Here are categories of questions you’ll want to consider in an organized list, along with samples of each that you can personalize.
Questions about the specific job
- How long before I will be… [meeting with clients, have responsibility for my own accounts, interacting with other departments, etc.]?
- What are the most immediate projects that I would take on?
- What are your expectations for me in this role?
- What metrics or goals will my performance be evaluated against?
- What’s the most important thing I should accomplish in the first 90 days?
- What’s the performance review process like here? How often would I be formally reviewed?
Questions about the team
- Can you tell me about my direct reports? What are their strengths and the team’s biggest challenges?
- Can you tell me about the team I’ll be working with?
- Do you expect my main responsibilities in this position to change in the next six months to a year?
- What are the biggest challenges that I might face in this position?
- What types of skills is the team missing that you’re looking to fill with a new hire?
- Who will I work with most closely? What other departments or units will I interact with?
Questions for your potential boss
If the interviewer is your boss, you want to ask questions along these lines as well.
- How long have you been a manager?
- How long have you been at the company?
- What’s your favorite part of working here?
Questions for your potential boss
If the interviewer is your boss, you want to ask questions along these lines as well.
- How long have you been at the company?
- How long have you been a manager?
- What’s your favorite part of working here?
Questions about the company
One important note here: Don’t ask things that you can easily find with a quick Google search (more on this in the “Questions to Avoid” section).
- How has the company changed over the last few years?
- How would you describe the company’s values?
- What are the company’s plans for growth and development?
- What are the current goals that the company is focused on, and how does this team work to support hitting those goals?
- What gets you most excited about the company’s future?
Questions about the culture
Lees warns that you should take answers to questions about the company culture with a grain of salt. It’s highly unlikely that the interviewer is going to come out and tell you that the culture is unwelcoming, or even toxic. That’s why questions like #22 below can be helpful. They get at company culture without explicitly asking about it and can “help you uncover any unexpected elements about your potential new workplace,” Markman says.
- How do you typically onboard employees?
- If the position will be remote, ask specifically about how remote employees are integrated into the company culture, Markman advises.
- What do new employees typically find surprising after they start?
- Is there anything that I should read before starting that would help me have a shared understanding with my colleagues?
- Asking this question not only signals your interest in the position but also shows that you’re eager to have “shared cultural references with the people you’ll be working with,” Markman says.
- What’s your favorite office tradition?
- What do you and the team usually do for lunch?
- Do you ever do joint events with other departments or teams?
- What’s different about working here than anywhere else you’ve worked?
- How has the company changed since you joined?
Questions about professional development, career paths, and future opportunities
Markman says it’s critical to understand what growth and career development will look like in the job. You want to be sure that you can see yourself not just in the role you’re currently applying for but that there is a career path at the organization that you’re excited about.
- What learning and development opportunities will I have in this role?
- How does the team I’ll be part of continue to grow professionally?
- Are there examples of a career path beginning with this position?
- What are the common career paths in this department?
- How are promotions typically handled?
- Where have successful employees moved on to?
Closing questions
- What am I not asking you that I should?
- Is there anything else I can provide you with that would be helpful?
- Is there anything I clarify for you about my qualifications?
- What are the next steps in the hiring process?
Questions to Avoid
Here are a few examples of what not to ask at the end of your interview:
- What’s the starting salary?
- Can you tell me about your health insurance?
- What are your paid leave policies?
Credit: https://hbr.org
