What you ask during the interview could be the difference between getting the job and continuing the job hunt. Nobody likes to have a one-sided discussion. But more importantly, the questions you ask can tell the interviewer a great deal about you.
4 Reasons to Ask Great Questions
- Make sure you want the job and want to work for the hiring manager.
- Make sure the hiring manager has no reservations with hiring you.
- Demonstrate that you’re interested in the position.
- Demonstrate that you’re an ideal candidate.
Example Questions
What are the success criteria for this position? This question shows you’re focused on results and on providing benefits to the team and the company.
What do you like most about working for the company? People like to talk about themselves, and hiring managers are no different. You can learn a lot about your potential new boss or co-worker by how they answer this question. And if they struggle to find an answer, that can be a beneficial hint that you should pass on any offer they may later present.
What can you tell me about the team? The team dynamic should be important to you. These are the people you’ll be working with every day, and a lousy team can turn a great job into a terrible burden.
Why does this position exist? There’s a lot of information you can glean from the answer to this question. Maybe the previous employee left because it was too stressful. This could be an indicator that you don’t want the job even if they offer it to you. Or maybe the company is growing so fast that they had to create a new position. That could be a great thing because where there is growth, there is an opportunity.
Check out our article: Explore Why They’re Hiring and Increase Your Leverage
What is the most significant issue your team is currently facing, and would I be in a position where I could help? This question is all about showing the interviewer that you are focused on providing benefits. If they aren’t convinced of this already, they will be after hearing this question.
Do you have any hesitation about my qualifications? I’d only recommend asking this question if you have a strong feeling that the answer is yes. It’ll allow you to address the hesitations directly that you’ve felt during the interview. Otherwise, it is best to ask other questions that instead give the interviewer additional comfort that you are the ideal candidate.
What is the next step in the process? This is about setting expectations. You don’t want to follow-up a week after the interview if there are additional interviews scheduled with candidates during the next two weeks. Also, you want to prepare if there is going to be a second interview.
What would my average day be? This is an excellent question for determining if you want the position. Remember that an interview is also about deciding if you’re going to accept an offer or how much money they’d need to offer to convince you it’s worth it. If you’re easily bored and they tell you 80% of the job will be performing the same repetitive task over and over again, you may want to pass.
What would your expectations be for the first 90 days of the role? This again shows your focus on benefiting the company. You want to know the expectations so that you can be sure you meet or exceed them consistently.
Example questions to avoid asking during a job interview
Did I get the job? This question makes you sound impatient. If you ask this during your interview, the answer will almost certainly be “No.”
When would I be eligible for vacation time? It makes you sound like you don’t want to work hard if you’re already thinking about vacation. If you have something planned already, wait until you get an offer before discussing it.
Can the hours be flexible? It makes you sound like you are going to have an issue getting to work on time. Again, wait until you get an offer before discussing anything like this.
Can you explain what the company does? You should know this before ever walking through the door. In fact, if you’re tailoring your resume and cover letter correctly, you should have known this before ever applying. Do your research first.
See our related article: How to Write a Cover Letter
Guidelines for ensuring your questions are excellent.
Ask about a variety of topics. If you’re overly focused on just one thing, that may unintentionally raise alarm bells in the hiring manager’s mind.
Avoid personal benefit questions. Instead, focus on convincing the hiring manager that you will greatly benefit them and the company. Save questions about salary, health benefits, etc. for the HR Department when they make an offer.
Ask simple questions. Don’t ask questions that are hard to understand or hard to answer. You aren’t trying to test the hiring manager. You want to keep the conversation going, not attempt to stump them.
Don’t ask questions that are too personal. That doesn’t mean you can’t ask anything personal, but make sure it is relevant somehow and don’t go into race, religion, politics, health, age, or family. But if you see a team logo of your favorite sports team in their office, feel free to comment on your shared love for the team.
How to ask questions during a job interview?
Typically the interviewer will allow you an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the interview. But if you feel comfortable and the conversation is going well, try to fit in some questions during the central part of the interview. After all, an interview is just a conversation, and great conversations are a two-way activity.
Make sure to have a physical list of questions. Review that list at the end and only ask the questions not already answered. You don’t want to appear as though you weren’t paying attention.
If the interviewer answered all of your questions already, congratulations on a great interview, but let the interviewer know that you had a list, and upon reviewing it, all of the questions were answered. You’ll still appear prepared, but more than likely, at the end of the interview, you’ll have at least one or two on your list.
See our related article: What is an interview?
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