but for me I'd go down the path of asking them what career development opportunities they offer and what training/coaching will be provided to assist your progress within their business. It shows you are thinking long term and outcomes driven
If you could ask us one question what would it be?
The obvious one is, "will there ever be a boy born who can swim faster than a shark?"
Can I check ozbargain on the hour every hour? I have a massive case of FOMO
Ask them where they see their company in 5yrs. Yeah, throw that age old question right back at them!
Would you rather fight 1 horse-sized employee or 100 duck-sized employees?
I now figure the job is either a Stable Hand or at the Zoo. lol
Ask them how you can be successful in the role if you are chosen.
Only one? Simples.
May I have 100 more questions please?
Oh sorry, I read question, and thought wishes. My bad.
PS. There is no right or wrong answer to that question, as it is a personal thing that is important to you.
But - there are inappropriate ones.
is it acceptale to be sick durng probation
Q/ If you could ask us one question what would it be?
A/ How many Enloops is too many
If you could ask us one question what would it be?
The weirdest one I got was : "Would being on a 'reality show' hurt my job prospects?" from a fresh uni graduate.
Have you tried googling? There's 100s and 100s of websites addressing this type of interview/application, as it's asked in pretty much every interview!
Don't forget to add in the resume about lack of research skills.
Truth may hurt, especially in a spoon fed society.