Questions for an employer to ask in an interview: 38 Smart Questions to Ask in a Job Interview

20 Impressive Questions To Ask A Potential Employer At A Job Interview

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The interview process is a critical stage for any job seeker, and one of the most crucial moments is when the interviewer invites the candidate to ask any questions they may have. This not only gives the candidate a chance to learn more about the company and the job expectations, but it also helps the interviewer gauge the candidate’s interest and enthusiasm.

However, not all end-of-interview questions asked by candidates are created equal; some will make a stronger impression on potential employers than others. Below, 20 Forbes Coaches Council members explore great questions to ask during this important stage of the interview process and highlight why they are so effective.

1. ‘What is the biggest issue or challenge the company is currently facing?’

It is all about mindset and positioning. Your question has to show that you care about the company even before you join it. A question you may ask is, “What is the biggest issue or challenge the company is currently facing, and how can my role help address it?” By asking this question, you show that you are a team player. The answer may give you insights about the company and whether it’s a good fit for you. – Abraham Khoureis, Dr. Abraham Khoureis

2. ‘How are high performers recognized and rewarded?’

Remember, you are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you. Ask questions that align with your values. For example, if you value integrity and honesty, you could ask, “How are high performers recognized and rewarded?” with a follow-up, “How are underperformers identified and managed?” If you value fun, you could ask, “Tell me about the last time you laughed at work.” – Yvette Costa, Velocity Advisory Group

3. ‘How could I impress you in the first three months?’

I’ve always been a believer in expectations management, so I would ask, “How could I impress you in the first three months?” It shows the hiring manager that you are eager to hit the ground running and make a positive contribution to the organization. It also gives you the opportunity to watch the interviewer’s response, as it will inform your expectations of how they want you to perform and contribute. – Kevin Kan, Break Out Consulting Asia

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4. ‘If I succeed in getting this role, what do you think my three- and six-month goals would be?’

“If I succeed in getting this role, and to hit the ground running, what do you think my three- and six-month goals would be?” would be a great question to ask to show willingness and the room for preparation. As the question states, it allows the employee to “hit the ground running.” It also allows the interviewers to see the candidate as they would in the role to see how the candidate would fit. – Dr. Rakish Rana, The Clear Coach

5. ‘What do you enjoy most about working at this company?’

This question shows that the candidate is interested in learning more about the company culture and what it’s like to work there. It also gives the interviewer a chance to share their personal experiences and opinions, which can help the candidate get a better sense of the company’s values and priorities. – Anna Tan, Coaching Go Where

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6. ‘What strengths and weaknesses did the Covid-19 pandemic expose for this organization?’

I would recommend asking, “What strengths and weaknesses did the Covid-19 pandemic expose for this organization?” The answer could tell you whether you’re potentially joining a team that prides itself on firefighting, risk management, being reactive or reflective. – Sheri Nasim, Center for Executive Excellence

7. ‘Why was I chosen for an interview from among all the applicants?’

Be bold and get personal. If it’s at the start of the interview, consider asking, “Why was I chosen for an interview from among all the applicants?” to see what features appealed to them most, and work from those. If it’s at the end of the interview, ask, “Which of my strengths or skills would serve me best in this position or company, and why?” This will reveal to both sides of the table whether you are a fit. – Tanya Chernova, Tanya Chernova Global Corp

8. ‘According to company expectations, what traits do you think are essential to succeed in this role?’

One good question to ask is, “According to company expectations, what traits do you think are essential to succeed in this role?” It is a good opportunity to expand on the key attributes the company looks for in employees and how you can position yourself as the ideal candidate. This information helps you demonstrate how you can bring value to the company through your unique set of abilities. – Paula Vidal Castelli, Paula Vidal Castelli Intl., LLC

9. ‘What is the biggest reason that someone would want to work for this business?’

It’s cheeky, but I would ask, “What is the biggest reason that someone would want to work for this business?” The answer will help the prospective employee see if there is a fit in values and culture and if the business’s mission is aligned with the candidate’s. As someone from the company, I like that question because it tells me that the prospect is a self-starter. – Angela Sedran, The Business Growth Accelerator

10. ‘What are the best ways to differentiate one’s performance that align nicely with the company culture?’

This question not only makes the interviewer think deeply, but it also shows that your work style leans towards excellence. It also demonstrates that you are a team player who doesn’t want to harm the company culture, but instead work within it. – Karan Rhodes, Shockingly Different Leadership (SDL)

11. ‘Can you tell me why you joined this company and what keeps you here?’

