100+ Questions to Ask in an Interview

100+ Questions to Ask in an Interview A job interview is a meeting where recruiters and hiring managers ask you questions about yourself and your answer, right?Wrong!You must also be prepared with your own set of questions.You too have your concerns and queries about the job and the company, don’t you?Besides, asking the right questions in a job interview shows that you are serious about the job and have sufficient interest to ask relevant questions.That’s why we have compiled all the important questions to ask your employer in a job interview.Use these questions as a guide for your interview.You should always research the company and the job before your interview. Keep in mind that some of these questions may be answered in your research or during the course of your interview.A few of the questions fall under more than one category and have been listed in all the relevant categories.(If you need to prepare for other interview questions, check out this article: Common Interview Questions: 50+ Questions and Answers.)T op 7 Best Questions to Ask in an InterviewFirst, let’s have a look at the 7 must-ask questions in a job interview.You may not get enough time to ask about all of your concerns.Keep these top questions in mind so that you can quickly get the most important questions answered.Below are some of the best questions to ask in an interview:What skills and qualities the perfect candidate should have for this post? What would you expect the person to be hired to accomplish in the first 3 months? How do you measure success for the position? What would be my future career progression from [name of the position]? What are the opportunities for professional growth available in the company? What do you like most about the company culture here? What characteristics do you seek in an employee that align with the company values?These are must-ask questions because the answers to these will give you a clear view of the job you are going to do for the company and what your future will look like.Now, we will break down all the important questions to ask your employer in a job interview by category.(If you'd like another shortlist instead of the full rundown, see out article10 Appropriate Questions to Ask in an Interview.)Questions to Ask in an Interview that Show Your IntelligenceWe all want to be perceived as intelligent and educated human beings.This is even more so during a job interview.One way to show your intellect in a job interview is by asking the right questions.Ask your interviewer the following questions that are sure to show your intelligence:Do you value hustle and speed or art and precision while working? Does the company have a plan and separate investment to drive innovation? What strategies and tools do you use to enhance employee collaboration and teamwork? Do you have HR analytics to evaluate work performance? If so, what are the key metrics that are monitored? Which specific performance indicator do you put most emphasis on for this specific role? Would I r eceive periodic feedback or a performance review? What would be the top accomplishments for this position? What goals would you like a new recruit to achieve in the next year?With these questions to ask your interviewer, you will have enough material at hand to leverage your intellect.Now, let’s get into some serious questions about the job itself.Good Questions to Ask in an Interview about the JobAsking relevant questions about the position you are being interviewed for makes the most sense, right?The more you get to know the job the better you will be able to prepare yourself for it. Besides, asking these questions lets the interviewer know that you are very serious about the position and eager to learn new things.Here are some interview questions to ask about the position:How did the position become available? What hard and soft skills do you think would be most needed for performing the job responsibilities? Can you describe the team I would be working with? What are the skill s do the team you currently have working here lack? How is the current team doing? What challenges are they facing? What are the current problems and challenges would you want the person to be hired to solve? What would you want the new hire to accomplish in the first three months? How do you measure success for this role? What would be the career path for this role within the organization? How important is the role in relation to the current company objectives? What are the facilities or opportunities for professional growth for the position? With whom would I work most closely with? Could you tell a bit more about the person to whom I would be reporting? What would a typical day look like for this position? What are the usual working hours? Is there any possibility of overtime? Is there anything about my experience that would bar you from hiring me?By now, you would know much more about the job than even the interviewer himself!(If you are considering relocatingfor a position, rea d this first:5 Questions to Ask Before Relocating for Work.)Questions to Ask in an Interview about the CompanyYou already know about the company from your research on the web, but now it’s your opportunity to get an insider view.Ask these questions to find out more about the company you are interviewing with:What are the current challenges the company is facing? What are the areas the company could improve? What are the plans for further business growth? Where do you see the company after five years? Does the company culture live up to the company values? What do you and your colleagues like the most about working here? How does leadership help individual teams grow professionally? How does the companytrain employees for enhanced performance? What kind of employees succeedthe most? What are the most valued qualities in an employee? What do you do in the event of a conflict among staff members?These questions will portray you as a person who values teamwork and thinks for the bette rment of the organization as a whole.They also show that you already know a lot about the company.