How to Answer Do You Have Any Questions for Me
How to Answer "Do You Have Any Questions for Me?" In a Job Interview
You've made it through the entire interview, almost. When the interviewer asks you "Do you have any questions for me?" we have a few ideas for thoughtful questions to ask.
You've almost made it to the end of the interview—but there's one important question left.
Yes, it's the question that begets more questions! This is the part of the interview where the interviewer asks you (the candidate), "Do you have any questions for me?"
No matter how seamless the interview was and how amazing your rapport has been with the interviewer, you should always have a question (or two or three) ready to ask at the end of the interview. We're going to go over some great questions to ask—along with some questions you should avoid asking at the end of the interview.
Welcome (back) to "How to Answer Anything", our series that navigates how to answer the most common—but also the most challenging—common interview questions. With our help, you'll arrive at every interview with the most dazzling answers. Let's dive in.
Why Interviewers Ask This Question
Interviewers will ask this for a few obvious reasons. First, they are putting the interview work on you. Maybe they aren't sure what to ask you next and, instead, they are going to put the work on you to continue guiding the interview. Next, and more likely, they are testing you to see how interested in the role you really are—and how well you prepped for the interview.
For example, instead of asking a question that you already know the answer to—like when the company launched—you can showoff your interview prep skills and rephrase to something like, "In my research, I learned that the company launched three years ago and made a product pivot shortly after. Can you share more about this pivot and how this role is included in project changes?"
One question is less impressive and when you ask smart questions at the end of your interview that can play a dual role (information + impress the hiring manager, that's a win-win.
How to Answer "Do You Have Any Questions For Me?" In a Job Interview
When you inch toward the end of your interview and you get asked, "So, what questions can I answer for you?" it might cause you to draw a blank because you feel like you're already covered it all. Although you're tempted to say, "I think we covered it all" —don't.
Not asking questions at the end of your interview is one of the biggest interview mistakes you can make. Here are some steps to follow instead:
1. Know Who You're Interviewing With + Prepare Your Questions In Advance
When the interview is set up—whether a phone interview or in-person—ask who you'll be meeting with. This will help you prep because the questions you ask the recruiter might be different than the questions you ask your hiring manager.
For example, recruiters will ask high-level questions with the goal to know if you're a good fit to move to the next interview round. You might ask less specific questions about the role and team, but more questions about the company and interview process.
Once you know who you're interviewing with, time for the real homework. Consider looking up the interviewer(s) on LinkedIn to learn more about their background. You might also learn more about the background of people on their team. Next, thoroughly research the company using their career site/ company website, LinkedIn, and recent press or other online articles. And your last research puzzle piece is researching the job description and determining the most important information.
With all this research, you'll be able to create more specific questions and you can write down any questions that come up for you in the process. Try to create open-ended questions that will invite conversation with your interviewer vs. yes/no type questions. You'll learn more this way.
We've also suggested lots of ideas below grouped by "themes" that you can ask. We would recommend that you organize your questions into themes as well because you might not have time to ask every question. This brings us to our next tip...
2. Prioritize Your Questions
Depending on your interview length, you might not get to ask all your questions. That's why it's a good idea to not only prepare the questions you want to ask but also organize them and "star" the ones that are the most important to you.
Many times during an interview, a question you have on your list might naturally get answered in your conversation, but if it doesn't and it's important to you, that's where this tip can help.
When trying to decide what questions to ask prioritize the questions that will show you were engaged and listening in the interview, but don't waste your precious interview time asking a question that's already been answered.
3. Rehearse + Practice Your Questions
Interviews are generally nerve-racking. You know this. I know this. Do yourself a favor and practice asking your questions in front of the mirror or to a friend ahead of time. This extra prep work can help you feel more comfortable during your interview and, hopefully, will make it all feel like a smooth conversation vs. a loaded Q and A session.
4. Bring Your Questions With You
You've done some great prep work and now you're worried about how you'll ever memorize it all. Great news—you don't have to. It's totally acceptable to bring a notebook with you to your interview with your questions ready to go.
Example Questions
By now you understand how important it is to go into the interview with some questions already prepared. Let's help you create your list with some suggestions that will make you think further about what you want in a role, from the company, team, and more. And don't forget to tailor any of your questions to the specific person, job, team, and/or company you're interviewing with.
Ask Questions About Your Specific Role
We like this type of question because it shows the interviewer, human resources, or hiring manager that you've already done work to imagine yourself in the role. These can be incredibly thoughtful questions—and, in addition to impressing the interviewer, you'll be learning valuable, personalized information about what your role looks like—with you specifically in it.
Can you tell me more about the history of this position?
The answer to this question can tell you a lot about the organization For example, if it's a role with a high turnover rate, what's the deal with that? This could be a red flag for bad management, unclear expectations, or a high-stress role. If it's a brand-new position, it shows you where the organization's priorities are at this moment. Ask this question—and take in the answer.
