What are some good questions to ask in an interview?

18 Comments

1. AnonymousDecember 8,2023 at 3:20PM UTC

   What is a challenge the department you are being interviewed has had and how was it handled?

   What skills are the department looking to develop in the next few years?

   Are there opportunities to collaborate with other areas of the business?

   Does the company have Resource groups or BRGs?

2. AnonymousDecember 8,2023 at 5:25PM UTC

   "What is your favorite part about working for this company?"

   "What are the biggest challenges someone in this position might face?"

   "How is performance/success evaluated in this position?"

   Perhaps do some research so you can ask specific questions about the company itself, or their projects/products... like "What direction do you see this company heading in for the next few years?"

   "What are the next steps in the interview process?"

   "What is the onboarding process like?"

   "What attributes does someone need to have in order to be successful in this position?"

   "Are you able to show me examples of projects I would be working on?"

3. Elizabyth HarringtonDecember 8,2023 at 7:05PM UTC

   My go to question is along the lines of "what problem can this person solve first?" type of questioning, worded to fit the conversation at hand. That has the double effect of demonstrating that I'm honestly interested in knowing more about the role/company as well as opening up the dialogue to find out what the biggest issues this role would be expected to tackle right out of the gate.

4. AnonymousDecember 8,2023 at 7:42PM UTC

   In the first or early interviews, the best questions to ask are about them, their mission, and their values. Most companies have them on their website on the "About" or About Us" page. Asking them to explain or give examples about how they carry out their mission, for example, shows you have taken the time to understand what they do and are interested in why they do it. I would leave questions about compensation and benefits later in the interview process (2nd or 3rd interview). Also, if you are meeting with the hiring manager or your potential co-workers, asking them what they like best about their job would give you an idea about their culture without asking about it directly. If you have questions about the next steps and when to expect an update or determination if you are moving forward, let them know that you learned enough to be still interested in the job.

5. Laura SDecember 9,2023 at 1:47PM UTC

   Last question I always ask is “was there anything you wanted to make sure we discussed that had not come up organically in our time together?”

   Do your research—not only

   about the company but about each of the interviewers. I always ask for a list of who will be present in advance and look each of them up on Google and linked in.

   I also ask about software used in the office, at least for the role for which I’m applying.

   Ask about training, hierarchy, annual reports, performance metrics.

   I always like to ask what qualities or skills are needed to make a person successful in the role and at the company.

   One question that can be telling about culture is to ask if and how the interviewers interact outside their professional capacities. This can yield some interesting answers.

   In a post-covid world, ask about the telecommuting options (but this can be delicate so don’t put this one on your “must ask” list; you can ask if someone else brings ip

   telecommuting, but if they don’t, save it for HR).

   You might want to ask about diversity initiatives and employee resource groups.

6. AnonymousDecember 9,2023 at 3:09PM UTC

   Can you tell me about the company culture.

   I also ask if i will be able to work with other women engineers.

7. Marcia SmithDecember 9,2023 at 3:16PM UTC

   What are the qualities of a top notch employee? Are any internal candidates being considered? What does the onboarding process look like? What is the training plan for new emoyees? When are employees evaluated and how are they evaluated? How often are team meetings...and what do they consist of? What are the pay periods (I recently interviewed for a job that only gets paid once a month)

8. AnonymousDecember 9,2023 at 6:58PM UTC

   ask the person how they got hired and ask them what motivates them most about working at the company.
   It also depends upon the persons rank against you as to what questions are best to ask. If the person is your peer ask about managers style. If the person would manage you ask about how they give work out and manage things to timelines, deliverables and things that go off the rails. Then you will know what you are walking into. Go deep and don't just ask fluff questions about culture, benefits etc. Those can wait till the end after you determine your interest in them as well. Ask why the job is open, replacement? - why did the person fail. New role- why now? Addition to team?- is there so much work or are you expanding because business is good and it is a cycle. Ask how success is measured. Then you will know what to do to be a success.

