15 questions you could ask at a job interview

You were prepping for days in advance, and the job interview has gone well so far. You feel that you answered all the questions with clarity and showcased the best of your skills and experience.

They’ve just finished by telling you lots more about the role, their expectations and the company. It sounds great, and you’re already thinking about the caramel latte you’re going to have as a post-job interview treat. But then, they turn to you and say, ‘have you got any questions for us?’

Oh gosh, you’d definitely prepared a few, and you knew they’d ask this, but they’ve already covered all the answers in their spiel. You rack your brains; you must be able to think of one question to ask.

Why asking questions at a job interview is important

Skills and experience are important, but they can be taught to an employee with the right attitude. Often interviewers will be looking more for someone with enthusiasm and a willingness to learn than someone with precisely the right skillset, and asking intelligent questions is an excellent way to demonstrate that you’re keen and curious.

There might not be much between you and another candidate, so showing that you want the job could make that crucial difference. And as it’s often the final part of an interview, this is the lasting impression that you’re going to leave with the interviewers.

15 questions you can ask in a job interview

1.What will my day-to-day responsibilities be?

Find out what a typical day would look like.

2. How will I be trained?

A training and development plan should be an essential part of any job.

3. What does the performance review process look like?

Find out how often your performance will be reviewed and how.

4. What opportunities are there for progression? Where have other employees progressed on to?

Think of it not just as a new job but as the next step on your career path.

5. What does success look like, and how is it measured in the role/business?

Discover what metrics the company holds as most important: customer satisfaction, team happiness, market share, growth, and profit.

6. What are the company’s plans for new products/services or growth?

Show your interest in the growth of the company and get an insight into future plans.

7. What are the company’s plans for digital innovation?

Find out how technologically focused and forward-thinking the organisation is.

8. What do you think the biggest challenge that I will face in this role will be?

Get an idea of any problems you are likely to come up against.

9. Can you tell me a bit about the team’s culture and any team-building activities and events?

Find out more about the team culture to see if you feel you would fit in. Do different teams get together? Does anybody socialise outside of work?

10. What gets you most excited about working in this team?

This should give you a taste of some of the best things about the role and the personality of the team’s manager.

11. Would I be able to represent the company at industry conferences/events?

This demonstrates confidence, pride and an ability to think outside the box. It can also be a great career development and networking opportunity for you if you can do it.

12. What is the history of the position?

Find out whether this is a new role that’s been created or who the predecessor was, how long they’d been in the position and why they left.

13. How could I impress you in the first three months?

This shows that you would want to get off to a flying start and what manager wouldn’t want that of their new team member?

14. I really want the job, is there anything else I can provide you with that would be helpful?
Don’t be shy to tell them directly that you want the job if you do, and use this as a chance to make sure you haven’t missed out on telling them anything important.

15. What are the next steps in the interview/decision process?

Don’t leave without finding out when they will get back to you and what the rest of the process looks like.

Don’t ask questions for the sake of it but genuinely ask the ones that are most important to you. Remember, an interview should be two-way. It’s also your opportunity to find out about the organisation, people and if this is a role that you want.

Further reading

• How to nail an online job interview
• Tips for online networking to find a job in 2021
• Why you should ask your employer to put you on a financial apprenticeship

Sophie Cross is the Editor of Freelancer Magazine and a freelance writer and marketer at Thoughtfully.