(Find additional tips for finding work-life balance here:5 Interview Questions for Discussing Work-Life Balance.)Best Questions to Ask about the InterviewerYou might be thinking that asking the interviewer questions about themselves is not the right thing to do.But, if you ask the right questions, it can really help you to build a good rapport with them.It may also help you while working at the organization in the future.Consider asking your interviewer the following questions about themselves:How long have you been working here? What made you join this organization? How have you grown within the company since you started? What achievements in your job are you most proud of? What do you like most about working here? Are you satisfied with your work-life balance? Have you faced any challenges during your tenure at the company? How would you advise a new-comer to do well in the company?As king these questions will also reflect upon your interpersonal skills and will show that you instinctively think about the people around you.Good Questions to Ask about the Next StepsYou don’t want to feel clueless about the next steps after an interview.So, it’s always a good idea to inquire about what's going to happen next.Here are some good questions to ask for information on the next steps in the hiring process:What are the next steps in the interview process? How long does the hiring process usually take? Do you need anything else from me that would help you make the hiring decision? How many other candidates are you interviewing? When would you expect the new hire to start working? What would the onboarding process for the position look like?These job interview questions to ask your potential employer will give you a clear picture of what to expect in the coming days after the interview.You will also know exactly when they might call you back and when you may start workin g for them.Questions to Ask About Your Future in the CompanyYou should also be optimistic and show some enthusiasm by asking a few futuristic questions about what happens after you start working at the company.Ask a few of these questions to discover what your future with the company looks like:What are the most immediate projects or concerns that I would work on? What would you expect the new hire to accomplish in the first year? What are the areas of job responsibilities my role can expand to? What special projects may I be required to work on? What does a typical day look like for this role? What would be my future career progression from this position? What is the usual timeframe for reaching the next stage? Which specific performance indicators do you put most emphasis on while deciding a raise or promotion? Would I receive periodic feedback or a performance review? Would I receive any training or professional growth opportunities? Where is the last person who worked in this ro le now?These questions will show your confidence and seriousness about the job.You will also get to know a lot about the future of the role within the organization.(Read more to make sure your future should be with this company:8 Interview Questions to Discover if You Are a Good Culture Fit.)Great Questions to Ask in a Phone InterviewCompanies often opt for a phone interview as an initial screening process to decrease the number of applicants for the in-person interview.It can also be arranged for candidates who are applying from distant cities or states.You should take a phone interview just as seriously as you would an in-person interview.So, questions to ask your interviewer in a phone interview would be similar to the ones we have already mentioned.Your time may be more limited in a phone interview, so try to stick to only the most essential questions:Can you tell me anything more about the job that is not mentioned in the job posting? What does a typical day look like for the p osition? What are the working hours? Is there a possibility of overtime? Can you describe the team I would be working with? Are there any skills or expertise the current team lacks that you want a new recruit to have? What would be my career progression from this position? How do you measure success for this role? What do you like most about working for the company? Are there any challenges that you face working for this company? What kind of benefits do you offer your employees? How soon do you expect to fill the position? What are the next steps in the interview process? When can I expect to hear from you again? Do you need anything else from me that would make the decision making easier for you?These essential questions to ask your potential employer during a phone interview are likely to cover all the bases about the job and the company in question.They will also let you know when you can expect the next steps in the hiring process.Questions to Ask in an Informational InterviewI nformational interviews are not job interviews.Simply put, an informational interview is when you schedule an interview with a person to know about their work and their industry.These interviews are great for your job search process.You get to know many professions up close and build your network at the same time.Here are the major questions to ask in an informational interview:What are the core components of your job? Why did you choose this profession? How did you end up in this company? What does a typical day at the office look like for you? What do you enjoy most about the job? What are the major challenges you face in the role? What are your most cherished achievements in the job? What past experiences helped you reach this position? What are the must-have skills for doing the job? What does the usual pay package look like for this position? What does the future look like for you? What are the next stages of your career that you are looking forward to? Are you happy with your work-life balance? How much do you like the company culture here? What makes this company different from others in the industry?Remember, the purpose of an informational interview is to get as much information about the job as possible so that you can make educated decisions about your futureThese questions will fulfill the purpose quite well.Questions to Ask in an Internship InterviewYou are preparing for an internship interview and possibly feeling a bit anxious.This may be your very first experience