15 Unique Interview Questions to Ask Employers

Valerie L. Sizelove

304

Freelance writer, mom of four.

The process of interviewing for jobs can be daunting. Armed with all the interview preparation in the world, even the most confident interviewees get nervous from time to time. Your future may depend on this interview.

Get empowered by taking control of the situation. When the interviewer asks if you have any questions, dive in and ask away. Asking questions makes your interview more like a back-and-forth conversation, relieving tension. It’s also your chance to interview the company so you can decide if it’s a good fit for you.

Why your interview questions need to be creative.

Plan your interview questions in advance so they’re useful and catchy. On top of that, the questions you ask an employer during an interview need to be creative. You don’t want to come off as a robot by reciting boring, meaningless questions.

Ask questions with open-ended responses. Questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no” don’t spark as much conversation. Open-ended questions will get your interviewer talking.

It also helps to have some background knowledge of the company. That way, you’ll demonstrate your interest while asking specific questions about the organization. By asking creative questions, you’ll be remembered as a well-prepared interviewee and leave a strong impression.

15 creative questions to ask your interviewer.

The possibilities for questions to ask in an interview are endless, and it might feel a bit overwhelming to come up with them on your own. Here are 15 sample questions to get you started. Choose a few from this list or use them for inspiration while creating your own.

1. “How can I achieve success while working at this company?”

Asking a question like this shows you have your eyes on the prize. It shows your potential employer that you care about your work and want to do well.

2. “What’s your favorite part about working for this business?”

Give your interviewer a chance to have the limelight. Everyone enjoys talking about themselves. You can get an idea of the company and exude a caring attitude.

3. “How do you practice teamwork within this company?”

The response to this question should give you an idea of how valuable teamwork is within the business. You might also gather some information about how employees are treated.

4. “How can I work my way up in the company?”

This is your chance to find out what advancement options will be available to you in the future. It also shows your potential employer that you’re committed for the long run.

5. “What are the company’s values?”

Here’s your chance to find out if the company’s values match up to your own values. Are they something meaningful that you can be excited about?

6. “How is your company working through its goals?”

You’ll get an idea of how the organization works as a whole and gain insight on your potential role there.

7. “What’s your plan for this role a month from now? A year from now?”

By asking questions about the future of the position you’re applying for, you can better understand your chances for promotion. Plus, you’ll be able to follow up at a later point in time should you get the job.

8. “What are the next steps in the hiring process?”

This question shows that you’re on the ball and thinking one step in advance. It’s a great way to demonstrate your organization and planning skills.

9. “Which qualities do you value in employees?”

Here’s where you’ll get another glimpse at how your potential employer thinks of employees. You can also get a feel if you’re the type of person they’re looking for, and if so, you can say that.

10. “What kind of competition does your business face?”

Learning about a company’s competition helps you predict what the job environment will be like. If there’s high competition, the work situation could potentially be stressful. The more you can get a feel for day-to-day details, the better decision you’ll make when choosing a job.

11. “How has workplace culture changed in your organization?”

A good leader should be conscious of the type of environment that surrounds her employees. If you ask this question and get a detailed response, you know the interviewer is engaged with the staff.

12. “What’s the future of this company?”

Another question to give you a better feel of the organization. By hearing your potential employer’s vision of the company’s future, you can try to understand where you’ll fit in that vision.

13. “Can you give me some examples of projects I’ll be working on?”

Not only will you gather useful information from this question, but you’ll also impress your interviewer. Asking this question shows you’re excited about the role.

14. “Why did you begin working for this company?”

This is another chance to let your interviewer talk about herself. You can also gain insight into whether the interviewer enjoys working for the company and how employees are treated.

15. “Who will I report to directly?”

It’s good to ask this question any time you start a new job, so why not just ask in the interview? You’ll learn a little about how company staff is structured and show your potential employer that you’re looking at the bigger picture.

Ask away

Now you have a pile of questions to help you get through the next interview with finesse. I don’t recommend asking all 15 questions — that would be a bit overboard. Instead, choose two or three questions you feel could give you insight into the company where you’re interviewing and impress your potential employer. Here are 7 more interview questions to give you inspiration.

