Interesting Questions To Ask At The End Of Your Job Interview

Good preparation for your job interview cannot be understated. As a key step towards landing your dream job, you’ll want to go in with a plan. Not only can experienced interviewers easily separate the prepared from the unprepared, but it also helps you to remain calm and confident during the course of the interview, which can make all the difference in the end.

Your preparation should include questions to ask at the end of an interview. It’s standard practice for interviewers to ask: “do you have any questions for us?” which presents an excellent opportunity to show your enthusiasm for the job.

Ensure you’ve done some research on your potential future employer prior to the interview and have at least two to three questions ready. You might come up with some questions during the interview based on the flow of the conversation but it’s important to always walk in with a few in stock. It’ll give you a better idea of whether or not the role and company are a good fit and ensures you don’t come across as disinterested as a last impression.

We’ve rounded up six questions you could ask depending on their importance to your personal values to see if they’re aligned with your potential employers.

People have different motivations over a salary alone. If you have ambitions to enhance your skills and climb up the company ladder, then you will view professional development and career advancement as key aspects of your overall compensation.

Asking this question demonstrates a natural drive for continuous improvement and desire to not only meet expectations, but exceed them. Indirectly, it shows that you care about the role and team you’re looking to join, as your performance will reflect the company’s success as a whole. Posing this question also shows foresight. An ability to see the bigger picture is a sought-after trait in any role.

Asking this question shows the interviewer that you’re interested in the different aspects of the role. It also signals that you take a proactive approach to solving problems. Employers are always on the lookout for people who can overcome challenges without the need for micro-management; so asking this question is a chance to subliminally send the message, “I’m that person!”

You also get the chance to evaluate your own skills against the responsibilities you’ll be expected to fulfill. It will help you determine if you’re up for the challenge. If you’re still keen on taking the job after the interviewer’s answer, it also gives you the chance to refine your skills before starting the new role.

Inquiring about company culture is a great way to gain valuable insight on the working environment. It enables you to set reasonable expectations regarding how well you’re likely to fit into the team.

Asking this question is also an opportunity to understand the company’s attitude towards the job satisfaction of its employees, whether there are attractive staff benefits on offer, and the general work-life balance you can anticipate if you end up taking on the role. All these elements are key to developing better relationships with coworkers and improving your performance on the job.

There has been a big surge in remote work after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. During a three-month period between February and April of 2020, searches for remote work increased by over 100%. Some employers who were previously hesitant to incorporate working remotely into their employment policies have since changed their stance as a result of this global shift, in addition to seeing the benefits for themselves when forced to do so during the pandemic.

If working from home is high on your priority list for any number of reasons, including greater flexibility, higher productivity, better motivation, less commuting time, improved work-life balance, and more autonomy among others, don’t be afraid to ask about it at the end of your interview!

While you want to demonstrate how serious you are about your career during an interview, you still have every right to know what the family leave, maternity leave, or paternity leave policies are before you accept a job offer — especially if you’re planning to grow a family within a year or two!

But even if you don’t have children and aren’t planning to have any anytime soon, the response you receive will tell you a lot about the company culture. You’ll have a life outside your work and this is the perfect opportunity for you to understand how well some of the company’s non-work-related values and your own values align.

Most countries in the world including the UK, Canada, and Australia have laws that mandate some form of paid parental leave. In the UK, Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is paid for up to 39 weeks. In Canada, Employment Insurance (EI) maternity benefits are paid for up to 15 weeks. In Australia, Parental Leave Pay is available for up to 18 weeks. Unfortunately, the United States is one of the few nations that doesn’t require this by law, so rules on parental leave vary by company.

Having resources in place to support mental health in the workplace is no longer a “nice-to-have” benefit, as it is now a key part of effectively managing human resources. Asking this question will shed some light on how seriously the company views employee wellbeing.

It will provide useful insight into how you’ll be expected to cope with challenges or setbacks in your life — whether it be in the workplace or at home — and the level to which the company is likely to empathize with you in various circumstances. Having a good support system in place will help to improve motivation, morale, productivity, as well as quality of life outside work during the course of your employment with the company.

While it’s important for you to be prepared and shed yourself in the best light during an interview, the same goes for the other side. Since it’s also good for you to learn as much as possible about the people you could potentially be spending a lot of your time with, here are a few curveball questions that you can ask to get a better feel for the team you’re considering joining.

Asking this question can indicate whether this is a completely new position, in which case you can make further inquiries about their expectations for the role to help you determine its sustainability. If you’re replacing someone, it could give you some insight into the reasons behind that person leaving, and the aspects that make you a better fit. It can also tell you about the level of staff turnover, which often speaks volumes about the role and employer.

At the end of the day, whether or not it’s a new position, you can save yourself from being on the hunt for a new job again in the near future based on the response you get to this question.

If the interviewer is also going to be your manager, it’s fair to ask them about their management style, including any strengths and weaknesses. Since there’ll be a lot of communication and collaboration between you and your manager, you’ll want to know what you can expect from the working relationship.

Do they come across as genuine? Is there a good balance of professionalism and affability? Do they seem approachable and accessible? Can they help you grow and develop personally and professionally? Are they receptive to two-way communication? The way they answer this question is a strong indicator of whether or not the interpersonal aspect of the job is a good fit for you.

Asking about employee empowerment tells you about the company’s general outlook on delegation, transparency, and opportunities for creativity. When a company allows its staff to take more ownership and responsibility in their roles, it shows that they value your input, trust your skills, and have confidence in your judgment.

Knowing that you’ll be empowered before taking the job will put you in the best frame of mind to hit the ground running when you start. This facilitates better performance, higher satisfaction in your role, and more loyalty to the organization.

Doing a little bit of research and asking the right questions at the end of your interview can go a long way towards demonstrating that you’re interested and engaged. Use the guidelines above to ensure you never say, “I don’t have any questions” when prompted at the end of your interview again.

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