Questions to Ask in a Job Interview

When going on an interview, most job candidates make a good effort to prepare answers to questions they believe their interviewers will pose. Frequently overlooked but no less important, however, is the need for interviewees to also prepare their own questions to ask interviewers. Any hiring manager can easily lose enthusiasm for prospective candidates who fail to demonstrate a solid knowledge basis about the company for which they aspire to work. One of the best ways to demonstrate such knowledge is for interviewees to ask insightful questions about not only the available position, but also the organization and its performance in the marketplace. This will also indicate a resourceful employee who can gather information and who will be more likely to be able to make sound decisions on the job.

Surveys of job recruiters, job coaches and hiring managers place “not asking any questions” at the top of their most unforgivable interviewee behavior lists. Perhaps surprisingly, this faux pas ranks higher than such indiscretions as poor personal appearance, lateness to the interview, not making eye contact, and spending too much time discussing salary issues.

Questions to Ask in a Job InterviewJob candidates should seek to be equal partners in the interview process and may even sometimes need to compensate for less-than-ideal interviewers. If the person in charge of hiring does not feel that an interviewee has collected enough information to make a sound decision about their own ability to perform the duties of the job, an offer will likely not be forthcoming.

While it is vital for job candidates to ask questions, not any old ones will do. Additionally, even good questions can be asked in a poor way. To begin with, make sure that questions you ask follow some basic “do and don’t” rules:

  1. Don’t ask long, rambling questions.
  2. Don’t interrupt the interviewer.
  3. Don’t ask questions that begin with “why.”
  4. Don’t ask irrelevant questions
  5. Don’t ask questions to which you should know the answer.
  6. Don’t ask questions that could make the interviewer uncomfortable.
  7. Do ask open-ended questions.
  8. Do smile and relax (as much as possible) throughout the interview process.

Once it is understood how questions should be framed, interviewees can break down the ones to be asked by various categories. Below are some standard groupings, along with sample questions for each. Not all of these examples are pertinent to every job interview, but most of them can be adapted as necessary to fit specific positions and companies.

Questions About the Position:

  1. What would my major responsibilities be?
  2. Why is this position open?
  3. How frequently has this position been filled in the last 10 years?
  4. What do you feel are the most important qualifications for this position?
  5. What are the best things and the greatest challenges about the position?
  6. How much support and oversight would I receive?
  7. How much freedom would I have in developing my own work objectives?

Questions About the Organizational Environment:

  1. What do you like best about working here?
  2. How would you describe the office culture?
  3. What communication style is preferred?
  4. Is there much opportunity for job training and development?
  5. Is participation in community or professional activities encouraged?

Questions About the Company:

  1. What primary challenges has the company faced in the past five years?
  2. What specific problems are you hoping I could solve within my first three to six months on the job?
  3. Who are the key customers or clients?
  4. How is the company perceived in the marketplace?
  5. What growth expectations does the company have in the next five to ten years?

Job candidates should be prepared to raise these types of questions at any time during the interview, but must also be assertive enough to bring some of them up even if the interviewer does not provide a specific open invitation to do so. They can be interwoven at the end of related answers given to the hiring professional or asked close to the interview’s conclusion. A combination of both methods is ideal, demonstrating thoughtfulness and interest throughout the entire interview process.

One question that should definitely be saved for last and used as the job candidate senses the interview is drawing to a close is, “Based on the information you have learned about me today, do you have any concerns regarding my ability to successfully perform this job?” Such an inquiry provides one last excellent opportunity for the interviewee to address perceived weaknesses or shortcomings that the interviewer may hold about them.

Along with a professional appearance, attentiveness, polished responses, and a well-communicated thank you letter, these tips can help any interviewee increase their chances of receiving a much sought-after job offer.