Do You Have Any Questions for Us? What to Ask in an Interview

Your application and your presence in the interview room demonstrate that you're interested in the position. But employers want to know a little more about your passion for their work.

Call it selfish, but your interview team wants to know that you're as interested in them as they are in you.

That's why they give you the chance to ask a few questions as your interview draws to a close.

The questions you ask showcase your passion and curiosity. And as an added bonus, those queries help you highlight your skills too.

Typically, you'll have an opportunity to ask questions during the second, in-person interview. That talk usually lasts for an hour or so, and we're going to give you far more questions than you'll have time to ask.

So, cherry pick this list, but remember: You'll want to ask at least three questions before you walk out of the interview room.

A close reading of the job description should tell you a lot about your work and your responsibilities. But the nuances of day-to-day life can elude you a bit. Questions that clarify your role and your goals could help you decide if this job is right for you.

Here are examples of good questions to ask, along with exceptional follow-up responses.

• Ask: Is this a new position? If not, what happened to the prior employee?
  • Listen: Did your predecessor get promoted or flame out?
  • Follow up: Highlight your longevity in your last job, or talk about the skills you use to prevent burnout.
• Ask: Whom will I report to?
  • Listen: What skills does this person have? How long has this person been in the job?
  • Follow up: Discuss what you've learned from mentors in the past, or express how much you look forward to the chance to learn.
• Ask: How would you describe a normal day in this position?
  • Listen: Will you work alone or in groups? Will you multitask or focus?
  • Follow up: Discuss your willingness or ability to meet the expectations given in the answer.
• Ask: How big will my team be?
  • Listen: Identify collaboration and mentoring opportunities.
  • Follow up: Discuss your views on collaboration and teamwork. Point out how well you work with others.

Getting a job is great, but keeping it is ideal. Make sure you understand how this company will grade your work, and point out how much value you'll deliver, with this set of savvy questions.

Here are our top suggestions.

• Ask: What’s the biggest challenge I'll face in this position?
  • Listen: These are the problems your employers expect you to solve if you take on the job.
  • Follow up: Pick one issue and talk about how you've dealt with something similar in the past. Use concrete numbers — like how you boosted sales or increased efficiencies — when you can.
• Ask: Could you describe the company's culture?
  • Listen: Is this a relaxed or corporate environment? How does that mesh with your personality?
  • Follow up: Compare/contrast with the environment you're working in now. Discuss why the company offers a space in which you'll thrive.
• Ask: What's one goal I should hit in the first 30 days?
  • Listen: Expect this same issue to appear on your performance review after you land this job.
  • Follow up: This is your chance to express your ability and willingness to dig into issues and solve them. Give examples of how you've dealt with something similar, and again, use numbers when you can to prove your work.

Every applicant should research their prospective employer long before the interview starts. When you sit down to talk, you should know a lot about where the company is now and how it works. But you may not know what's in store for this company in two to five years.

These questions help you peer into the future, and asking them highlights your willingness to stay on for the long haul. These are especially important questions to ask if you tend to switch jobs a lot, and you need to showcase your sticking power.

• Ask: What's a top goal for the company in the next year?
  • Listen: Think about how your position will support that role. Will you have money or another metric to measure?
  • Follow up: Express your support for that goal (you're a company cheerleader already!) and talk about what you'll do to make it happen.
• Ask: I've read your recent press release about [Issue X]. What does it mean for your company?
  • Listen: Every company faces challenges from time to time. Falling stock prices, recent scandals, and more can show up in the news. Listen closely for the company's spin.
  • Follow up: Outline what you might do to put the issue right again, and use examples of how you've done the same in the past.

You're applying for just one job right now. But the perfect company should give you the chance to advance, learn, and grow. You may not see those opportunities in the job description, so you'll have to tease them out in your interview. Doing so proves that you have ambition and you hope to bring even more value to the company in the future.

Here are a few ideas you could build on.

• Ask: Are there opportunities for advancement?
  • Listen: There's no harm in being direct here. If you hope to move up in the industry, you'll need to find out how that path will look.
  • Follow up: If you do have the chance to climb the ladder, talk about how you've done something similar for another company. Explain the timelines for your promotions and why you deserved them.
• Ask: What's the typical career path for someone in this job?
  • Listen: This is similar to our first question, but it's a bit softer. You'll learn more about how the company views this position.
  • Follow up: Explain how this fits within your career plans, and highlight how you've been promoted in prior companies.

Most interview panels are made up of future coworkers. You might be talking to your potential boss, and making a connection could be crucial to landing the position.

Keep your questions professional, but consider choosing one or two of these queries.

• Ask: What was your career path at this company?
  • Listen: You'll find out how often the organization really trains and promotes workers. If advancement is critical for you, these are important answers.
  • Follow up: Explain why this path appeals to you, or talk about how your promotions have also helped with your growth.
• Ask: What do you like the most about working here?
  • Listen: This gets to the heart of company culture, and the results can be really interesting.
  • Follow up: Your next move will vary depending on the answers you heard. But strive to point out how you'll fit in nicely.
• Ask: Will we be working together?
  • Listen: You'll learn who is the power player on the interview team.
  • Follow up: Express your excitement about working together.

Some questions apply to almost any industry you can think of, but others are tied closely to your industry and your career path. You'll want that level of specificity, as it demonstrates that you're a professional and capable of working in your field.

We've gathered up sample questions for a few top industries.

• Retail: What is your best-selling item and why?
• Nursing: What types of nurses thrive in this unit?
• Graphic Designer: What software do you use, and are you satisfied with it?
• Sales: How much flexibility will I have in negotiating price with my customers?
• Marketing: What's a marketing channel you think you're underutilizing and why?
• Engineer: Can you tell me about a recent project you've completed and what the person in my role did?
• Receptionist: How many phone calls do you get in an average day?
• Customer Service: What's the most common complaint clients mention?
• Teacher: How would you describe the students in this school?

These questions are all very different, but they share specificity and attention to detail. If you're hoping to demonstrate experience in your field and a willingness to do the work, these are very good choices.

We've given you many examples of queries to toss at your interviews. Now, we're ready to warn you. There are some questions that should never come up during your interview, even if you're itching to know the answers.

Some of these questions are valid but should come up later in the hiring process. Others are just in poor taste and shouldn't come up at all.

Not sure what we mean? Here are a few no-no examples:

• What's your mission statement? What is it that you do? How many employees do you have? Any question you can answer yourself via the company's website is off limits. Asking them proves that you haven't done your homework.
• How much will I get paid? Is the salary negotiable? Can I go on vacation next week? Can I freelance? Benefits questions are crucial, but you'll need to ask them a little later. Asking them now means putting money into the conversation too early.
• Do you have a break room? Will I have my own office? Play your cards right, and you'll get a tour of the office. Don't ask about these things now.
• Do you have flex time? Can I come in late because I'm not a morning person? Negotiate your hours with a firm job offer in hand. Asking now suggests that you're more interested in being out of the office than in.
• How many kids do you have? Does your dad own the company? Are you Hispanic? These are extremely personal questions you wouldn't want to answer. Don't expect your boss to be any different.

Before you can pepper your employer with savvy questions, you'll need to apply for the perfect job. We can help make that happen. Visit us, and search for the role of your dreams. We have thousands of listings, and they're always current. Check us out!