The questions you ask during the interview show that you’re serious about the opportunity. They communicate that you’re curious, engaging and are genuinely keen on the role and company. This is why most interviewers equate lack of questions as passivity or a lack of interest.
Not only that, but you can also use questions to assess if the potential employer or company aligns with your priorities and if their culture is suitable for you. As I often mention in my videos, as much as the employer is interviewing you, you’re also interviewing them because you are the ultimate decision maker.
What I’m going to do today is to go through each of these core questions and explain why it is important and how you can take advantage of the information from the employer.
Please also note that you do not have to use ALL the questions in this video – that will be way too many actually. I would ask maybe 3-5 of them throughout the interview depending on the situation and what I’m trying to accomplish.
Let’s go!
Questions number 1: Is there anything I can clarify for you?
This is an extremely helpful question you can ask at the end of the meeting that most candidates miss.
It is quite common during the interview that the employer may have some unanswered concerns or confusion about your background.
And it makes sense. It’s not always possible to address all the questions due to lack of time, because they’ve already moved on to a different topic, or simply because the interviewer forgot to ask.
The problem is, these concerns or confusion when they are unaddressed tend to end up as sources of doubt in the mind of the interviewer. As a result, they make the interviewers less convinced about your profile.
By following up in this way, it gives you the opportunity to tackle any unspoken reservations as well as demonstrating your ability to proactively resolve potential issues or misunderstandings.
-> Number 2: Have I answered all the questions you have for me?
This is similar to the previous question: “Is there anything I can clarify for you?”
As mentioned, interviewers will often miss or forget to ask some relevant questions. Questions about key skills or experiences that are central to the role or some information they wanted to know from you. Of course, the logical thing to do in such a case is to invite the candidate back to discuss these topics. But unfortunately, that rarely happens.
On top of that, interviewers do not always remember all the conversations they had or questions they asked during the meeting - it’s just not possible when you’re speaking to so many people.
As a result, this is what often happens. When the interviewers go back to their notes on your interview and see that there is no mention of certain key skills and experiences, (regardless of whether they asked about them or not) they’ll incorrectly assume it’s because you didn’t have them.
Does that make sense? Regardless of whether the interviewer asked you about them or not, if you do not mention certain key skills or experiences, they will incorrectly (and unfairly) assume it’s because you do not have them.
So by asking this question, you can avoid such potentially costly misunderstanding.
-> If I were given this opportunity, what are the first things I can do to add value (or make your life easier)?
This is one of my favorite questions. And it might just make the employer love you that much more because it speaks to the heart of the hiring managers.
One of the most crucial truths about job search is that when an employer is looking to hire, it is because they are looking for someone who can help them meet their needs and add value to the employer (not the candidate).
Let me say that again, the reason why any company decides to bring someone onboard is because they need somebody to help them (the company) meet their goals.
Therefore, from the employer’s point of view, they will naturally be attracted to candidates who care about meeting the employers’ needs and solving their problems.
Does that make sense?
You see, most candidates do not talk like this during the interview. They are only concerned about how they want to grow and what they can get out of the opportunity.
Therefore, when you ask a question about helping the employer, it will be like a breath of fresh air that will make you stand out immediately.
And of course, once you have the answer to this question, you can then emphasize your similar experiences that’ll demonstrate how you can do exactly what they need.
This is precisely how you can position yourself as the ideal candidate.
Next, Clarifying Questions about Your Research
This is a question you can use to clarify what you have researched about the employer.
You ask like this: During my research for this interview, I read about “blank”. It can be about the recent acquisition, expansion, product launch, earnings report, sales projection, etc, (but please choose something that is positive about the employer – that’s important). And then you ask a clarifying question by saying something like:
Could you please tell me more about it?
How will the expansion plans affect the growth in the region?
How much of the global hiring will take place in Asia?
What are some of the team’s current initiatives that are designed to achieve the sales projection?
By asking a question in this way, first, it shows that you have done your homework and preparation and that you’re committed. It also demonstrates your analytical skills and curiosity to know more which most employers will value.
One word of caution though, just make sure you ask about a relevant topic – relevant to the position. You don’t want to come across as just asking random questions for the sake of it or bringing up irrelevant topics which will have the opposite effect to what we want.
Clarifying Questions about the Interview.
This one is similar to the clarifying questions about your research. The difference is that you’re asking about what you discussed DURING the interview (not your prior preparation).
It goes something like this:
During the interview we discussed “blank”. It can be about the upcoming projects, major initiatives, deliverables, team’s targets, etc. And then you ask a clarifying question like the following:
Could you please tell me more about the projects?
What are the timelines for the targets you mentioned?
What are some of the challenges you had to overcome for the regional program so far?
How does this role fit into the overall goal of the team?
Asking clarifying questions like this about what you discussed is one of the best ways to demonstrate that you are a good listener, show that you are taking a genuine interest in the topic, and encourage engaging conversations.
What are some of your favorite aspects about working here in this organization?
This question is designed to help you get some insight into the organizational culture..
Most people find the company’s culture to have a direct impact on their job satisfaction. It’s important to have an idea about what you can expect to experience on a day-to-day basis whether it’s positive or negative.
By asking this question, you can find out what the interviewer appreciates about the organization, which may very well be something that’s important to you too.
On the flip side, if the interviewer cannot give you any positive or any concrete responses, it may also be an indication that he/she isn’t that happy in their current role – Obviously something you need to consider or may want to investigate further.
Another way to ask this question is: What’s your favorite part about the job?
This question may offer additional insight or nuance about the pros and cons about the position specifically.