One of the best questions for an interviewee to ask at this point in the process is, “Can you tell me why you joined this company and what keeps you here?” This question combines two essential goals of any interviewee: connecting with the interviewer and getting to know the company culture. It also is telling not only why they joined the company but, more importantly, why they continue to stay. – Christopher Mullen, PhD, chrismullen.org

12. ‘For you, what is most important in this role?’

My favorite first question is always, “For you, what is most important in this role?” as this specific question will be filtered by the person’s core values. Depending on the answer, you will understand this person’s real motivation. It is a great way to know if you will be a good fit for this job, with this person as your manager. The aim is to work with someone who is in line with your core values. – Julien Fortuit, Julien Fortuit Agency

13. ‘How does this role interact with other parts of the team and organization?’

You can show curiosity and telegraph your focus on teamwork by asking, “How does this role interact with other parts of the team and organization?” The answer should give you insight into the group dynamic and level of collaboration. If your interviewer is a member of the hiring team, a great follow-up question is to ask more about their role as a way to forge that human connection. – Andrea Miller, Veritas Leadership, LLC

14. ‘What most excites you about the work you do?’

I’m energized by stories, so I might ask, “What most excites you about the work you do?” A purer form of this inquiry might be, “Outside of work, what fills you up?” I’m interviewing them too, not just the other way around, so I want to surface the signals that help inform how much I’ll enjoy spending time with this person. You’ll also get a read about how they value boundaries and balance. – Duncan Skelton, Duncan Skelton Coaching Ltd

15. ‘What are the biggest challenges or obstacles I can expect to face in this position?’

This is a great question to ask because it shows that you are proactive and want to be prepared for any challenges you may face in the role. Following that up with, “And how can I best prepare to meet these challenges?”’ also demonstrates that you are committed to succeeding in the position and want to know what you can do to ensure your success. – Jay Rai, www. jayrai.com

16. ‘How does this role fulfill the strategy and purpose of the organization?’

This is a great question to ask the interview panel, as it does two things: It offers you insight into where this role fits in the ecosystem, and it gives detail about the culture and values that account for all roles driving toward purpose. It makes the recruiting team aware of your propensity to understand strategy too. – Arthi Rabikrisson, Prerna Advisory

17. ‘In what areas of work did my predecessors struggle, and how would you have preferred to see them resolved?’

Ask the recruiter, “In what areas of work did my predecessors struggle, and how would you have preferred to see them resolved?” This opens the discussion to the employer’s pain points and helps the candidate have a better grasp of how the employer prefers for issues to be dealt with. The question also clarifies what the employer views as a problem or lack of performance. – Karina Ochis, Prof. Dr. Karina Ochis

18.

‘How has your career been, and what excites you to be here every day?’

This question shows that you are holistic and have leadership thinking. It helps you to understand what working in the company is like and what success will look like. It also clarifies the company’s culture, leadership, expectations and challenges; and further, it lets you know whether they align with your aspirations and values. – Dennis Foo, Pu Xin ASPIRA Advisory Limited – Shanghai | Hong Kong

19. ‘Given everything you’ve heard, can you share your thoughts with me on where I do and don’t fit this role?’

I love a good closing question and when people are able to truly demonstrate the ability to hear real feedback and thoughts. This type of question truly sets the tone for the candidate’s potential impact. – Stacey Engle, Stacey Engle Leadership Coaching

20. ‘What is the first and most important task I will be assigned to?’

The answer to this question says more than the job description, company values, mission and vision on the website. It whispers about the existing team dynamics, current culture and care shown to the employees. – Senem Anataca, 180UTC

Questions to ask the employer during an interview | Career and Professional Development

An interview is a two-way street. (A polite street, with traffic rules.)
Ask questions. The employer will typically, provide an opportunity for you to ask questions at or near the end of the interview, and they judge your questions as a reflection of your preparation and thought process.

Always prepare questions to ask.
Having no questions prepared sends the message that you have no independent thought process, or are ill-prepared, or some combination.

Employers make judgments about you based on the questions you ask.

• Have you done your research on the organization? (If yes, good.)
• Are you asking rather dull questions that you could find in a web search, but about which you have no interest? (Not good. )
• Are you asking about salary? (Bad sign.)
• Are your questions intelligent and thoughtful and cordial? (Very good.)