Can you tell me about the day-to-day responsibilities of this role?
A job description can only tell you so much. What does your day-to-day look like? Are Mondays packed with meetings? Is there travel involved? How does the team work together? Is there a good amount of repeatable weekly tasks. Find out by asking this important question.
What is the onboarding process like?
Are you going to be dropped in the deep end of the pool and asked to swim—or will someone guide you for a certain period of time and check in with you. Depending on what you want in your next job, this answer can share a lot.
What does management expect of the hire in the first 90 days in this role?
Being thrown into a role where there are approximately one million things that have to be done by yesterday is...a lot. Manage your expectations—and the organization's expectations—by finding out what the first 90 days could look like for you. This question allows you to set yourself up for serious success.
How do you see this role evolving in the next 6 months? Could the responsibilities change?
This goes back to managing your expectations and while we all have to be willing to adapt, if it's important for you to know if this is the type of role that is constantly changing and that's not a fit for you, better to know now.
What are the biggest strengths that have led to success in this role?
This question will also help to set expectations and there's another perk to it. It's another chance to reiterate your strengths. For example, if the interviewer cites communication skills as a priority in this role, you can summon a story about how you set up your last team's remote communication setup—and how it led to success.
Use this question to drive home your strengths as they apply directly to the role.
What are the biggest challenges someone in this role will face?
If you take the job you'll probably learn about this the hard (and longer!) way so, why not ask about challenges upfront. Depending on how they answer, you might be able to have a long discussion and learn what the manager is trying to do (if anything) to help employees overcome challenges.
What key performance indicators are set for this role?
Get those KPIs from day one! Find out what the key performance indicators are—and set off to achieve them. This question helps to provide clarity. It infuses your work with clarity and purpose.
What project and/or responsibilities would I work on immediately?
This is a great way to manage your expectations and get a clear picture of what your first few months might be. The interviewer might even share some examples of current projects (or you can ask!), which will all help better illustrate the job for you.
What budget will I be working with?
This is especially helpful if the job you're interviewing for a job that requires a budget to complete the task. For example, in marketing.
Ask Questions About Professional Development
Developing your career takes more than just a once-a-month check-in with your manager. To get a better understanding of how you'll be supported in your career development and what type of advancement you can look forward to in this role, we'll need to get specific.
What opportunities are there for professional development?
The answer is probably "yes," which is why making this a more open-ended question so the interview can talk about specifics with you. And the answer to this matters a lot considering most people leave jobs because of bad bosses and they've tapped out on their learning.
Where have successful employees previously in this position progressed to?
This is a nice way to peek into the future and most hiring managers love to share the "success" stories of past employees.
Are there any training programs or stipends for career development and advancement that I pursue?
If you love taking online courses, attending industry conferences, etc. now is a great time to see if the company will cover the investment. Plus, you might learn that the company offers specific training or employee subscriptions that you can learn more about.
Do you and this company support the internal movement of roles and teams?
This is a big question that requires finesse because you don't want the interview to think you will want to switch jobs right away or that you're only interviewing for this job so you can hop to another. However, with so many ebbs and flows in careers, it's also natural to think further down the road and consider what would happen if I wanted to make an internal career transition. If this question makes you too nervous, that's ok. A good default is that most companies want to keep great employees so, if you get the job and you're amazing, you'll probably be able to switch if you want.
Ask Questions About Your Team
The people you work with are going to become a pretty big part of your life, so don't you want to get a sneak peek of what it looks like and how it works? No, we're not telling you to ask questions about specific individuals' quirks, how they like their coffee, or if they yawn loudly around 3 pm every day. Rather, these should be questions about the function of the team, how it works together, and what kind of support you can expect in your role.
Can you explain the roles of each team member I'll work with?
Find out who is on your team, where their strengths lie, and (maybe most importantly) the skills you have to complement all of the current team's strengths. Consider yourself the missing piece to this team—and see if you can elaborate on how you can complete the puzzle.
Who do I report to in this role?
Who is your manager? Find out who your boss is going to be, what they're like, and how they work. If you go to the next round of interviews with this manager, you can do your research beforehand.
What is the process for performance reviews?
Will you be evaluated through a formal process? What time of year are reviews and what happens at those times? Performance reviews play a critical role in your growth at a company so, it's important for you to understand how they work and what metrics you will be evaluated against.
What kind of support would I have in this role?
Find out what sort of support you'd have. We're not talking assistants here. Is there someone who solves technology roadblocks? Does someone have a library of knowledge on your ideal customer persona? Find out where the support is—and how it fits into you doing your job better.
What methods or software does the team use to collaborate?
What software does this team use for collaboration, communication, customer management, design, and more? Use this opportunity to get familiar with the organization's technology arsenal—and chime in about the platforms in which you have experience.
