When job seekers get the chance to interview with a company, sometimes they might forget that it is a two-way street. They have just as much right to interview the company as the company interviewing them. We have all experienced situations where we fumble or feel absolutely dumbstruck when the interviewer asks us if we have any questions for them toward the end of an interview. Today we are going to discuss ten such questions that you may ask your interviewer that will not only show that you’ve come prepared and well-researched but also showcases your smartness and interest.
So, once you are sure that your interviewer has no more questions/hesitations about your skills and qualifications or doesn’t need any further clarification on any pressing matter, you can proceed to ask the following 10 questions that will surely impress them, as well as, will set you apart from the other interviewees who did not care enough to prepare to ask some thoughtful questions. Of course, depending on how much information the company has already provided, you would need to tailor your questionnaire. Asking a question that has already been answered during the interview process at an earlier stage, or inquiring about something that has been clearly provided in the job description you had originally responded to, will not go very well for you. So, be cautious and discreet at all times.
Question 1: Which skills and qualifications would you describe as “absolutely mandatory” for this position and which ones are “nice to have?”
This is a question which you may ask if the published job description is too vague with relatively fewer details or too long listing way too many skills and qualifications. In general, the published job descriptions in most cases are sort of like ‘wish lists’ for the respective companies. Any hiring manager or recruiter worth their salt knows that it is virtually impossible to get a candidate who possesses every single skill or qualification listed in the job description they have published. More often than not, the recruiters/hiring managers will have a good idea about which skills are ‘absolutely mandatory’ for the role – i.e., skills that are necessary or crucial to hit the ground running; and which qualities are ‘nice to have’ – i.e., can be adopted later during on-the-job training. So, if that information is not clear from the job posting, go ahead and feel free to ask this question during your preliminary interview. This particular question is especially relevant if you are talking to a third-party recruiter who is conducting the very first screening interview with you on behalf of his/her client.
Question 2: The job description gives a comprehensive list of everything one would be doing in this role, and it is certainly very helpful. However, I was wondering what would a typical week look like?
The actual duties and responsibilities often vary a little bit from what is posted in the published job description for a particular position. Looking at an exceedingly long list of duties might make you wonder how much of it would be part of your daily routine. So it is very helpful to know what exactly you’d be doing in the role you’re interviewing for at an early stage of the hiring process. The answer to this question will give you that information, plus it would shed some light on their usual day-to-day/weekly operation (and possibly some helpful insight into their modus operandi) in a typical business quarter within a specified time period – which could be highly valuable information. However, be careful to phrase it properly. Because, if you end up asking: “so what would I be doing in this job?” – it will inevitably signal that you did not read the job description or didn’t bother to pay attention.
Question 3: What are the parameters for measuring and evaluating job performance in my role, and what do they designate as the definition of success? OR, alternatively: What would be the top three (or five) things that would be expected of me in the first 90 days after joining your team? What would you like to see me accomplish by the end of 6 months? Or, at the mark of one year?
This is an excellent question to ask your interviewer, especially if you are in the second or third stage of the interview process (the first stage being a preliminary/screening phone call). This question shows how sincerely you are considering the opportunity and how inquisitive you are about learning the minute, inside details. However, beware of vague and indirect responses – as those can end up giving you an incomplete picture of what is considered being ‘successful’ in that position – which could leave you with some unrealistic assumptions. For example, if you are a fresh graduate and have been asked this question during the second stage of the interview for a Technical Recruiter role in a staffing firm, and hear this answer: “our senior recruiters, who have been with us for 5+ years, routinely fill 4 openings every month for our clients, which we consider to be a pretty good example of solid performance in your role,” – do not neglect to ask a follow-up question that would be more targeted and specific to your situation, such as: “what would be the ideal example of success in the first year (or in the first 6 months) of the job for a junior recruiter who is just starting out without any prior experience in recruitment?” This specific question and the resulting discussion would not only be beneficial for you in order to understand their expectations, but it could also help your employer realize that it might be foolish for them to expect that you’d be able to fill 4 openings every month right after joining their company – if they had neglected to consider this factor before.
Question 4: What can you tell me about your growth plans in this and the next quarter with respect to the current hiring? OR, alternatively: What can you tell me about the ongoing/upcoming projects, process implementations, or the products in the pipeline that will be impacted by this hiring decision?
