I. Introduction
Impress your next interviewer with thought-out questions that make you look serious and like a seriously good candidate for the position.
Knowing the right questions to ask your interviewer at the end of the interview can help express aspects of your personality and work style subtly while demonstrating some desirable soft skills. For example, without being invasive, you can glean a lot of information about the company from poignant questions.
Finding a job is challenging and stressful, but it helps to have an arsenal of questions ready to go for a job interview. Try some of these smart questions to ask in an interview next time you’re looking for new job opportunities.
I’ve got ideas for questions about the specific role, company culture, management, and more. Personalize these questions to ask in an interview with the actual company name or names of team members if you know them.
Ready to start prepping? Find the killer interview questions to ask employers below and test your readiness with my custom quiz.
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II. 21 Questions to Ask a Hiring Manager in a Job Interview
If you’re not sure what to ask, here are 21 tried-and-true questions to ask during a job interview:
- How does this role contribute to larger company goals?
- What are some of the challenges I might face in this role?
- What will be expected of me within the first three months?
- How is performance measured for this position?
- How is this role aiming to fill any current gaps the company has?
- What behaviors do exemplary team members exhibit?
- How is feedback delivered?
- Do you expect any changes in my main responsibilities within the first year?
- What is the difference between this company and other companies you’ve worked for in the past?
- What helps keep you motivated?
- What are your favorite things and the most challenging thing you encounter in your day-to-day?
- What are some of the current goals the company is focused on?
- Is there a 360° feedback process?
- Does the company have CSR initiatives?
- What are the core values of the company?
- What is the dress code?
- Do you have team socials or office traditions?
- What can I do to get up to speed quickly during my first months?
- Where have successful employees moved on to?
- Is this a new position or an established role?
- What is the turnover rate in this department?
III. When to Ask a Question in an Interview
Typically there is a moment at the end of an interview where the employer will ask you if you have any questions. Since you won’t have time to ask the interviewer all these questions, try to casually ask a few within the interview process if it comes up naturally.
For example, in the initial stages of an interview, you and the employer are likely to have some small talk, break the ice, and get to know a little bit about one another. This moment is the perfect opportunity to ask a somewhat personal question that also reveals information about the company.
One of my favorite questions is: “What is the difference between this company and other companies you’ve worked for in the past?” It’s an excellent way to learn about your interviewer’s past work experience and the company’s good qualities.
Let’s take a deeper dive into these 21 unique interview questions to ask employers. I will even explain what makes them smart questions to ask.
Pro Tip
Try to ask questions throughout the interview process wherever you can fit them into the conversation naturally.
IV. Smart Job Interview Questions to Ask About the Role
Asking your hiring manager questions about the position you’re interviewing for is an excellent way to show eagerness and interest in what could be your upcoming responsibilities.
Thoughtful questions like these are a two-way street. They reveal something about you in the asking and about the company in the answer.
Let’s take a look!
1. How Does This Role Contribute to Larger Company Goals?
Asking about how the position fits in the company hierarchy demonstrates your willingness to see the bigger picture. It also helps you understand the importance of your position in the grand scheme of things.
Seeking to understand how you fit into the team also expresses to an employer a desire to join the company culture.
What the Answer Could Reveal
Asking an employer about company goals can enlighten you in three key ways.
- You get an idea about the potential stress levels and immediacy of the role. Knowing how your position would be responsible for accomplishing those company goals is essential.
- It tells you something about the company goals and its production process.
- Last but not least, you learn about employer expectations regarding productivity.
Important
A hiring manager should be willing to share this information with you and identify what your place in the company would look like. If the answer is too vague, it might be a red flag.
2. What are Some of the Challenges I Might Face in This Role?
No role is sunshine and rainbows all the time, making this a good interview question to ask a hiring manager in a job interview. It gives you insight into the position while demonstrating a willingness to persevere in hard situations.
Employers want to know that new hires are willing to face challenges since learning curves can be daunting and lead to turnover. Asking this question shows a willingness to be prepared for upcoming challenges, which is a good sign for interviewers.
What the Answer Could Reveal
Asking about challenges faced on the job is a professional way to understand the hardships of the role. Keep in mind that in an interview, the negatives will be sugar-coated.
Depending on how the interviewer answers, you’ll learn about some of the difficulties on the job. Hearing the pain points early on will help you decide if this role is worth it for you. This question can save you time pursuing a position that has challenges you’re not willing to tackle.
