Zillow CEO says even senior talent don't do their homework for interviews-and it's a major hiring 'red flag' | Fortune

""I'm mostly talking to executive hires at this point. An obvious red flag is if they haven't done their homework, which still kind of surprises me," Wacksman told CNBC Make It in a recent interview. "I'll talk to folks who are coming in for senior roles, and they're asking pretty basic questions that you could answer in 10 minutes on Google or 30 seconds in Gemini.""

""Waving off unprepared applicants hoping to rest on their track record, the CEO of the $10.5 billion real estate marketplace says he's looking for candidates who have "thought deeply about the role they're coming in for. And have thought deeply about what they would add to the job." It's the make-or-break between landing a C-suite gig or landing in the rejection pile.""

""One way job candidates can impress Wacksman is by showcasing their intellectual curiosity through asking, not telling. The CEO said that he judges an applicant's eagerness to learn by the questions they ask-that way, he can assess whether "their passion and their interest [aligns] with the job." The more "bespoke" the question is to the specific job they're applying for, Wacksman explained, the better they show "they understand it well.""}],"

""Fortune reached out to Zillow for comment. Thoughtful questions are the secret weapon in the war for jobs Walking into an interview armed with quality questions may be job-seekers' secret weapon in the war for salaried roles.""

Some senior executive applicants fail basic research into companies and ask questions easily answered online. CEOs view such unpreparedness as a red flag. Successful candidates think deeply about the role and articulate what they would add. Demonstrating intellectual curiosity through tailored, bespoke questions shows passion, fit, and understanding of the job. Prepared candidates who research the company and pose thoughtful, role-specific questions increase their chances of landing senior roles, while those who rely solely on track records risk rejection.

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