150 Questions You Should Ask the Interviewer

About Job

1. Who would be my immediate manager or supervisor in this position?

2. How will I be trained?
3. What’s the toughest part about this job?
4. Is this a new position or am I replacing someone?
5. Why did the previous person leave?
6. How long has the position been open for?
7. Can you elaborate on the day-to-day duties and responsibilities of the job?
8. What can you tell me about the position that isn’t in the job description?
9. What does a typical day look like?
10. What would my first week look like?
11. Would you like me to do anything differently than the previous people who held this job? If so, what?
12. What is the typical career path for this role?
13. Has anyone ever performed poorly in this position? What were the typical mistakes they made?
14. What do you think are the most important qualities for someone to excel in this role?
15. How many people have held this job in the last two years?
16. How long does someone typically stay in this job?
17. Can you show me examples of projects I would be working on?
18. What skills and experiences are you looking for in the ideal candidate?
19. What types of skills are missing in the team that you’re looking to fill with a new hire?
20. Will I have a mentor?
21. Will I be leading or managing anyone? Can you tell me about their strengths and weaknesses?
22. What is the last person who did this job doing now?
23. Where have successful employees previously in this role progressed to?
24. What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve seen people in this role face?
25. What responsibilities have the highest priority?
26. What’s the most important thing I could do to help within the first 90 days on the job?
27. What are the performance expectations of this position over the first 12 months?
28. How does this role contribute to the organization’s overall success?
29. What sort of budget would I be working with?
30. How do you see this position evolving in the next three years? MasJep
 150 Questions You Should Ask the Interviewer

About Company

1. Where do you think the company is headed in the next five years?
2. Who do you consider being your biggest competitor, and why?
3. What are the biggest opportunities facing the company right now?
4. What are the biggest challenges facing the company right now?
5. What challenges do you anticipate in the coming years?
6. What is your company culture like?
7. How would you describe the company culture?
8. How does the company assist employees in their work–life balance?
9. What are the most important values of the company?
10. Is there anything you can tell me about the company that isn’t on the website?
11. How many people joined your company last year?
12. What steps do you actively take to keep employees motivated?
13. What are examples of company events?
14. Why do you think people leave the company?
15. What is your turnover and what steps are taken to improve it?
16. How has the company changed since you joined it?
17. What is the company’s view on creativity and individuality?
18. If you could change one thing about the company, what would it be?
19. Do you encourage participating in community and professional activities?
20. Does the company support ongoing training and education for employees to stay in their current
fields?
21. How often are performance reviews given?
22. How is performance measured?
23. How are employees recognized for a job well done?
24. How would you describe the office environment?
25. Where do you see the industry going in the next five years, and how does this impact the company?
26. Can you tell me about your new products or plans for growth?
27. What is the company’s management style?
28. What causes the most conflict among employees in the company?
29. What is your telecommuting policy?
30. What perks and benefits does the company offer? MasJep
 150 Questions You Should Ask the Interviewer

About Interviewer

1. How long have you been working in the company?

2. What made you decide to join the company?
3. Has your role changed since you started working here?
4. What’s your favorite thing about working here?
5. What have you found to be the biggest challenge about working here?
6. What do you wish you had known before you joined the company?
7. What don’t you like about working here, and what would you change?
8. What do you find to be the most stressful thing about working here?
9. What are your interests, and how does your job satisfy those?
10. What excites you most about coming to work every day?
11. How did you develop your career in this company?
12. Do you feel someone entering the company today would have similar opportunities?
13. What has allowed you to be successful here?
14. If you were to do everything all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself and why?
15. What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you since joining the company?
16. What do you consider to be the company’s greatest strengths and weaknesses?
17. What is a typical day like for you?
18. Why do you consider yourself successful in this job?
19. What is your background?
20. As you review your experience here, what are you most proud of?
21. What did you do before this?
22. If you ever left a job, what would most likely drive you away?
23. How optimistic are you about the company’s future and your future at the company?
24. How would you characterize yourself as a leader?
25. How do you help your team grow professionally?
26. Can you tell me about the kind of supervision you provide?
27. How do you respond to team conflicts?
28. What changes or innovations in the industry are you most excited about?
29. What is your preferred method of communication with employees who report to you?
30. Do you feel that your opinions count? MasJep
 150 Questions You Should Ask the Interviewer

About Team

1. Can you tell me what the team is like?

2. Can I meet more of the team I’d be working with?
3. Is there anyone else on the team you’d like me to meet with?
4. What tools does the team use to communicate each day?
5. How are teams typically structured in the company?
6. What type of team activities does the work group participate in?
7. Does anyone on the team ever get together outside work?
8. Could you tell me about a time when a coworker went out of their way to do something nice for a
teammate?
9. Is the work on this team more collaborative or independent?
10. How many people are in this team/department?
11. What sort of communication style works best with this team?
12. Who would I be working with?
13. How is communication between this department and others?
14. Who will I be reporting to?
15. How does senior management view this group?
16. How does the team deal with two urgent projects with conflicting deadlines?
17. Which other departments work closely with this one?
18. Do you expect to hire more people in this team/department within the next six months?
19. What do you and the team usually do for lunch?
20. What is the approval process for projects and tasks within the group?
21. What are the key positions and groups that I would be working with?
22. Who owns the goals of the team and how are decisions made about what work needs to be done?
23. What influence do I have towards setting goals for the team/department?
24. What are the leadership or personality types of those people and groups?
25. What are the three biggest challenges your team faces when working with other groups within the
organization?
26. What do you do to minimize the challenges?
27. How competitive are your employees?
28. How do you develop teamwork skills among employees?
29. What is your team’s greatest achievement?
30. When was the last time you promoted someone within your team, and why? MasJep
 150 Questions You Should Ask the Interviewer

About Interview Process

1. How long does your recruitment process typically take?

2. What are the next steps in the interview process?
3. When can I expect to hear back from you?
4. If I don’t hear back from you by that date, who should I follow up with?
5. Will unsuccessful candidates be contacted?
6. How will you get in touch?
7. When do you expect to make an offer?
8. Who will make the final hiring decision?
9. Do you have an ideal start date in mind?
10. How many people will be interviewing for this role?
11. How should I follow up?
12. Who should I stay in touch with as things move forward?
13. How do I compare with the other candidates you interviewed for the job?
14. Do you have any feedback?
15. Would you like a list of references?
16. Do you have any concerns about my qualifications or experience?
17. Would you like me to complete a test?
18. Is there anything else I can do or provide to help you make your decision?
19. If you decide to extend an offer, when would you like me to start?
20. What could I expect in the next round of interviews?
21. Is there anything that would prevent you from offering me this job?
22. May I contact you if other questions arise?
23. What is the most appropriate method to contact you?
24. Are there any other questions I can answer?
25. What are some of the reasons you’ve rejected candidates for so far?
26. Would you like to see more examples of my work?
27. Would you like to see proof of my qualifications?
28. If you had to choose your finalists for the position today, would I be included?
29. Is there anything about my resume that needs further explanation or clarification?
30. What will the on boarding process be like? MasJep