3. What Will be Expected of Me Within the First Three Months?
New hires sometimes aren’t aware of expectations and become overworked because they take on tasks that weren’t specified in the job description. That makes this one of the most strategic interview questions to ask.
Not only will the answer enable you to prepare for upcoming tasks, but it will also help you set boundaries later. Knowing your role lets you know when it’s okay to say no to other people who ask for things that aren’t within your role.
Expert Tip
Establishing what is expected of you early also gives you an idea of what management views as going above and beyond.
What the Answer Could Reveal
The answer to the question of initial responsibilities and expectations sets the stage for your first months on the job.
You’ll learn how much the hiring manager knows about the role and, therefore, how much oversight you’ll have. It could also reveal organizational issues or if the team expects responsibilities to change soon.
4. How is Performance Measured for This Position?
This one might be among the best questions to ask your interviewer because it helps you understand how progress is determined and feedback is measured. It also demonstrates your eagerness to understand company practices and exemplify best behaviors.
What the Answer Could Reveal
When the hiring manager answers this question, you can learn a great deal about the company’s practices for measuring performance or if they don’t have them.
Having a structured system in place for measuring performance is a good sign for interviewees looking to work in an organized company. Conversely, companies with no metrics for performance could be problematic for promotions and raises.
Understanding what counts as productivity to the higher-ups is important to determine how your work style fits into the role.
Short Summary
- Asking interviewers these questions about the role you’re applying for helps you express a desire to understand how the company works.
- These questions reveal how organized a company is, what your workload would be like, and how your efforts and hard work will be recognized.
V. Smart Job Interview Questions to Ask About the Team
The best, and sometimes the worst, part of a job is the team. Getting to know a little bit about the people who might be your team members is an important way to understand the company culture.
These end-of-interview questions and answers can help you learn more about the people supporting your future role.
5. How is This Role Aiming to Fill Any Current Gaps the Company Has?
Above is one of the smart questions to ask a hiring manager in a job interview because it helps you understand your future responsibilities and reveals current needs within the company.
Asking this question expresses a desire to know about company goals and bottlenecks. Knowing exactly why the employer seeks to hire you will help you determine if this career opportunity is the right one.
What the Answer Could Reveal
The question above is an intelligent question to ask employers for several reasons.
- It reveals the company’s current challenges and how they expect you to manage them.
- You might realize that the company expects you to resolve problems that aren’t within your authority to solve.
- It can reveal that the company has strong teamwork in place as everyone strives to solve company challenges together.
Helpful Advice
Pay careful attention to what the hiring manager tells you about the team, including body language.
6. What Behaviors Do Exemplary Team Members Exhibit?
Asking this genius interview question shows a willingness and desire to emulate good behaviors. It also helps you understand expectations for tasks and how to gain exemplary status with your superiors.
What the Answer Could Reveal
Knowing how your boss defines exemplary reveals information about what is considered below average.
You might find that the company is expecting way too much from you to be seen as a good team member. The answer could also reveal a company’s understanding that diversity in thoughts and actions are all important pieces of the puzzle and that there’s no one right way to do things.
Important
A hiring manager should be able to provide detailed information about what it means to go above and beyond for their company. If not, it might indicate promotions and raises are tough to come by or given on an arbitrary basis.
7. How is Feedback Delivered?
You know yourself better than anyone and that includes understanding how you handle constructive criticism. Asking this question reveals a willingness to take constructive criticism and prepares you for how the company delivers it.
Employers want new hires to take feedback in order to grow and improve in the role. Mentioning it in the interview shows that you have experience learning new things and using feedback helped you to improve.
What the Answer Could Reveal
Ideally, the manager would detail a strong feedback process with regular check-ins or an open-door policy. It signals that new hires can rely on team members for help as they work together to succeed.
Important
Beware of companies with no established feedback process. It could signal the company’s lack of desire for improvement and tendency to place blame. Even worse, it could mean that management delivers but never receives feedback.
8. Do You Expect Any Changes in My Main Responsibilities Within the First Year?
This interview question enables you to understand the tasks expected of you and set boundaries about what you’re responsible for accomplishing. It also gives insight into company growth and any changes the organization sees in its future.
What the Answer Could Reveal
Asking about how your responsibilities could change over time is a way to gauge how stimulating a job might be and opportunities for growth.
Some companies prefer employees to have stable positions with defined responsibilities. Other organizations change up the pace with new challenges and responsibilities. Knowing what kind of company you are applying for will help your decision.