With time and practice, your interview game will be both informative for you and your employer. Don’t forget to keep your questions creative (think outside of the box) so that you make a strong impression on your interviewer.

Join the conversation...

Rosemaryac

115

Creative advocate, editor and writer.

05/06/21 at 9:13PM UTC

I've found that asking questions about potential co-workers' interests suggests how well you'll mesh with them. I get a sense of what kinds of things a person is enthusiastic about by asking what they like to do on their own time. You may think of it as inquiring about hobbies, but that particular word seems limiting and prescriptive to me; a person may not think of something they like to do on their own time as a hobby but as a way to unwind or do something that they just plain old like to do. Sometimes you find out that you have similar interests, which would give you something to talk about outside of your assignments if you get the job. It could include books you've read, or programs you stream online, among others. In thinking about these kinds of interview questions, I always come back to a question I was once asked when interviewing with the team I would be joining. The question was: What is your favorite movie? My favorite movie is Young Frankenstein. I don't think my answer ultimately determined their choice, but I didn't get the job. However, sometimes I do wonder what their conversation around my answer was when they sat down to decide to whom to offer the job (if they discussed it at all :-) ).

Jacqueline McDowell

05/03/21 at 2:29PM UTC

I live in a rural area, where decent paying jobs with good benefits are hard to find. I beat out 127 other applicants for a job with a local college because I did my homework beforehand. I read all I could find about the department I was interviewing with, and asked questions directly related to what I had read. I also framed them within the role of the position. For example, "I see that the Nursing Program requires students to complete background checks and physicals before entering the program. What would my role be in this process?"

Mary O'Shaughnessy

05/03/21 at 12:43PM UTC

Read the annual report and tax filings. Ask about trends, and any findings in the audit letter.

Anonymous

05/02/21 at 8:52PM UTC

I would also ask about onboarding and how training will take place particularly if the position is remote for the moment. I joined a company currently working remote and I wish I had more training, at least with the new systems.

Robyn Donati

05/02/21 at 5:10PM UTC

Other questions I like to ask are about future performance expectations. I like to know how long I have to fully learn the job, and how long I have to get up to speed which is a little bit different. It is also helpful to request information about employment such as average length of employment. Robyn D.

Britney Harner

Be better than you were yesterday.

05/02/21 at 3:34PM UTC

I do not recommend asking the majority of these questions. You should know these answers going into the interview assuming you’ve thoroughly researched the role, company and industry. A few questions I ask in interviews that have always been well received are “What are some of the stand out qualities of your top performers?” Also, “In terms of priorities, what would you consider my top three in the first month or two if I were to be included in your team.”

Grace Wang

05/02/21 at 6:38PM UTC

One time I asked - "What do you like the most about working in this company"? The interviewer looked me with this questionable look as if, "why is this your concern, it is not my performance review, it is your interview". She brushed off the interview completely and abruptly. Never heard back from the company again. Shrug.

550

Accounting Consultant

05/02/21 at 9:25PM UTC

Sounds like you dodged a bullet

05/02/21 at 8:37PM UTC

Well, I’d say she answered that she is not happy working there!

05/02/21 at 2:21PM UTC

An article by a freelance writer not based on anything except probably a web search. These sorts of things are not helpful nor why I'm here.

Hayden Cooper

05/02/21 at 12:53PM UTC

I go to questions are: 1. What’s your favourite part about working for the company? 2. What is your company biggest Challenge at the moment and how is organisation organisation working to overcome this?

05/02/21 at 12:54PM UTC

Oops! Some grammatical errors but you know what I mean

05/01/21 at 12:29PM UTC

I always like to ask them if they would take the job, why, and what they think the biggest challenge they would face is. Usually I notice three reactions: - panic -revulsion -enthusiasm Irrespective of the consequent polished reply, the first impression from the body language, says a LOT.

Dhara Lakhani

Empowerment and Balance Coach

04/30/21 at 4:09PM UTC

amazing questions!! thanks for sharing this.