When you prepare for a job interview, you know that you will be asked a lot of questions. But you should also consider what you’re going to ask in the job interview.
After all, if you have no questions for the hiring manager, you may come off as uninterested in the job. You may also want to clarify details about the position and fill gaps in your knowledge about the company.
“Not only can great questions make you stand out as a memorable candidate, asking the right questions will give the candidate the insight they need to determine if the organization is a fit for them,” says Ayanna Jackson, a career coach and leadership consultant in the District of Columbia.
Jackson suggests checking out the company’s social media pages — and not just its website — when coming up with questions.
“Their social media pages are going to have the most updated info on announcements, employee engagement activities, community service, mergers, partnerships and more. All info you can use to ask better questions,” Jackson says.
Still, if you’re at a loss for what queries to pose, check out our list of questions to ask at a job interview.
[Related:Common Job Interview Questions and How to Answer Them]
Questions to Ask a Potential Employer
Here are 20 questions to consider asking in an interview. You don’t have to wait until the end of the interview to ask them; it might make sense to ask questions throughout the conversation as relevant topics arise.
Still, aim to save two to three questions for when the interviewer asks, “Do you have any questions for me?”
1. What Have Past Employees Done to Succeed in This Position?
This question can give you insider information that may help you down the road, and it also shows your potential employer that you’re trying to understand what the job entails. If the hiring manager speaks freely, you may end up learning valuable information about what some employees didn’t do well in the position.
2. If This Job Goes Well, What Other Positions Could This Lead to Within the Company?
Proceed carefully here. You haven’t been hired, and this question shows that you’re already thinking about your future beyond this job. But most employers want to hire people who are ambitious and hoping to move up within a company. If you ask about other opportunities at the company, it should send the signal that you plan on sticking around.
3. Have There Been Layoffs in the Last 2 or 3 Years? I’m Looking for Stability and While I Know There Are No Guarantees, What’s the Organization Looking Like Financially?
This is a question Jackson suggests, and it’s smart. Like the previous question, you’ve just suggested that you want to work at this company over the long term, and you’re also showing an interest in the company’s inner workings.
4. How Does Leadership View Remote Work or Hybrid Work?
This is another question Jackson suggests, and it’s certainly a good question to ask in this era of remote and hybrid work environments.
But aim to not look concerned if the answer isn’t what you were hoping for. If you’re interested in this job, maintain a positive facial expression in case your interviewer says the company requires you to come into the office every day.
5. What Are Your Favorite Parts About Working Here? What Areas Could Improve?
For a hiring manager or anyone who isn’t the CEO, this could be a good question. People enjoy talking about themselves, and the question will show your empathy and interest in their life — a good look for a future hire.
You may get some interesting answers. After all, unless you know this is the job for you, you may come away with helpful insights about working at this company.
6. What Are Some of the Job’s Challenges?
If the interview hasn’t given you a strong sense of the job’s challenges, you should ask. This job may have some real downsides: Maybe your employer is hoping you’ll rescue them, or you’re being hired for a thankless job. Even if you plan on taking the job, you’ll want to know the challenges.
If they are what you expected, and you think you have some potential solutions, you could share them now and impress the hiring manager or employer.
7. What Learning or Professional Development Opportunities Do You Offer?
This is another question to ask delicately. Still, it should suggest that you’re always trying to improve, and employers tend to like that.
8. What Does a Typical Day Look Like in This Position?
Hopefully, the hiring manager has already given you a sense of a typical day on the job. But if not, ask this. The answer could solidify your decision about whether this is the job for you.
9. If I’m Hired, What Sort of Projects Will I Be Working On During My First Few Weeks?
This question suggests that you’re curious about the job and eager to get started. It will also give you a better idea of the expected workload.
10. How Would You Describe the Company’s Culture?
This question could yield valuable insights. A company’s culture is likely the reason you’ll thrive here or not. If the firm is all about promoting from within and pushes a healthy work-life balance, for instance, you may enjoy that far more than a company where people are expected to compete for jobs and office politics are tolerated.
[READ: How to Write a Professional Bio.]
11. Does the Team Get Together for Lunch or After Work?
One could argue that you need to be careful about asking this so that you don’t come off as a party person who’s excited about getting together at a bar after hours.