What are some of the reasons that made you want to stay in this company for so long?
This is another question about the positive culture or aspects about the employer. If the interviewer or hiring manager has stayed with the company for an extended period of time, you can ask this question to find out some of the more in-depth or longer-term benefits of being with the organization – which again, may be quite relevant to you too.
What would you say is the most challenging part about working in this company?
This question is the opposite of the previous one. As much as you want to know about the positive aspects of working for an organization, the challenges you might face may be even more pertinent for your decision-making process.
We all have heard of people who were super excited about joining a new employer only to start looking again due to unforeseen issues with the organization or team.
While no job on earth will be perfect, of course (and the challenges do not mean you cannot overcome them either) it’s still helpful to gather as much information as possible about the working environment or culture – BEFORE making any long-term commitments.
How would you describe the teamwork within the organization?
With this question, you’re taking a more direct approach to asking about the team culture – specifically about the relationship and collaboration. Obviously, this is a crucial topic. In fact, one of the most common reasons why professionals decide to leave their employer is due to conflicts with other people in the team.
If the interviewer or the hiring manager describes their teamwork as highly collaborative and maybe even share some of their recent team-building activities, for example, you can know that at least they prioritize or value team unity.
On the other hand, if the interviewer or manager do not know how to answer this question, have little to say about this topic, or mentions things like how they value individual performances over working together, for example, that’s an indication about their priority (or lack thereof) when it comes to teamwork and culture.
Who are the main stakeholders or clients for this position?
Knowing who your main stakeholders or clients are is vital for success. These are the people who will have the biggest say about your performance or results and thus it’s crucial that you know how to work with them on a regular basis.
Therefore, many employers want to find out if you have any experience working with the same or similar group of people in the past and whether you understand what it takes to so.
Once you know who the key stakeholders or clients are, you can share your success stories working with the same (or similar) group of people during the interview. This will help you assure and convince the employer that you’re the right person for the job even more.
What about the previous person that made them so successful in this role?
If you know that the previous person in the role was promoted or performed really well, this question can offer some real-life insight into what the employer considers to be most important in the position.
You may be able to find out some of the central goals or deliverables as well as how you can start producing those results fast. You may even want to emulate what the previous person has done as a starting point.
And of course, during the interview, you should share your background or experience that’s relevant to what the previous person has done so you can demonstrate how you will also be successful in this position.
(If the employer had been looking for a while), What qualities or competencies were lacking from the previous candidates you have interviewed so far?
If you know that this position has been open for a while this question can be extremely insightful. By asking why the previous candidates did not make it, you’re effectively asking what are the most crucial qualities or experiences the employer is looking for in a successful candidate.
You may be able to find additional insights that were not mentioned before which you can then emphasize in your responses to position yourself as the ideal candidate.
This is one of my favorite questions and you’ll be surprised at how helpful it can be for you too.
How would you describe your management style? (What would you say is your management style?)
As mentioned already, one of the most common reasons why professionals decide to leave their firm is related to people, especially their relationship with the manager. Thus, it pays to know more about the manager’s working style and approach to management.
Pay attention to the adjectives they use to describe their methods – Do they describe it as laid-back, hands-off, or hands-on, detailed, engaging, etc.
I don’t believe that there is any one management style that is inherently superior to others. A hands-off approach may offer more autonomy but may lack the necessary guidance or learning opportunities, and vice versa. Of course, the best approach would depend on the individual and the type of work.
Whatever the style may be, you can decide if it’s something you want to work with, or at least you’ll know what to expect and how to adapt accordingly.
One caveat though, the best or the most accurate way to find out about the management style is to ask other people (especially if you already know someone in the team). But of course, that’s not always feasible and you can still find helpful insights by asking the hiring manager directly.
What metrics or targets will be used to assess my performance (in the first 3, 6, or 12 months)?
This is a vital question you should always raise at some point during the interview process (especially when you speak to your future manager).
If you do not ask this question or if you do not find out exactly what your targets will be, essentially, you are taking a gambit.
You need to know what the company expects you to achieve and whether it’s realistic or not. This is because it will have a direct impact on your performance assessment or even promotion.
Or if the employer cannot provide a concrete target yet, it means you may need to take the initiative to proactively define your goals in your work.
Early on in my career, I was looking for a job and was having an interview for a senior position in sales. Everything about the company, the prospect and even the hiring manager seemed really positive, and they wanted to make me an offer. That’s when we started discussing my first-year target which, long story short, turned out to be quite unreasonable according to the market standard.
Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against challenging targets – they can be effective tools for motivation and growth. But there is a difference between challenging goals vs. unreasonable ones without the necessary provision or support to achieve them.
So, I did more research and eventually I found out that the culture of this employer was overly aggressive, and the attrition rate was really high too - which is a major red flag fo me. As a result, I chose not to join this company which I believe was absolutely the right decision. But the reason I was able to come to this conclusion was because I wanted to clarify my initial target which helped me make the right decision.
When will I hear back?
This is a very practical question – not because you will always hear back when the employer says you would (which is often not the case). But the opposite, because you will know when to follow up if you do not hear back.
One of the most frustrating things about job search and interviews is dealing with the radio silence from the employer after an interview.
But at the same time, many people do not like to follow up because we don’t want to seem pushy or desperate. As a result, we waste time and energy worrying about when is the right time to send a chaser and often put it off entirely.
With this question, you can put all those worries to rest. Simply follow up for feedback as soon as the timeline they provided is over and you don’t even need to think about it. You’ll be surprised at how often the employer will come back to you and provide timely updates when you ask them.
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