This is a very important question for anyone who will be expected to handle a formidable workload in a position of authority with a keen sense of responsibility. If you feel hesitant to ask about their ongoing or upcoming projects because you think that might be confidential – don’t! Because you are not fishing for inside information here. You are asking them to share whatever they can tell you, i.e., whatever they are allowed to divulge to an outsider. Now it is up to them to decide how much, if any, detail they are going to share with you. By asking this question you are putting the ball in their court – and whatever information they will share with you as a result of that, would be vital to your decision-making process regarding the acceptance of an offer. This is, in fact, a highly relevant question for pretty much all positions unless you are interviewing for positions such as Receptionist or Entry-level Customer Service Agent or something similar.
Question 5: Can you tell me more about the team I will be a part of (or teams I will be collaborating/working with)?
This is a question best reserved for a more advanced stage of the interview process. Assuming you have already aced the first few rounds of the hiring process, this question can only go in your favour. It shows that you are eager to know your work environment and your future colleagues better and that in turn shows that you like to see the big picture and that you have an aptitude to plan things ahead.
Question 6: Do you offer continuing education or advanced, specific training in this area?
This is an excellent question that shows your willingness to expand your knowledge and skills. Any employer that wants its employees to truly succeed, would (or at least should) have a plan for investing in their continuous learning process. Because an employee succeeding in her job means the organization is benefiting from it. So, it only makes sense to offer advanced training in areas that are of crucial importance or reimburse professional education or certification of employees if an employer wants its employees to have more tools in their repertoire.
Question 7: Could you please share anything about the person who worked in this role before it became open for hiring this time?
Or For relatively off-beat roles i.e., positions/job titles that are not too common in your industry
Could you please tell me anything regarding why (or how) this position was created?
Or if it seems that they could have promoted someone internally
Could you please share why this role was made available to external applicants?
If you can extract an adequate amount of information from your interviewer, the answer to this question may reveal a whole lot more than you might have expected! You can get the idea if the role you are being interviewed for was due to the company’s growth, or if the last person who worked in that role has moved on to some other company, or if there was some lay-off or performance-related firing. From the way your interviewer would respond to this question, you would be able to understand if employees are generally unhappy there, or if this place is in total chaos, or if there is any issue regarding chances of advancement in this position, or whether or not you should be worried about anything before starting in this role. Pay attention to your interviewer’s body language when she/he answers this question – for example, if she is squirmish while answering, or if she seems to be evading the question, or if she is suddenly getting defensive about this straightforward question all of a sudden? Try to gauge if your interviewer is being transparent or not.
Question 8: What have you enjoyed most about working here so far?
This question might give you some highly valuable insight or a really vital clue about the company’s culture and a great perspective on how they treat their employees. Watch for the obvious signs of discomfort or hesitations before or during they are answering this question. Many of my clients got a good look at the company’s work-life balance, internal dynamics, and their culture of appreciation by asking their interviewer this one simple question!
Question 9: In your opinion, what are the three main issues that need to be fixed in your team/organization?
Or
What is the biggest challenge your company / department / division / team is facing at this moment?
Or
If you’re given absolute power and authority over this company, what is the first thing you’d change here and why?
This is a truly revealing question and its answer should give you a powerful perspective on the organization’s internal dynamics, status in the industry, and day-to-day operations in certain significant areas. Make sure your interviewer is answering it sincerely because any sign of evading this question will itself be a big red flag! Do not accept light-hearted answers, such as: “our coffee machine” or “our vending machine/cafeteria food” or our “the location of our yearly company retreat.” There is no need to offend your interviewers when they are giving these non-serious responses – so just smile along or laugh heartily (depending on the ambiance in the room), and then ask: “no, seriously, what would you change for real if you had the option to do anything without thinking about any constraints whatsoever?” The response to this, if authentic, could be an extremely compelling testament to how the organization does things and if the areas of inadequacies (as described/answered by your interviewer) are really going to be a deal-breaker or not for you in the event an offer is made to you.
Question 10: What is the next step in the process?
This is going to be a highly relevant and practical question to ask at pretty much every stage of the interview process. It also shows your continuing interest in the role and your intention in moving along further in the process. Simultaneously, it gives your interviewer the chance to explain the relatively advanced stages of the interview process, gives you a great idea about what to expect next and when to expect it, and most importantly, how many candidates are under consideration for this role. If they do not volunteer the last bit of the information, feel free to go ahead and ask, “I was wondering how many candidates are you considering for this role at this moment? Just wanted to know this to have an idea about the possible timeline of your response regarding the decision of whether or not we’d be moving forward in the process.”