Short Summary
- You can learn much about how a team operates by asking the right question.
- Asking about team member roles and feedback delivery provides insight into the company culture.
- It shows employers that you’re willing to work as part of a team.
VI. Smart Job Interview Questions to Ask About Management
It can be difficult to pose questions about management styles and practices directly to management. Don’t worry; I have some questions to ask employers that succinctly ask about management styles without being too forward.
9. What is the Difference Between This Company and Other Companies You’ve Worked for in the Past?
This smart question for hiring managers provides insight into the benefits of working with the company without directly asking about them.
What the Answer Could Reveal
Asking the hiring manager about previous work experiences is a roundabout way to learn the perks of the job.
It can also provide information about the company culture. For example, the hiring manager might say their previous position was a lot more casual, and professionalism is a big difference now.
10. What Helps Keep You Motivated?
Asking this question at an interview demonstrates your desire to understand your superior’s motivations and goals. This question also reveals a willingness to work hard and model behaviors your superior desires.
Motivation is something every human struggles with at some point. Admitting that you have moments you feel unmotivated while seeking ways to cultivate motivation is a green light for employers.
What the Answer Could Reveal
Knowing what keeps your manager motivated reveals their passion for their job. Their answer could reveal office traditions, the potential for bonuses, and the rewarding aspect of the job.
11. What Are Your Favorite Things and the Most Challenging Thing You Encounter in Your Day-to-Day?
Above is one of the great questions to ask the interviewer on your next job hunt. This two-parter question can be easily asked mid-interview so that you learn about the perks and difficulties of your boss’s position.
Understanding your boss’s pain points and challenges with the job enables you to be an exemplary employee if it’s within your role to alleviate some of those challenges.
What the Answer Could Reveal
Hearing the challenges of the job and the best parts of the job from the mouth of your future boss is an important way to understand how involved they are.
You might hear answers that aren’t related to your role, which shows that your employer isn’t expecting you to have all the solutions.
This question is just personal enough that the answer could help you understand if the personality of the hiring manager is in line with your work style.
Tip of the Day
This question can alert you to personal skills you need to highlight during the rest of the interview. Think about how you can solve a pain point for a superior.
Short Summary
- People love when you show interest in them, including hiring managers.
- Ask these questions to learn about management’s personality and expectations.
- It provides you with more information about management styles and company policies.
- Learn existing pain points and formulate answers demonstrating how you can help.
VII. Smart Job Interview Questions to Ask About Company Goals
It’s a very good sign for a potential employee if the company has projects and goals. Asking questions about company goals is an easy way to learn about your growth within the company and about the core values of a company.
12. What are Some of the Current Goals the Company is Focused on?
This one is one of those key questions to ask a hiring manager in a job interview because it highlights how the role you’re hiring fits into the bigger picture. Interviewers want to hire goal-oriented people who commit to the company’s growth.
What the Answer Could Reveal
Listen carefully to how the hiring manager answers your question about company goals. Is profit the primary objective or does the company focus on its social impact?
Important
Make sure that you feel comfortable with the company’s goals and your role in reaching them.
13. Is There a 360° Feedback Process?
If you want a killer question to ask at the end of an interview, go with this one. It is a professional way to determine if management is responsive to feedback from employees.
What the Answer Could Reveal
If there is a 360° feedback policy, then it reveals structure in the organization. More than that, it shows that management is open to hearing how it can improve while simultaneously investing in your improvement.
Expert Advice
If there is no 360° feedback policy, follow up this question with question #7: How is feedback delivered?
14. Does the Company have CSR Initiatives?
This question is one of the best questions to ask an interviewer after you’ve browsed the company website since it might be answered online.
CSR initiatives, or corporate social responsibility, are practices the company has that bring good to the world. These can include initiatives to reduce carbon emissions, internal HR policies, joining social movements, etc.
Asking about a company’s CSR initiatives reveals your focus on bettering the world with the job that you do. It also demonstrates your interest in the company and that you did your research ahead of time.
What the Answer Could Reveal
Suppose a company reveals they do not have CSR efforts and aren’t planning on incorporating them into the company mission. In that case, it reveals to potential hires that profits are more important to the organization than humans are.
A hiring manager’s response tells you a lot about the company culture and its core values. Strong CSR initiatives typically correlate with company growth and emphasis on teamwork.