How many questions to ask: 

• There’s no set number. It’s not a formula. It really depends on what you need to know. However, it’s highly unlikely that you would enter an interview without at least three to five questions on your mind and prepared to articulate. Be prepared with extra questions, in case some of your questions are answered before you ask them.
• You may in fact have 20 questions on your mind, but there may not be sufficient time allotted to cover that many questions. Prioritize your questions based on the interview situation.
• • Is this the first interview? Ask for information that matters most early.
  • Is this the second interview? By now you should know the basics, so ask more probing questions.
  • Is this an all-day interview during which you are meeting with different groups and individuals? Ask questions that fit the roles of those individuals and groups (and ask one same question of all in order to compare responses!).

Show you’ve done your homework.
Example: “I read on the company / organization / agency website that employees have recently done presentations at XX conference. Is that a typical opportunity in the job for which I am interviewing? Are there specific professional organizations employees have been encouraged to join?”

Know the nature of the organization and appropriate terminology.

• Not all employing organizations are “companies.”
• Governmental agencies and not-for-profit organizations are not accurately referred to as companies.
• Most educational institutions are not for-profit (although some are), and may call themselves schools, colleges, universities, institutions, etc.
• Some for-profit organizations may call themselves firms or businesses or agencies.
• You will appear more prepared if you use appropriate terminology as used by the specific organization.

Some of your questions may be answered during the course of the interview, before you are offered the opportunity to ask. If so, you can simply state something to the effect that you were interested in knowing about …, but that was addressed during the interview (and express appreciation for the thorough information you were given).
You could ask for additional clarification if applicable.

Do not ask questions that are clearly answered on the employer’s website and/or in any information provided by the employer to you in advance. 
This would simply reveal that you did not prepare for the interview, and you are wasting the employer’s time by asking these questions.

Never ask about salary and benefits issues until those subjects are raised by the employer.

Just as with questions asked by the interviewer to the candidate:

Good questions are open-ended, and thus cannot be answered with a “yes” or “no.”

Better questions are behavioral: they ask how things are done or have happened in the past, because current and past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior.

The least useful questions are hypothetical, such as “what would you do if…?” The better way to get a useful answer is to ask the behavior “what have you done when….?” However, hypothetical questions can make sense if asking about something a person or organization has never experienced; the answer would at least exhibit the thought process.

Examples of ways to ask essentially the same question

Example 1:

Not good: Does your organization value its employees? (Aside from being answerable with a “yes” or “no,” it almost sounds antagonistic, because a “no” answer is clearly a negative.)

Good: How will your organization show it values its employees?

Better: What are things your organization has done recently to show how it values its employees?

Example 2:

Fair: Are you planning to open an office in Spokane?

Good: What are the plans for opening an office in Spokane?

Better: I read a news story about the possible opening of an office in Spokane. Knowing that a news article does not always capture the full story, I wondered what factors are under consideration for this decision. (Notice this isn’t technically a question, but a series of statements showing your interest and inviting conversation.)

Sample questions

If you are having trouble developing questions, consider the following samples. Use these as food for thought to help develop your own questions. Don’t ask a question that is not relevant to the organization, job, or situation. Don’t ask a question if you are not truly interested in the answer; it will be obvious to the employer.

Your questions must show your own thought process.

• What are the organization’s/company’s strengths and weaknesses compared to its competition?
• How does upper management view the role and importance of this department and this position?
• What is the organization’s plan for the next five years, and how does this department fit in?
• Could you explain your organizational structure?
• What do you most enjoy about your work with this organization / company / agency?
• How have various types of decisions been made?
• What are the various ways employees communicate with one another to carry out their work?
• How will my responsibilities and performance be measured? By whom?
• What are the day-to-day responsibilities of this job?
• Could you describe your company’s management style and the type of employee who fits well with it?
• What are some of the skills and abilities necessary for someone to succeed in this job?
• What is the organization’s policy on providing seminars, workshops, and training so employees can keep up their skills or acquire new ones?
• What particular computer equipment and software do you use?
• What kind of work can I expect to be doing the first year?
• What percentage of routine, detailed work will I encounter?
• How much opportunity is there to see the end result of my efforts?
• How and by whom will my performance be reviewed? Are there specific criteria upon which I would be evaluated? And how frequently is formal and informal review given to new employees?
• How much guidance or assistance is made available to individuals in developing career goals?
• I read on the company / organization / agency website that employees have recently done presentations at XX conference. Is that a typical opportunity in the job for which I am interviewing? Are there specific professional organizations employees have been encouraged to join?
• How much opportunity will I have for decision-making in my first assignment?
• Can you describe an ideal employee?
• What is your organization’s policy on transfers to other cities?

