15 questions to ask in an interview

Over the years, many people have asked me for interview advice, that’s short and easy to remember. Luckily, I do have one suggestion that improves the likelihood of success enormously. And I can summarise this piece of advice in four words: Ask the right questions. 

Asking the right questions at the end of an interview enables you to decide whether the job and company is right for you. Asking questions is also key to demonstrating your interest in the role and convincing the hiring manager that you would do the job well.

Questions you should ask an interviewer 

You should aim for your interviews to feel more like a conversation than an interrogation. Come to the meeting with a few pre-prepared and varied questions. Don’t be afraid to have a pen and paper to take notes, too.

Here are some good questions to ask at the end of an interview. You should consider addressing six key topics: 

• The role you’re applying for 
• The team you’ll be joining 
• The interviewer’s own experience 
• The business and its goals 
• Learning and development opportunities 
• Next steps for the interview process

Ask about your role 

1. Is this role new? If not, how has it evolved? 

The question shows you are keen to keep pace with advances and have a positive attitude to change. You could use the conversation around this question to exhibit your knowledge of recent industry trends and developments.

The interviewer’s answer will show how much the potential employer lets employees shape their own roles. This can be a good indicator of a strong, trusting culture designed to empower employees. 

2. Is there scope for career progression? 

This is another classic question to ask at the end of an interview which shows you have career ambitions. The answer will also reveal something about how the organisation nurtures and promotes talent.

3. Can you tell me a bit about my predecessor in this role? 

This is a tactful way of determining the exact skills and experience required for the role. Using the interviewer’s appraisal of your predecessor helps you gauge how to take the role to the next level. 

4. What will a typical day look like? 

This is the best question to ask at the end of an interview if you want to visualise yourself in the role. Based on the interviewer’s answer, you can then decide whether the role is for you or not.

Ask questions about your new team 

5. Can you tell me more about my team? 

Getting on with your colleagues is crucial to your job satisfaction. In fact, 70 percent of workers say having friends at work is the most important element to a happy working life. 

6. Who are the key stakeholders? 

It can be difficult to understand the full extent of your role from a job description two paragraphs long. So use the interview to establish which departments you’ll be liaising with most often. You can then decide whether your skillset is well suited to the role or not. 

7. How does the team fit into the overall structure of the company? 

This question signals your interest in working as a team. You want to know where you will fit in and contribute to the organisation’s long-term success. 

8. What constitutes success for the team and the role? 

This is a good way to learn about the organisation’s measure of success and what the business expects from its employees. In turn, the question will lead to further conversation about how the company measures individual performance. 

Question your interviewer directly 

9. What’s your background? 

This question enables you to understand why your interviewer’s been successful, which can help you shape your own answers about what you might bring to the role and organisation. The question is also helpful in building rapport and finding common ground with the interviewer.

10. From your perspective, what’s it like to work here? 

This is one of those seemingly innocent questions that can tell you a lot about the work-life balance at the organisation and the environment.

Enquire about the business as a whole 

11. What are the main challenges and opportunities the business faces? 

If you know the business has recently launched a new product or service, for example, you could ask how consumers are receiving the new product and show them that you’ve done your research. Then use this information to demonstrate how well-suited you are to help them resolve their challenges.

There are many other questions you could ask an interviewer about the business. However, most of the answers are available online.

12. How long do employees usually remain with the business? 

The answer will give you a clear insight into how well the company treats employees. However, high staff retention isn’t always a good thing, as I outlined in my previous blog, ‘The downside of a stable team’. 

Ask about learning and development opportunities 

13. How often will you review my performance? 

This is a searching question that signals your focus on building your career. You want to know there’s a structured, proactive approach to assessing individual performance. Asking this question also shows that you welcome feedback. 

14. What training opportunities are available? 

This is a standard question to ask at the end of an interview, but an important one to ask nonetheless. This question  shows you’re interested in acquiring new skills that will benefit you and the organisation.

Confirm your understanding of next steps 

15. What’s the next step? 

Don’t forget to ask what comes next! You can then prepare yourself adequately for the next stage of the hiring process. 

How to conclude your job interview well 

The best questions to ask at the end of an interview are relevant and useful. It is also critical to listen actively to the answers. Ask the right questions, and there is a good chance you can expect to hear back about advancing in the recruitment process. What’s more, you’ll know if you want a job offer or not. 

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