Fun Fact
Reports show that company culture is a fundamental factor for almost 50% of job-seekers to consider.
15. What are the Core Values of the Company?
It’s best to ask this witty question after researching the company’s story on its website. Asking this question is a way to succinctly hear how the hiring manager views the core values versus the marketing team who wrote the website copy.
What the Answer Could Reveal
Knowing a company’s core values highlights its goals and overall culture.
For example, if a core value of the company is innovation and creativity, the company culture and management style should reflect that. If the company’s core value is productivity and achievement, then the workplace environment will be different.
Short Summary
- Asking about company goals provides insight into the overall focus and whether it’s profits, people, or social influence.
- Learn about company culture and what the teams emphasize behind the scenes compared to the public profile on the website.
VIII. Smart Job Interview Questions to Ask About the Company Culture
Knowing a company’s culture is hard without getting to know the company first. Asking specific questions in an interview about company culture is a successful way to learn about company values, traditions, and the work style.
16. What is the Dress Code?
Do you need a whole new wardrobe if you take this job? Aside from knowing if you’re going shopping or not, this question gives you insight into the company culture.
What the Answer Could Reveal
Dress codes reveal some of the mentalities that the organization holds.
For example, a casual dress code indicates a more relaxed or highly creative work environment that values self-expression. It could also suggest that the company trusts employees to know what is business appropriate and what isn’t without having to spell it out.
A formal dress code highlights that the company values appearances. It could also reveal that the company values employee safety. For example, a factory with a steel-toe boot policy is taking precautions against workplace injury.
Fun Fact
It is scientifically supported that clothing plays a huge role in first impressions – so always dress the part!
17. Do You Have Team Socials or Office Traditions?
This smart question to ask a hiring manager serves two purposes. Asking about team socials shows that you are interested in getting to know your co-workers. Partnering the question by asking about office traditions shows that you’re not just into the social aspect of the job.
What the Answer Could Reveal
You get an idea about what you’re walking into and how important socials are to the company culture.
The hiring manager’s answer can tell you if socials are part of the workday or if everything happens after hours. It could also be a combination of traditional in-office events and after-work experiences.
18. What Can I Do To Get Up To Speed Quickly During My First Months?
Not only does this question show enthusiasm to learn, but it also gives you an idea about the training process. Asking about what you can do to succeed is typically well received by hiring managers.
What the Answer Could Reveal
The answer to this question could result in you being provided with a list of resources. This could indicate that the company expects you to use your personal time to develop into the role. At the same time, it could indicate the passion your hiring manager has for the job and the desire to share more information about it.
Another answer could be no. A no reveals that the company lacks resources for learning or feels its training program is comprehensive enough that outside resources aren’t needed.
Important
Ask for a clear answer about training expectations to determine if you need to plan for training on your personal time. It could be a deal-breaker for some people.
Short Summary
- Keep your ears and eyes open during the interview for signs indicating the company culture.
- You can learn about the dress code by looking at what your interviewer is wearing and also get a feel for the office atmosphere based on their personality.
- Get a clear picture of training expectations to determine if the job is a good fit for you.
IV. Smart Job Interview Questions to Ask About Future Opportunities
Ambition is a great quality to have in an interview. Ask about the potential for growth and future opportunities to show that you plan to be there for the long haul.
19. Where Have Successful Employees Moved On To?
This one is an important question to ask before accepting a job because it shows a desire to grow with the company if it’s possible.
What the Answer Could Reveal
The answer to a question about internal promotions and growth tells you how likely you are to be promoted. It also could reveal how long you should expect to stay in the current position before opportunities for moving up become available.
Practical Tip
Pay close attention to the hiring manager’s response to learn about turnover rates and room to move into superior roles.
20. Is This a New Position or an Established Role?
Above is one of the great questions to ask in an interview because it allows you to learn if the company has expectations about your role based on previous employees’ performance.
What the Answer Could Reveal
Suppose the position you are interviewing for is new. In that case, your responsibilities may not be firmly defined and could change within the first year.
If it is an established position, this reveals that the role will be firmly defined, but you might be measured against a previous employee’s performance.
21. What is the Turnover Rate in This Department?
If you didn’t get what you needed when you asked about employees moving on, ask directly. Knowing about turnover rate provides insight into employee satisfaction.
What the Answer Could Reveal
The answer may reveal that the turnover rate is low, which can help you plan your long-term career path. However, if the turnover rate is high, this can reveal issues within the company that have not been resolved.
