Here's the No. 1 Job Interview Question Every Applicant Should Be Asking in This Economy, According to a Recruiting Expert

If you’re on the hunt for a job, you might be wondering how safe your potential position will be if our “rolling recession” hits your industry next.

Fortunately, asking strategic questions during the interview process can give you the answer, and one specific query is particularly illuminating, CEO of IT staffing firm Insight Global Bert Bean told CNBC.

Be sure to ask your interviewer this: “How close is this role going to be to the core functions of what the company does, and would I be working on projects that are mission critical or closer to revenue?”

Ideally, the answer will reveal what the company’s current priorities are — and how well your potential role fits into that picture.

Many companies use job functions to determine who gets laid off. Co-founder of JobSage and former attorney Kelli Mason told Dice that companies want to prioritize revenue and profitability during difficult times — which means that “nice-to-have” positions are cut or outsourced to keep “need-to-have” roles.

“That’s why we’re seeing so many recruiters get laid off at tech companies for example, because those jobs are not seen as mission critical to keep the business afloat,” Bean explained to CNBC.

Bean also suggests noting how the hiring manager treats you during the application process — slow responses and other signs of apathy can be a red flag.