9. Stephanie Branch LekowskiDecember 10,2023 at 1:37PM UTC

   Great advice! If they get defensive in any way, i.e. why a new role now or why dud the last person leave the role, you know they're hiding something.

10. Gisele CloutierDecember 10,2023 at 1:47PM UTC

    I recommend you create 1-2 "Intelligent Questions" (IQs). These are questions that are not about you (like benefits, salary, etc.)_ but about the company's challenges. For example, if you were interviewing for an international marketing manager role, you could ask "How has the recent political upheaval in Ecuador affected your Latin America branding strategies?" These are questions that, by their very nature, demonstrate that (a) you did your homework on the company (beyond just their website), and (b) you know your stuff. It's called an Intelligent Question because, more likely than not, the interviewer would react, "wow, that's a really smart question!" IQs set you apart from all the other candidates who only ask what's-in-it-for-me questions.

11. Afo Ogbeyalu KaluDecember 11,2023 at 1:11PM UTC

    What drew you to this organization, and how has it met or exceeded your expectations?

    Challenging staffing levels are commonplace in our industry. What is this organization doing to offset or remedy this?

    What are the avenues for career growth within this organization?

12. GirlBossanova934974December 11,2023 at 1:24PM UTC

    1) Ask them about the company's annual review process and how ratings are arrived at 2) What people will you be working with and/or for? 3) Very important. How does this position relate to or tie to the hiring manager's KPIs in 2024? What company metrics is this position tied to? PS: (As an FYI, in my last role, I found myself reporting to a completely disinterested IT Manager whose KPIs were NOT tied to my role and thus had nothing invested in me).

13. AnonymousDecember 11,2023 at 4:07PM UTC

    I love asking about the person who was in the role before it became open. Did they get promoted? Leave? Adding new headcount ?

    How they think about past employees shares a lot about the company culture.

14. Coach Nancie Kay ShumanDecember 11,2023 at 8:00PM UTC

    What is the priority of the person you are reporting to?

    What is the direction which the company is going and what would your role in that movement be?

    Does the company value creativity or statistic more?

    How open is the company (direct report, etc.,) to well thought out suggestions for improvement?

    Is there a mechanism in place for continual improvement?

    What is the communication style of the people you are working with and the company in general?

    Now, mind you, many of these questions can be turned back on you, so be prepared to answer them yourself.

    Good luck!

15. Sandy SpenceDecember 12,2023 at 1:38PM UTC

    I ask the interviewer what they like about working there, Seeing their response is usually pretty telling.

16. AnonymousDecember 12,2023 at 2:15PM UTC

    I would also add in a couple of questions about the job itself. Some of my go-to’s are:

    -Is this position newly created or has someone had this position previously?

    -What does success in this role look like? I like this one because it can allow you to highlight how you possess those qualities they are looking for.

    Good luck!

17. Annette GaynesDecember 13,2023 at 1:40PM UTC

    Questions which show you're listening to the interviewer talk about the job. It's fair to ask a potential employer what the 5 year plan for that position looks like - my boss who hired me in to my company had a 5 year plan for my role which was what convinced me to take the job.

    I had one employee ask how our organization looked moving forward, because his previous one had been shrinking. He was thinking forward and long term, and as an employee blows me away for doing the same. Executive reports if you're interviewing for a publicly traded company can give you direction, and a good boss would have answers to questions you have on how your role would relate to company goals. I want to be asked questions about the job to see potential employees are actually interested in it. I do have the advantage of HR doing screenings and providing benefits info so employees don't urgently feel a need to discuss it with me in general.

18. Melissa BarrDecember 19,2023 at 2:04PM UTC

    Ask these if you want to signal you want to work for this company long term:

    "How often would you say [company name] promotes from within?"

    You can follow that up with, "When was the last time someone was promoted from within?"

    And

    "What does your employee development program look like after onboarding?"

    If the person you talk to doesn't know and doesn't offer to find out who does on your behalf, it may mean you won't get any support in your development/career track post-onboarding. It's up to you if that'd be a Red flag or not.