Favorite Questions to Ask the Interviewer
You’ve finally made it through your interview and at the end there’s that moment where the Interviewer ask “Do you have any questions for me?” and you’re suddenly a deer in the headlights. Part two of the interview has begun, but not always in the way you think. While yes, there’s statics floating out there from Career Builder that some like 70% of hiring managers don’t like it when you don’t ask questions, really, it’s because it shows lack of preparation and research (which Inc. says turns off 89% of hiring managers!). Now is your time to shine.
Remember, you’re interviewing the company, too. This is your moment to learn about the company itself and people, find out more information about the role beyond the job description, and even keep the interviewer on their toes.
And yes, you can totally go look up a bazillion “what questions should I ask during my job interview” articles, AI reports, YouTube videos, and more out there. Most of these articles include a “what not to ask” as well, and I’m going to challenge some of those below, especially for us Neurodiverse folks. If the question is important to you, ask it. It might just be about how you word it and to whom that is important.
Below you’ll find some personal favorite questions I ask or have been asked plus advice on converting some of the more—shall we say…blunt? style questions that are just as important into a more approachable one. There’s even advice on if your brain freezes and you can’t think of any at the end.
“There are no dumb questions…”
…but there are some questions that should be avoided or re-worded. Here are some general dos and don’ts:
If you can easily Google the answer, don’t ask the question
When possible, make them tailored to the person you’re speaking with or based on your interview you just had
It’s okay to ask the same question to everyone, especially if you’re trying to compare culture answers across multiple teams
Don’t ask self-serving questions; transform them into mores “business-focused” asks
Ask questions appropriate to the role you’re interviewing for
Ask questions the person can actually answer either because of role or confidentiality
Don’t ask highly personal questions or questions that they can’t ask you either
Who to Ask What Questions
I break down interviewers into three(ish) main types to know what questions they can best answer and how their feedback from the interview will affect the ultimate decision.
Talent People (TP) are those you’re speaking to about the nuts and bolts of the role and company, like Recruiters or Schedules. These are the folks that clarify questions about the job description, company policies, benefits and more.
Teammates (TM) and Company Peers (if the company does a culture fit interview) are your new potential coworkers currently in the thick of it. These are the people you ask about company and team culture, what their challenges are, skill sets, and even questions about the hiring manager’s style.
The Hiring Manager (HM) is the direct human you will report to. You’ll want to learn about them, their management style, how they promote and growth, and dig in hard on the job description and exceptions. They can also assist in next steps.
Not on the chart but sometimes you get a Bonus Round: Skip Management (SM). Sometimes you sometimes you’ll have to interview with Skip Level Management or your boss’s boss (or even more!). I’ll provide some questions for this group as well below
Out of the Ordinary
Here are some top questions and who to target them to based on the above folks:
I see the salary range for the role is between $XX and $YY. What’s makes someone a $XX candidate versus a $YY one? (TP)
I saw on LinkedIn you’ve been here for [amount of time]. (TP, TM, HM)
Why did you choose this company?
What has made you stay so long?
Tell me about your favorite project you’ve completed. Conversely, can you tell me about what happened when you failed at a project, too? (TM)
Try and remember your first 90 days/first year. What 2 or 3 tips of advice would you go back and give yourself now to be more successful in the future? (TP)
When looking across your team, what essential skill set do you think is missing to round out your needs? (TM/HM)
Do or did you have a mentor here at the company? (TP, TM, HM)
What’s something you’re still learning every day here? (TM, HM, SM)
Looking at the industry today, what scares you in five years? (TM, HM, SM)
When it comes to your role/job/industry, what’s your favorite news outlet/ book/influencer you recommend that you think is essential to follow or know about? (HM/SM)
How to Ask Something the “Right Way”
Okay, yes, there are some questions you should straight up not ask about: personal questions, appearance questions, stuff like that. However, ask about what’s important to you in the right way to right person. People can find direct “Why” questions to be off-putting, so there’s a simple way to couch them to get a meaningful answer. Additionally, you’re interviewing at a company, everyone is going to say it’s awesome, so there are a few ways to get at that as well.
Question Conversion Examples:
Why is this role open? > Can you tell me why this role has been opened now?
What exactly does this person do on your team? > What is a typical day look like for this role?
How do I get promoted? > Can you tell me what makes people successful here/in this role?
What are the benefits the company offers? > Is it possible to get more information about company benefits, like a one sheet, to understand total compensation?
Do you like it here? > What’s your favorite part of the company culture?
Did they train you? > Can you tell me about your onboarding process?
Do people here suck? > Can you tell me how the team resolves conflicts?
Is there forced fun? > Are there morale boosting events or traditions?
Is the company diverse? > Does the company support any employee committees especially for under-represented groups?
*Deer in headlights *
It’s okay, it happens. If you freeze and cannot find words in the moment, try one of these options:
Works For TM / HM: [Pretend to look at your notepad for a moment] Uh, no, I actually think you covered my immediate questions I had. Can I email you afterwards if I missed anything?
Works for TP: You’ve answered my initial questions; I have more role-specific questions for the Hiring Manager directly.
Ask about next steps to buy time to remember a question.
Just don’t say “Nope!”
Final Tips
This can be the best part of the interview, for both you AND your interviewer. Pick 3 of your favorite questions and write them in the upper portion of your notepad, on a sticky note, or a small notecard just to have your questions handy and easy access just in case you can’t think of any follow-ups you’d like more information about.
You got this.