Knowing the right questions to ask the interviewer is one of the best ways to assess your suitability for a job and a company’s workplace culture.
Inquiring about the position, the team dynamics, and the pros and cons of working for the company is a good sign of genuine interest and commitment to the role.
That said, we’ve prepared a list of relevant and good questions to ask that will serve as your guide in your next interview. Let’s begin!
Key Takeaways
- The most useful questions to ask the interviewer should revolve around the position, the team or company, and the company’s programs for professional development.
- Inquiring about the company culture and the interviewer’s experience working in the company is highly advisable.
- It is best to ask questions about salaries and benefits once you have passed the final stages of the interview process and are assured by the recruiter that you have landed the job.
57 Best Questions to Ask The Interviewer
There are different types of questions that you can ask the interviewer, and these queries often revolve around the position you are applying for, the company’s work dynamics and environment, and the interview process for the role.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these categories.
Questions About the Position
Asking questions about the position is one of the most essential questions to ask the interviewer during an interview. You can ask the recruiter to provide more details about the expectations and responsibilities associated with the role.
Inquiring about the role shows your enthusiasm for doing the job. For instance, if you are applying for a sales position, you should think of questions to ask the interviewer that focus on discovering the sales representative skills they are looking for.
Here are some examples of questions to ask the interviewer that focus on the position or role:
- “What are the immediate projects that need to be addressed in this role?”
- “Can you describe a typical day or week in this position?”
- “How is performance typically measured and reviewed for this position?”
- “What type of skills are you looking to fill in by hiring someone new to take on the position?
- “How do my qualifications compare to those of other candidates you are considering for this position?”
- “What are some of the biggest challenges that previous employees have experienced while fulfilling this position?”
- “If I were to get the job, what are some specific goals I should accomplish in the first 90 days after being hired?”
- “Who would not be a good fit for this job or role?”
- “Can you give me examples of projects that I would be working on in this role?”
- “Where do you get sales leads, and what tools and software do your sales personnel use?”
- “What are some of the traits possessed by the most successful salespeople in your team?”
Questions About the Team
The next set of questions to ask the interviewer involves questions about the team and their work dynamics. Aside from gaining an idea about the kind of work environment that the company has, you can also learn about the chain of command in the team.
Questions to ask the interviewer for a manager position typically fall under this category. After all, it is important to have an understanding of the existing norms and practices within a team when applying for an executive or managerial position.
- “Who will I report directly to, and who are the key people I’ll work closely with?”
- “What are the team’s biggest strengths and challenges?”
- “What is the typical workflow for the team, and how does collaboration usually happen?”
- “What is the onboarding process like for new hires?”
- “Can you describe the team or department that I will be working with?”
- “Are you looking to hire more people for this team in the next three to six months?”
- “What are the team’s core goals and growth plans for the upcoming years?”
- “What does the team look forward to the most in terms of the company’s future?”
- “I’ve read that the company’s slogan is [Slogan]. How does the team live up to the said motto?”
- “What do most newly hired members of the team usually find surprising about the company?”
- “How do you handle conflict among employees or departments?”
- “How often do different departments collaborate with each other? What is the collaborative process usually like?”
Questions About Career Goals & Development
The different questions about career goals and development often go hand-in-hand with the specific questions to ask the interviewer for an internship or internal hiring for a higher position.
The focus of this type of query is to assess the company’s long-term plans for the company and its staff. It also lets you assess whether pursuing the position will be instrumental in your professional growth or not.
Here are some of the best questions to ask about career goals and professional advancement:
- “What career paths have others in this role typically pursued?”
- “What types of training or professional development does the company offer to support employee growth?”
- “Are there mentorship opportunities available within the company?”
- “What specific objectives do you expect me to have attained in this position?”
- “How does the company handle promotions and career advancement?”
- “What positions and career paths have your successful employees pursued for their professional growth?”
- “Does the company encourage employees to explore opportunities to improve their skills and expand their existing industry knowledge?”
- “What qualities do your successful employees have in common?”
- “How would working for this company help me enhance my skills and improve my weakest areas?”
- “How can I contribute to the company’s vision-mission, success, and growth?”
Questions About the Company Culture
Questions about the company culture focus on how different departments and teams interact and build camaraderie with each other.
At the same time, company culture queries enable you to learn about any programs and policies implemented by the company for their employees’ personal development.
- “How would you describe the company’s culture?”
- “What values are most important to the company?”
