Asking the right questions during an interview is key to understanding not just the role, but the company’s culture, expectations, and growth potential. Here are some powerful questions that can help you get a clearer picture of what success looks like, how the team functions, and what opportunities for growth lie ahead. Ready to go beyond the basics? Use these thoughtful questions to guide your next conversation and make sure you’re aligning with the right opportunity for your future.
Great questions to ask:
๐ญ. “๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ข๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ, ๐ฌ๐ผ๐’๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ข๐ป ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ. ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ง๐ผ ๐๐
๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐
๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป?”
This shows the interviewer that you’re results-focused. You want to know what success looks like so you can create a plan to make it happen.
๐ฎ. “๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ ๐จ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฌ๐ผ๐’๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ช๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฒ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ?”
Most interviewers aren’t prepared for this, and it encourages them to share unique experiences they’ve had. That combo leads to some unique stories and insights about the team and the company.
๐ฏ. “๐ช๐ต๐ ๐๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป?”
Is the company expanding to capitalize on a new market? Did the previous employee quit? Were they laid off? It’s critical to understand why the company decided to open this role in the first place.
๐ฐ. “๐ช๐ต๐ผ ๐ช๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ ๐๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐?”
Many people are focused on finding a good fit. But flipping the script can give you a lot of insight too. This question pushes the interviewer to think of traits that wouldn’t fit with their culture.
๐ฑ. “๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ต๐? ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐บ?”
Everybody wants to look good in front of their manager. Showing that you understand this and that you’ll prioritize it is a great way to make a strong impression.
๐ฒ. “๐๐ผ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ป ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ง๐ผ ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐?”
Growth trajectory is something that every candidate should factor into their decision. Do people in this role get promoted internally? Or do they need to go elsewhere to move up?
๐ณ. “๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ง๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐ ๐ฒ ๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ ๐ง๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ง๐ผ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ข๐ณ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ฏ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป?”
This is a 2-for-1 deal. If the stretch project was to help them grow? Awesome. If it was forcing them to do extra, unnecessary work? Also great to know.
๐ด. “๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐น๐ธ ๐ ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฝ ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ ๐ญ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ต๐?”
Before you jump into any job, you should know where they stand and where they’re going. They should be able to provide you with current #s plus projections and a clear vision for the future.
๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ ๐ง๐ถ๐ฝ: Most interviews only leave ~10 minutes for questions, so prioritize 2-3 of these questions ahead of your next interview.