How long do employees tend to stay in their roles here? Does the company promote from within?
Be careful with this one. If you ask it right, it sounds like you're excited about longevity within the organization. If you ask it "wrong" it might just sound like you're looking for a promotion three months down the line. When asking this question, make sure you're stressing the former. You want to see what it looks like to actually grow within the organization.
Ask Questions About the Company Culture
You're only going to find out so much when perusing the organization's website, following their Instagram account, or looking up their LinkedIn. And, by the way, do all of this reconnaissance work before your interview. It will actually help you to aks pointed, specific questions about the company culture.
Company culture is important when making any career move. There's going to be a huge difference between working at an organization that expects 60+ hours of in-office time a week and working at an organization that allows flexible work. One might work better for you and for your life. Ask some questions to gauge what the culture looks like. Be honest with how your work personality fits into it.
How would you describe the management style at this organization?
I think we all know how a bad or incompatible boss can ruin a good job. Find out what the leadership style tends to be at this organization. Make sure that works best for you.
What is the biggest challenge the company currently faces?
We feel that this is a great question that isn't asked very often—probably because it's one that might stump the interviewer. Find out where the organization's focus lies at this moment. How can you ease that pain point within your role?
What are the organization's biggest goals over the next year?
Just like the last question, this one provides clarity around goals. Find out the company's goals for the next year. Is it to increase sales, launch a marketing effort, or reach a milestone quarter?
Ask Questions About The Interviewer's Own Experience
Get the inside scoop from the interviewer. Ok, ok, ok, we know you're not going to be able to ask questions like "So, who is the office bully here?" but you can use these questions to gauge...a lot.
Ask the interviewer about their own experience with the organization. Were they hired in the role they're currently in? What do they love about the job? Is there anything specific you can do as a candidate to stand out more? You've got the source sitting right in front of you. Get the juice.
What's something that makes you happy about working at [ORGANIZATION]?
If your interviewer struggles to answer this, take note. Seriously.
What attracted you to this company?
Find out why the interviewer was attracted to the organization? Does it live up to expectations?
How long have you been with the company?
It's great to know what steps in their career led them here, as well as how long they have been with the organization. You might discuss how the interviewer compares the current organization to the ones they previously worked for.
Can you talk about company culture?
Get an interviewer's perspective on what makes the company culture. Is it a culture of learning, dedicated teamwork, or head to the grindstone work? Get their personal take.
If you could have been told anything about [ORGANIZATION] during your interview process here, what would you share?
Ask Questions About Continuing the Interview Process
We know you're wondering when they're planning on hiring for this role, so why not ask? Gain some clarity on the next steps and set your expectations accordingly. Use the end of the interview to gain insights into what's next.
When are you looking to hire for this role?
There's nothing quite as frustrating as being ghosted after an interview. Find out what the expectations are in terms of hiring. This can help you when writing your follow-up to a thank-you note if you haven't heard back.
Is there anything I can do to further show my interest in this role?
Ask this question. There might be more you can do to show your interest.
What are the next steps after this interview?
Get a look at what might happen next. Will you be invited to complete a trial project? Is there another round of interviews? Are they looking to hire by the end of the week? Find out what's next and set your own expectations accordingly.
Is there anything else you'd like to know about me or anything I left unclear?
When the interviewer asks you, "Do you have any questions for me?" don't respond with this question right away. If you asked a few other thoughtful questions, then you can volley this question back to the interviewer.
Avoid Asking These Five Questions
We know what it's like to interview in the dead middle of January when you're dreaming of a Bahamian July, but now is not the time to ask about vacation. Avoid asking questions that don't really have to do with the function of the job or the organization. This includes queries bout vacations, perks, solid salary numbers, or future promotions.
Some of these are very valuable questions, but not at the forefront of the interview. Of course, you should set your salary expectations, get an idea of your benefits package, and notify the interviewer of any immovable vacation plans you may already have set (think of your brother's wedding in August). However, our advice is to keep these questions to the very, very end of the process.
In short, make sure you're asking two or three really thoughtful questions before diving into what you really want to know (and we don't blame you for being curious about your potential salary).
What's my salary going to be?
There's a time and a place for this question—and it might not be right now. Before heading into the interview, conduct some salary research. When the topic comes up, you might share your salary expectations.
When can I go on vacation?
This is not the time to talk about vacation. Sorry.
What do you guys do here? + other questions you could have researched on your own
If you don't arrive to the interview knowing what the organization does, it's probably not going to work out. Do your research beforehand.
When can I get my first promotion?
Again, it's ok to look for growth within the company, but asking this off the bat is foolish. Remember, you're interviewing for one role today, so don't get too ahead of yourself.
Do you have happy hours?
If there are happy hours, you'll find out. Don't ask this question.
How to Answer Do You Have Any Questions for Me
Source: https://www.careercontessa.com/advice/any-questions-for-me/