Questions to ask during an interview

Do you sometimes struggle to come up with questions to ask at the end of an interview?

When the hiring manager asks, ‘Do you have any questions for us?’, do you freeze?

Here is an extensive list of interview questions that you could ask your potential employer.

Workplace and company related interview questions

• Can you tell me about the company culture?
• Do you offer flexible work and if so what types?
• What plans are in place for the growth of [insert company name]?
• Who is your top competitor?
• What are the biggest challenges [insert company name] faces?
• What are the businesses current goals and how does your team help support them?
• I read about your company values, what do you do to support [insert company value]?
• How would you describe the work environment?
• Are there any workplace traditions?
• What causes do you support outside of your usual products and services?
• What do you most enjoy about working here?
• What is the thing you like least about working here?
• What do you get most excited about when thinking of future plans for the company?
• How has the company changed since you worked here?
• What is your biggest achievement since working here?
• What differentiates the company from its rivals?
• What does your company’s diversity policy cover?
• What is your retention rate?
• How do you celebrate achievements?
• What does success look like here?

Role related interview questions

• What is the team culture like?
• What is the overall structure of the department I would be working in?
• Who would I report to?
• What is your management style?
• Would I be part of a small or large team?
• What challenges does the team face?
• How do you deal with conflict within the team?
• What skills would I have to possess to be able to help fill any gaps in the existing team?
• How do you approach any skill shortfalls in the team?
• What kind of team building do you usually do?
• How does the team get on with other departments?
• Does the team work more collaboratively or autonomously?
• Questions about the job
• Why is the position vacant?
• What about the role is most important? How will I be able to support management and benefit direct reports?
• Are there any new products or services I will be helping with?
• What would my day-to-day look like?
• What kind of projects would I be working on?
• What are the key skills and experience that your ideal candidate would have?
• What are the biggest challenges I might face in this role?
• Are there any clear soft skills that would be required for this role?
• Do you think the key responsibilities for this role will change or evolve in the next six months?
• Will I need to bring my own device/gear?
• Are lateral or rotational job moves available?
• Professional development questions
• What is your company’s philosophy on staff training?
• What is the process for training new starters?
• Is there opportunity for further training?
• Is there a formal induction process?
• Is there potential for advancement in this role?
• What is an example of development that others have effectively made from this position?
• Do you have any training programs, planned or current that are available to everyone?

Performance related interview questions

• How will my performance be measured?
• How does the performance review process work?
• What are your expectations in terms of performance for this role within the first year?
• Is the role driven by how well a person can perform?
• What clear indicators of success would you expect within the first six months?
• What is the company’s approach to failure?

One final question

• What are the next steps in the interview process?
  

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