You might think that when your job interview is nearing its end, the hard part is over. You have done your job and answered all the questions the interviewer has been firing at you. But, believe it or not, the hard part is actually still to come. You know, the infamous last question in an interview “Do you have any questions for me?” is actually not the closure of the interview just yet. Or, it´s not supposed to be, if you treat it like the end and answer that you don´t have any questions it might very well be the closing of your candidacy. Not asking questions is a big no-go!
So when you´re preparing your interview, make sure to also prepare some questions for the interviewer for that final stage of the interview.
Here are 8 examples to get you started:
- Why did you decide to join this company?
Most people want their opinion to be heard so asking for it, usually, makes them feel good. Also, by making it more personal, you will gain some very different insights than the standard employer branding talks.
- What is it that you like most about working here?
Here the same applies, make them talk about what they think is great about the company. Ask for their opinion, not for the things you can also read on the website. It will give you a much better idea of what it is really like to work for this company.
- How would you describe the internal culture?
Ask about the more informal things of working for this company. What are the ways of working? How do people work together? What office activities do employees organize? Are there any fixed days for lunch together?
- How do you measure success in this role?
This is an important one, ask about how success is defined in this role. What does the perfect employee in this role need to do to be successful? How is that success measured? By asking about this you are showing that you are not just interested in getting a job, but that you care about doing the best you can while you are at it. If you show interest for how you can ensure to do a good job, you show that you want to be a high performer if you get the role.
- What career paths do you envision for the person in this role?
Ask about the career they envision for the perfect candidate for the role. What do they expect, what development opportunities are there? However, although asking about this is good, you need to be careful, because this is a dangerous one. You don´t want to come across as if you are already asking when you would make the next promotion or be up for a pay rise, so it is definitely a delicate topic to touch.
- What would be the biggest challenge for the next 100 days in this role?
Inquire about the specific deliverables in the first couple of months in this job. If you were to start this job tomorrow, what would be the biggest challenge for you to work on? What do they expect you to prioritize?
- Do you need any more information about me or my previous experience on….?
Make sure that every possible relevant bit of your background or experience has been covered. If the interviewer didn´t ask about something that you think is very important they are aware, use this question to hint in that direction. You don´t want to leave and regret the fact that you haven´t talked enough about specific experience you consider as important, so just try to get back to it.
- Ask about something you saw in the media and the impact of that for this role.
This shows that you are up to date and try to link the bigger strategy to the specific role.
What other questions do you think are smart to ask at the end of your interview?