Short Summary
- Listen to how the hiring manager phrases information about turnover to get a feel for management styles, feedback processes, and the company culture.
- Asking these questions is appropriate and can alert you to some red flags, especially if the hiring manager doesn’t answer them.
X. Questions To Avoid Asking In an Interview
Naturally, there are certain topics to avoid when interviewing for a new job. Knowing to avoid certain hot button issues is crucial because these questions can end your candidacy in an instant.
Salary and Health Benefits
Most people need to consider pay and health insurance, but they are hot-button topics for hiring managers. It doesn’t mean you can’t ask about it, but you need to do it properly.
Wrong: Asking Early In the Interview
Avoid directly asking about the job’s health benefits or other perks because it seems like you’re putting your needs ahead of the company’s.
Right: Waiting Until You Get a Job Offer
Salary, health benefits, and company perks enter the discussion once you become a viable candidate for the company. It’s better not to ask about included benefits in initial interviews and wait until discussions about salary begin before addressing this question.
Example: “I’m so excited that you want to offer me this position. Before I accept, I’d like to ask you a few more questions related to compensation and benefits.” When they make the offer, the ball is in your court, so this is the time to ask about the things that will impact your decision to accept or decline.
Background Checks and Social Media Stalking
Avoid asking about background checks or if they monitor social media pages. Instead, assume that all companies do run background checks and search you out on social media.
Wrong: Do You Need To Do A Background Check?
Drawing attention to background checks signals to a potential employer that you might have a record.
Wrong: Do You Monitor Social Media?
Likewise, asking about the importance of social media makes interviewers question if you’re posting things that aren’t professional.
Right: Keep Private Information Private
Even if you have nothing to hide, set your social media to private and keep silent on background checks unless asked about one.
Questions that have Answers on the Company Website
Always do your research before your interview. The company website will answer questions and give insight into the culture and core values. That doesn’t mean you can’t ask for clarification.
Wrong: Ask Superficial Questions About the Company
Nothing makes you look less prepared for an interview than asking questions that are already answered on the company’s homepage.
Right: Dig Deeper Into Topics That Interest You
If you want to stand out as a suitable candidate for the position, go in with some knowledge about the company. For example, ask more about the CSR efforts you found and ask how employees can get involved.
Example: “What makes this company’s products or services different from [industry competitor]’s?” This question demonstrates that you’ve done your research on the company and the industry, while giving you insight into the company’s values and priorities.
Short Summary
- Wait to ask about salary and benefits until you get an offer or the hiring manager discusses them.
- Keep social media profiles private and avoid asking about background checks.
- Don’t ask basic questions that show you did no research on the company before the interview.
XI. Frequently Asked Questions
Now that you know the right questions to ask and which ones to avoid, keep reading for more FAQs and how to close up the interview.
How many questions should you ask at the end of an interview?
Assume that you’ll have time to ask between three to five questions at the end of the interview. Prepare extra questions that you can casually insert into the conversation before the interviewer asks you to present any questions.
How can I impress an interviewer?
Impressing an interviewer is the goal of any job hiring process. After all, impressing them is how you get the job above the other candidates. Some things you can do to impress an interviewer are:
- Work on your handshake
- Do research ahead of time
- Be enthusiastic
- Treat every person you meet like they’re the manager
- Ask the right questions
Key Takeaways
- Prepare your questions in advance. Most job interviewers give you the opportunity to ask them questions at the end of the interview. Have questions prepared in advance to avoid drawing a blank when the tables turn.
- Ask the right questions. Ask questions that help you evaluate whether the company and job are a good fit for you, such as how performance is evaluated and what the company culture is.
- Know what questions to avoid. Don’t ask superficial questions that you could have answered by Googling, and don’t ask for more detail about salary and benefits until they make the job offer.
- Always ask something. Whatever you do, don’t pass on the opportunity to ask questions, as it can make you appear uninformed and uninterested.
Final Thoughts
Many people struggle to come up with questions to ask at the end of an interview, so having some ready will make a good impression. The right questions can improve your odds of getting the job, while the wrong ones can hurt them. What are your favorite questions to ask a hiring manager? Did I miss any smart questions?
Hopefully, this article leaves you prepared for your next interview. If you found my tips helpful, I would really love to hear about it! If you have any insider knowledge yourself, or any tips on questions to ask a hiring manager during a job interview, give us all a leg up and leave it in a message! I can’t wait to hear from you!
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