How to answer "do you have any questions" in an interview?

How to answer "Do you have any questions" in an interview

Interview Coaching September 25, 2019

How to answer "Do you have any questions" in an interview

70+ Questions to ask in an interview

Do You Have Any Questions For Me?

"Do you have any questions for me?" is the ONE question every candidate should be prepared to answer in an interview. 

Job interviews aren’t meant to be an interrogation — they are supposed to be a dialogue. An interview is as much about making sure the company is a fit for you as it is about making sure you are a fit for the company.​

Preparing for the interview

Before the interview, at a minimum, you should research the company — and the interviewer(s).
 
At a minimum, conduct a Google search. Take a look at the company’s website. Look for the interviewer’s LinkedIn profile. While you’re on LinkedIn, see if the company has a profile on the site. Also check out the LinkedIn profiles of other key employees of the company. How long have they been in their current jobs? How long have they been with the company? What was their background before they joined the company? (Did they come from competitors, or from other industries?)
 
Your research will not only help you understand the company better, it will help you ask more informed questions in the interview.
 
And that’s the subject of this report. If you haven’t asked questions as the interview progresses, there will likely come a time in the interview when the person conducting the interview says to you, “So, do you have any questions for me?”
 
That’s where your research comes into play. Surely, as you were learning more about the job and the company, you were curious about a thing or two. Even if you weren’t, it makes a huge (negative) impression on interviewers when you don’t ask any questions. That can either signal that you’re not interested enough in the job to muster up any questions — or that you didn’t know anything about the company coming into the interview, and you weren’t paying attention enough to latch onto any information shared in the interview. Both scenarios don’t bode the will for your employment prospects.
 
With that in mind, here are more than 70 questions you can ask in a job interview. Choose 4 or 5 of them (at a minimum) and write them down on an index card or sheet of paper you can reference at the appropriate time during the job interview. 

Best questions to ask at the end of the interview

​Questions You Should Ask

1. How long has this position been open?
2. Is this a new position? If so, why was it created? If not, why did the person who held this position leave the position?
3. What are the company’s priorities, and what specific results would be expected from me in the first 90 days or so?
4. Why did you (the interviewer) join the company? How long ago was that? What is it about the company that keeps you here?
5. Did my résumé raise any questions I can clarify?
6. What do you look for in an employee?
7. What type of training is required and how long is it? What type of training is available?
8. What would my first assignment be?
9. How regularly do performance evaluations occur?
10. Is there a job description available for this position?

​Questions To Ask Headhunters and Recruiters

• Are you dealing with the client’s HR people, or do you have direct contact with the Hiring Manager?
• Have you placed other candidates with this client? How long have you worked with this client?
• May I please have a written job description?
• Where is the position located?
• To whom does the position report?
• Is this a new position? If not, why is the position open?
• What happened to the person who previously held this position?
• How long have you been working on the assignment?
• What does the position pay?
• Are there any pay or compensation constraints that I should take into consideration?
• What can you tell me about the person who will be interviewing me? What is his or her position, title, management style?
• Who will make the final hiring decision?
• After you present my résumé, when can I expect to hear from you regarding the status of this position?

Questions to ask HR

• Why do you enjoy working for this company?
• What attracted you to this organization?
• Can you describe the work environment here?
• How do you describe the philosophy of the company or organization?
• What do you consider to be the organization’s strengths and weaknesses?
• Can you tell me more about my day-to-day responsibilities?
• How soon are you looking to fill this position?
• How do my skills compare with those of the other candidates you have interviewed?
• I have really enjoyed meeting with you and your team, and I am very interested in the opportunity. I feel my skills and experience would be a good match for this position. What is the next step in your interview process?
• Before I leave, is there anything else you need to know concerning my ability to do this job?
• In your opinion, what is the most important contribution that this company expects from its employees?
• What advice would you give to someone in my position?
• What problems are we facing right now in this position that 

Questions to ask hiring managers

• What specific skills from the person you hire would make your life easier?
• What are some of the problems that I can help you eliminate?
• What are some of the skills and abilities you see as necessary for someone to succeed in this job?
• What would be a surprising but positive thing the new person could do in first 90 days?
• What challenges might I encounter if I take on this position?
• What are your major concerns that need to be immediately addressed in this job?
• What do you see as the most important opportunities for improvement in the area I hope to join?
• What are the attributes of the job that you’d like to see improved?
• What attracted you to working for this organization?
• What have you liked most about working here?
• What goals or objectives need to be achieved in the next six months?
• What areas of the job would you like to see improvement in with regard to the person who was most recently performing these duties?
• From all I can see, I’d really like to work here, and I believe I can add considerable value to the company. What’s the next step in the selection process?
• Would you please tell me about what it takes to succeed in this position?
• Would you describe for me the action of a person who previously performed well in this position?
• What are the most important traits you look for in a new hire?
• How would you describe the experience of working here?
• If I were to be employed here, what one piece of wisdom would you want me to incorporate into my work life?
• What have I yet to learn about this company and opportunity that I still need to know?
• What happened to the person who previously held this job?
• What are the success factors that will tell you if the decision to bring me on board was the right one?

Other Probing Questions ​

(Often for high-level assignments)

1. What are you hoping to accomplish, and what will be my role in those plans?
2. What initial projects would I be tackling?

Questions That Are Defensive

 (Designed to protect the employee)

• ​Are there formal metrics in place for performance evaluations?
• If I were a spectacular success in this position after six months, what would I have accomplished?
• How long has this position existed in the organization?
• Are my tasks limited to my job description?

Questions Designed to Get Feedback

• Do you have any concerns about my ability to do the job and fit in?
• How do I compare with the other candidates you have interviewed?
• Is there anything else you need from me to have a complete picture of my qualifications?
• How soon do you plan to finalize your decision?
• How soon do you plan to hire?