with an interview and you are wondering what the best questions to ask in your interview are.Here are some great options when you are interviewing for an internship:What is the onboarding process for interns? What would a typical day be like for an intern in this position? With whom would I mostly work with? How would you evaluate my performance? Will there be any training for interns? What are the essential skills needed to be successful as an intern? What are the common challenges i nterns typically face in the role? Could you tell me a bit about the company culture? How often do you hire interns for the position? What opportunities are available to interns after the successful completion of the internship? What are the next steps in the hiring process? Is there anything else you need to know about me to make the hiring decision easier for you?These questions will show your intelligence as well as interest in the position as a candidate for an internship.You will also get all the relevant information about the role.(Find more insight for inexperienced interviewees here.)Top Questions to Ask a CEO in an InterviewSo, you have reached the top and are meeting with the CEO of your potential employer.Be it during a job interview process or for an informational interview, there’s a lot to learn from a CEO.You don't want to lose out on this learning opportunity.Ask the CEO the following questions to get the most valuable information from him or her:Do you enjoy being in the position you are in? How do you manage your time being in such a huge position? How do you maintain a work-life balance? What are the major challenges you face as a CEO? What are the skills most needed for effective leadership? How would you advise a young executive to be successful? What are your greatest achievements in the company? Are you satisfied with the amount of work you have done for the company? Are you happy with the culture that you uphold in the company? Being already at the top, what do you aspire for now? What are your future plans for yourself and the company? Do you spend time on personal growth? What are the books you have read recently? What one book would you suggest young leaders read? What are your retirement plans?With these questions to ask a CEO in an interview, you will never run out of important topics to discuss.These questions are also great to build a lasting rapport with the CEO.Questions Not to Ask in an InterviewWe have covered all the great questions that you can ask your employer in a job interview.Asking the right questions at the right time is crucial.You should also be careful not to ask the wrong questions or good ones at an inappropriate time.Do not ask questions where the answer is readily available with a little pre-interview research.These are the questions you should not ask during an interview:What are the job responsibilities or duties? What does the company do? Who are the main competitors of the company? What is the salary? Did I pass the interview? When will I get promoted? When can I expect to get a raise? Will my browsing history be monitored while working? Is there a possibility of me getting fired? How soon can I go on a vacation? Can I work from home?Now that we have listed the top questions to ask in an interview and those to avoid, we can discuss some additional pointers.Guidelines for Asking Questions in an InterviewWe have quite an exhaustive list of interview questions above, don’t we?Do not worry. You won’t have to ask all the questions to the interviewer.Choose the ones that are more relevant to your specific job interview and the ones that really matter to you.Keep those in mind and stick with them. Feel free to take your list of questions with you to the interview.Apart from this, let’s have a look at some of the general guidelines about asking the right questions to the interviewer during a job interview.Do Your ResearchAlways do thorough research about the job, the company, and their competitors before appearing at the interview.Get all the information that you can so that you don’t end up asking questions where the answer is obvious.Be AlertYou have to be very alert during the whole interview.Listen very carefully.Do not ask questions that have already been answered at any part of the interview process, unless of course, you need to further expand on the topic in question.Avoid Personal QuestionsIt is easy to slip into personal matters while asking questio ns about the interviewer.Questions relating to family, race, personal routine, and payscale are not proper questions to ask in a job interview.Avoid “Me” and “I”It’s better to avoid “me” and “I” in your questions, unless absolutely necessary, as it moves the focus away from the job and the company.You should always try to keep the focus on the position and the company.Replace “me” or “I” with “the position’, “the role”, or “the new recruit”.Ask Salary Questions Only During NegotiationAsking anything about the pay package should be reserved for the salary negotiation part of the interview process.However, you can ask for an overall idea about the pay package if it is the initial phone screening interview and it was not mentioned anywhere in the job posting.Keep Some General Questions in MindPick some general opinion-based questions that you can ask anyone within the organization.These questions will come in handy when you meet multiple people in the hiring process and you are not sure what the appropriate questions for them would be.Questions about the company culture, the future of the company, and what they like most about the company are great examples of such general questions.ConclusionThere’s a lot to gain by asking your potential employer questions in a job interview.Asking thoughtful questions allows you to gain valuable information about the job and the organization.It also shows the interviewer that you are really interested in the position and the company.Pick the best questions that suit your interests and needsfrom the list above.If you need support for any career-related issues or need help preparing for your next big interview, contact Find My Profession. Our Career Coaches are here to help prepare you for interviews and take care of your job search for you!