Interview Questions For Candidates To Ask

During conversations with job seekers who are interviewing, they often ask what questions they should ask. 

I love that they are curious about what questions they should ask. II want every interviewing candidate to ask questions so they better understand the role, the company and the leadership. 

I created a list of questions job seekers can ask during the interview process and I thought I’d share those questions with you here. 

DO THIS FIRST

Before each interview, identify 5-10 important questions you want to ask the person you’ll be interviewing with. Select the appropriate questions for the audience you are speaking with: HR/Talent Acquisition, Future Manager, Peers, Leadership.

HR/Talent Acquisition typically don’t have a good sense of the day to day responsibilities other than what’s in the job description. They can answer questions about the overall company culture, why the job is available, and what the time-frame for filling the role is. Here are 17 questions to ask recruiters. 

Your Future Manager can answer any and all questions you want to know about. Your questions should reflect your interest  in helping solve problems, curiosity about performance expectations, and recognition as someone who is easy to manage/direct, 

Peer interviewers are good for getting a sense of how things actually function. They can shed light on management style, resources, pace of work, and culture. The questions you ask should convey your interest in the company’s success and achieving goals. 

Leadership interviewers can provide bigger picture goals, vision, and longer-term plans. They may not have the final say on whether you get hired, but you want them to feel you are interested in the company and ask intelligent/well-researched questions. 

Basic Questions

These questions are good to ask during the pre-screening phone interview or in the early stages of the interviewing process.

Gathering the answers early will allow you to ask better follow-up questions later on and have a better sense of what skills you may need to emphasize, what cultural issues need further exploration, and some areas you have room to negotiate.

Role/Position

• Why is this position available?

• What did the last person in this position go on to do? 

• How is job performance evaluated at your company, and how often?

Cultural Fit Questions 

Finding the right cultural fit is important to you AND the employer. Listen carefully as you ask these questions. Sometimes it takes asking good follow-up questions to gain further insight or clarification. You may have other elements of culture that are important to you but are not mentioned here and that’s fine. Ask your question in a way that prompts them to give you an example of that cultural characteristic in action. Some of these are appropriate to ask anyone, and others are specifically for your future manager. 

• What do you like best about working here? 

• How does this company help its employees grow professionally?

• What makes employees want to stay at this company?

• What is an interesting or exciting project that you've worked on since you've started at this company?

• How do managers generally provide feedback, recognition, and support to their teams?

• How accessible and approachable are the senior leaders within the company? How does leadership communicate with employees?

• What are the characteristics of successful employees at this company?

• How does the company try to create an inclusive environment for diverse backgrounds/perspectives? 

Questions To Ask Future Manager

These questions allow you to explore the job requirements and expectations and are best asked of your future manager. 

• How have people succeeded in this role in the past?

• What is the most challenging part of this position?

• What are the most important elements of this job?

• How has this position changed over time?

• How is job performance evaluated at your company, and how often?

• What types of skills do you NOT already have on board that you’re looking to fill with a new hire? 

• What goals do you expect the person who takes this job to achieve during the 30, 60, 90 days? 

• What do you like best about working here?

• Has anyone on your staff been promoted over the last couple of years? If so, what was the reason why this person was promoted?

Company/Industry

To learn more about how the company perceives itself and its vision for the future, consider asking some of these questions. You should always do your research before the interview but hearing how these questions are answered can provide additional insight. 

• What can you tell me about your new product or plans for growth?

• What are the biggest opportunities the company is trying to take advantage of?

• What do you think the future of this industry looks like?

• In what ways are you better than the competition?

• What is the main challenge the company currently faces? What is being done to address that challenge?

• How do you think the company will change over the next five years?

Final Questions You Must Ask

At the end of every job interview, always ask these two questions so you understand their hiring process and know when to follow up. 

• What is the next step in this process?

• What is your timeline for getting back to candidates about the next steps?

Want to see more questions? Read these 30+ unique questions. 

Which question would you most like an answer to during a job interview?

🔎 JOB SEARCH

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You must be vigilant. Job scams appear in text messages, email, and LinkedIn. The salary might sound too good to be true (or just too high) or the hiring process may be too quick. Please familiarize yourself with warning signs of scams and what to do if you accidentally click on that link.   

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The graphic is the star of this post. It outlines the three different types of recruiters, what they do, and how to work with them. Tap into the power of outside recruiters, but know that they don’t work for you, they work for the company that hired them.  

🤝 NETWORKING

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No one likes the feeling of reaching out to someone after a long time. But you know what, you need to. Follow Austin’s steps: Brainstorm your weak ties list, confront the awkwardness when reaching out, start by mentioning something you remember, mention your goals, relieve the pressure with an exit clause, repeat! For more details, visit his post on LinkedIn. 

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When someone asks how they can help you and your job search, hand them your TCL (target company list) and ask who they know at any of these companies. This small but specific request gets people thinking (and you too). 

🗨 INTERVIEWING

If you want to stand out, try these 7 smart questions | Arpad Szakal

“The best candidates know that asking the right questions can set them apart. The questions you ask can be just as impactful as the answers you give.” Review this list of questions before your next job interview and pick a couple that address issues that are important to you and your success.

🔮 WORKFORCE

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The traditional definitions of "white collar" and "blue collar" jobs are evolving. There’s now a third category called "no collar" jobs, which require both skills and knowledge and cannot be automated. While white-collar workers are typically paid for what they know, and blue-collar workers are paid for what they do, "no collar" workers are rewarded for both. 

Interesting Data: In  2024, professional services saw a 20% decrease in monthly average job openings, while construction saw a 4% decrease. New hires in construction earned more than new hires in professional services. The economy is rewarding workers who do and know.

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The recent federal layoffs aren’t yet in the jobs report. But this analysis of the report explains what is going on. An increase in under-employment and long-term unemployment are things to watch.While the unemployment rate isn’t perfect, everyone realizes it under-counts the real data. Is there more we need to be aware of? Perhaps. 

💰 CAREER

Mission Mad Lib | Meg Applegate, Hinge Resume

Do you know how to define your personal mission statement? It’s not easy. Meg sees it like this: your vision and mission are holding hands.

• 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝. It’s your greater purpose that you can’t accomplish singlehandedly. 

• 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬, 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

So if you've lost track of yourself in the hustle and bustle of work and life, get back to the basics.

📶 RECRUITER PERSPECTIVE

The “White-Collar Recession” Hiding in a Red-Hot Job Market | Brian Fink

I really want you to read this! Why aren’t more people talking about this? This article features data and resources that highlight the “white-collar recession”. 

In this post, I provide suggestions for unemployed white-collar job seekers.

🚀 PRODUCTIVITY

Why Kindness Is the Key To High Performance At Work | Fast Company

Kindness, empathy, and psychological safety at work are not just fluffy, hippie ideas. They are key drivers of outstanding performance. Graham Allcott, author of KIND: The Quiet Power of Kindness at Work, outlines 5 key points about the value of kindness. 

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