But if you frame it this way: “So, how is the work culture? Do people who work here eat lunch together or hang out weekends or evenings?” This could be a shrewd way to suggest that you’re already thinking about how to be a good team player and develop work friendships.
12. What Training or Onboarding Is Typical for This Position?
Not every position will require training or onboarding, but if you know or think it will, this is a good question to ask, says Jaune Little, director of recruiting services with human resources provider Insperity. She adds that you might also want to ask a more targeted, specific question.
“To ask the right technical and industry-related questions, candidates may need to research the role and industry more deeply,” Little says. “They can then ask informed questions about what type of software the company uses, how often the company updates or changes its technology, and whether the company covers the cost of professional certifications for its employees.”
13. Does This Position Involve Travel?
You will probably know the position involves travel based on the job description. But if you think there could be travel required and aren’t certain, it’s a good question to ask.
14. How Many Employees Does This Company Have?
Whether you’re applying to a global conglomerate or a small company, this might be interesting information to have if you can’t find out by looking on its website.
15. How Long Has the Company Had a (Name of the Job You’re Applying For)?
If you’re applying for a more unusual job, such as a marketing manager or data scientist, it’s the type of question that can tell you more about the position and its history in the company. It could yield all sorts of interesting nuggets of information.
16. Why Did My Predecessor Leave the Position?
You may want to couch this question with a phrase like, “I hope you don’t mind my asking, but …”
Given that you may be taking over this position, it’s understandable that you’d want to know. Did the employee get promoted? That’s a good sign. Or did the employee burn out because she didn’t feel supported in this position?
The interviewer may tell you enough about your predecessor’s departure to give you an idea of whether you want to take the job.
17. How Long Have You Been With the Company?
This is the type of question that suggests you’re interested in the person with whom you’re talking. It’s also a good way, even if it’s just for a few minutes, to have more of a casual, perhaps less anxiety-ridden, conversation.
18. How Quickly Are You Looking to Fill This Position?
This is an excellent question. You’re going to want to know if you’ll learn the status of this position soon, such as in a few days or weeks, or if you’ll have to wait longer. It also shows that you’re interested in taking on the job.
19. What Are the Next Steps in This Interview Process?
This is a similar question that suggests you’re interested — and if the next step isn’t coming for another couple of weeks, you’ll want to know that.
20. Is There Anything I Haven’t Asked About That You Think I Should Know?
This question can be a good way to get the interviewer to think about anything that hasn’t been said yet — and possibly offer some more insightful information about the job or the company. It might also make a good segue for the interviewer to volunteer information about, say, the salary.
[See: Red Flag Phrases to Leave Off Your Resume.]
Questions Not to Ask During the Interview
Here are some questions that you should avoid at this point in the hiring process.
1. How Much Does This Position Pay?
Even though it’s a valid question, don’t ask this.
“Compensation is an important factor, and companies recognize that. However, if candidates bring up money too soon, that could suggest to interviewers that compensation is their most important or only consideration,” Little says. “When candidates wait to ask about compensation until other concerns have been addressed, that reflects a genuine interest in the role.”
That said, this question can be something of a judgment call. If you truly have no idea what the position pays, you’re probably on safe ground (especially if this is a conversation before a formal interview) by saying something like, “I realize that benefits and pay are generally discussed near the end of the interview process, but I have absolutely no idea what the salary is, and I don’t want to waste anybody’s time. Can you give me a ballpark range of what this position pays?”
But as a guideline, Little says, if you want to make the best impression possible, hold off on asking about the pay until later in the process.
2. How Many Vacation Days Do I Get?
Wait to ask this until after you’ve received the job offer. Chances are, your employer or hiring manager will mention this at some point. But if you ask the question too early, it can come off as though you’re already planning your paid vacation before you’ve collected your first paycheck.
3. Can My Kids Wait in the Lobby?
You’re going to invite a lot of concerns from your employer if you ask something like this. It’s best to leave your kids with a babysitter — and not bring along anyone else to your interview. You’ll look for more professional if you show up without an entourage or chaperone.
More from U.S. News
5 Workplace Trends Employers Love and Workers Hate
Will Artificial Intelligence Steal My Job?
20 Best Questions to Ask an Interviewer originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 07/12/24: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