- “How does the company support work-life balance for its employees?”
- “What are some of your favorite office traditions and activities?”
- “What makes the workplace dynamics in this company differ from those of other employers and teams?”
- “What are the company’s core values, and how does it exhibit its fundamental ideals?”
- “What are some activities in the company that promote rapport and teamwork among employees?”
- “What is the company’s take on diversity and social issues such as gender equality, racial discrimination, and fair compensation for all?”
Questions About the Interviewer
Asking the interviewer to share their work experience in the company will also be instrumental in your decision-making process.
Particularly, learning about the company from the interviewer’s perspective helps you determine whether the company’s ethics and core objectives align with yours.
At the same time, some interviewers may encourage you to ask questions about the company at the beginning of the interview. If so, then you can use your inquiries as conversation starters for the interview.
- “What has been your career path within the company?”
- “What do you enjoy most about your role here?”
- “How has working here helped you grow professionally?”
- “What excites you the most about coming to work each day?”
- “What was your career path like before joining this company?”
- “Has your role changed since you started working here?”
- “How has working here helped you advance your career to the next level?”
- “What are some occasional challenges you encounter while fulfilling your role?”
- “Why did you choose to work for this company?”
Closing Questions
At the end of the interview, it is common for recruiters to ask applicants questions such as, “Do you have any questions for us?” or “Do you need any clarifications or have any additional inquiries about the role?”.
Use this opportunity to underscore your interest in the position and show that you have taken the time to learn about the company and the job beforehand. Raising closing questions with the interviewer is also one of the ways to end a job interview on a good note.
Here are examples of the most suitable questions to ask the interviewer after the interview:
- “Is there anything else I can provide to help you make your decision?”
- “How quickly does the company typically make a hiring decision after this stage?”
- “When can I expect to hear feedback about this interview?”
- “What are the next steps in the interview and hiring process?”
- “Who do you consider the company’s top competitor? Why?”
- “What are some of the biggest obstacles that the team is facing at present?”
- “Do you need any more information about my professional background, aside from the credentials and background that I’ve provided?”
5 Tips for Asking Questions in an Interview
Use the following tips for asking questions in an interview to modify the queries you have in mind and be better equipped to discuss your work experience and credentials with the recruiter.
#1. Never Say You Don’t Have Questions
Asking questions is just as crucial as answering questions during a job interview. In fact, raising queries with a job recruiter is a great way to practice and showcase your interpersonal skills.
Communication and interpersonal skills are also among the soft skills that recruiters look for in a potential candidate because they give off the impression that the candidates are personable and easy to work with.
You can create a segregated list of initial interview questions to ask the recruiter in a second interview and help organize your thought process.
#2. Ask Meaningful Questions
While asking questions is often favored in most job interviews, it is also essential to prepare meaningful inquiries that have to do with the company and the job.
Make your competencies the core focus of your questions. Do your research about the company, the role, and the team by checking their website and social pages.
Avoid asking personal questions about the interviewer because it shows unprofessionalism and can be seen as inappropriate behavior.
#3. Limit Your Questions
You must learn how to respect the recruiter’s time and give consideration to other applicants who are also scheduled to have their interview.
Not to mention, quality is better than quantity. In other words, it is better to have only a handful of specific questions to ask the interviewer that are significant to the job than a long list of inquiries that are unsuitable for the position or the formalities of a job interview.
#4. Find the Right Timing
Time your questions appropriately. Don’t ask about second interviews or updates on your application at the beginning of the interview.
It is better to wait until the end of the interview to raise your inquiries or wait until the recruiter asks you if you have anything else you want to know about the team and the role. In this manner, the conversation flows naturally and smoothly.
#5. Hold Off with Salary and Benefits Questions
Speaking of timing and appropriate questions to ask the interviewer, any inquiry regarding salary and benefits is best saved until the recruiter brings the topic up.
At the same time, it is more appropriate to ask about the salary offer once you have confirmed that you have a strong chance of getting the job.
Otherwise, it would make you seem more concerned about the salary alone than the possible contributions you can bring to the team.
Conclusion
Thinking carefully about the questions to ask the interviewer that you want to bring up during your job interview is very important.
The goal is to ensure you leave a good first impression and avoid committing any interview mistakes that could possibly jeopardize your chances of landing the job.
Whether these are initial interview questions or questions to ask the interviewer at the end, asking the appropriate ones will help make you memorable to recruiters for all the right reasons.