Interview questions can be asked to a candidate for a position. Features of preparing for a meeting with a manager

Content

• What will be asked
• Behavioral interview
• Projective interview
• Case interview
• Questions regarding the new position
• Whether Personal questions
• Salary questions

Candidates for positions in all companies are interviewed. This is an obligatory stage of negotiations after the analysis of resumes and testing. During a meeting with an HR specialist and an employer, a potential employee experiences stress. To avoid such an unpleasant state, prepare for the conversation in advance.

What they will definitely ask

A job seeker faces difficult questions. During a conversation, it is important to answer them quickly, so you should study them in advance. Having prepared the answers, you will not lose face at the interview and get a job. You need to answer completely the following:

• Tell the interviewer about yourself. The story begins from the moment of choosing a profession and studying at the university to the experience gained over the years of work. It is important to focus on personal qualities that help develop and get high results. Present experience to employees in the format of a professional story. Name the skills that help. To avoid stuttering, rehearse the speech at home

• Describe personal strengths that help you get the job done. During the interview, recruiters hear the same answers from the candidate. This is perfectionism and workaholism. Evaluate yourself objectively and try to talk about positive and negative qualities. Employers expect objectivity from the candidate. It is necessary that weak points do not concern the direct performance of duties. Otherwise, it will be difficult to get a job. The ability to assess opportunities in recruiting is compared with the maturity of the employee. Do not confuse mentioning some weaknesses with providing a list of faults and mistakes

• Tell the employer by answering the question How do you see yourself in 5 years. For the employer, career expectations, desires and ambitions of the candidate are important. Companies are looking for various specialists. Some people need ambitious employees, others prefer calm employees who will carefully and systematically perform routine work and not show initiative

• Answer a popular question for the employer. Why should we make a decision regarding your candidacy for this position. In this case, listen carefully to the manager or recruiter when meeting at the beginning of the interview. The executives of the company will utter all the important information about the qualities and skills of the candidate. Summarize the information received and find similarities between the portrait of the ideal applicant for the vacancy in question and yourself. Example: If I understand correctly, then you consider a responsible and punctual accountant as an employee who submits reports on time and excludes the company from fines and other penalties for violating applicable law. It seems that my candidacy suits you

Experienced recruiters develop a whole list of questions over the years of work that allow you to objectively evaluate the candidate. You need to answer all the questions that the interviewer will ask. However, they may not be related to work. It is important for the employer to understand the motivation and other details.

Behavioral interview

According to statistics, a person’s personal and professional qualities, as well as other factors, influence a person’s successful activity and achievement of goals. These include the availability of technical means, the availability of labor assessment criteria in the company. Not always the same person achieves success when changing jobs. To prevent negative situations at a new job, several questions are asked to assess the success of the applicant when he is admitted to the ranks of the company’s employees. Behavioral interviews are conducted according to a strict structure. It is possible to evaluate the received answers according to the established criteria. The behavioral interview goes like this. The candidate answers each question:

• What tasks did you need to solve in your work?

• What means did you have to achieve this result?

• In favor of which solution was the choice made?

• What obstacles did you face while working?

• Evaluate your decision

Before the interview, think about what difficulties and successes you would like to tell the head of the company. Figures and facts about the work of an employee in another company will help to communicate more productively.

Preparing for negotiations will help you find facts and figures that will have a positive impact on the leader.

Projective interview

The recruiter’s goal is to understand the candidate’s personality type and his characteristic types and behaviors. To this end, you will be asked projective questions. The answers to them include the personal opinion of the applicant about events and situations that have no connection with him. Since the applicant does not need to talk about himself, the conversation builds more easily. The person feels confident and calm. But he talks about events and situations, taking into account the accumulated experience, personal qualities and skills. Therefore, such questions help the interviewer to draw useful conclusions during the conversation:

• Why do people build a career? Within the framework of such a question, specialists try to find out the motives of the applicant for the position and understand how important it is for him to grow up the career ladder. Having received an answer to such a question, they will find out the negative experience of the employee. During a conversation, they understand the person’s ideas about a comfortable and uncomfortable work team

• Which client can bring problems to the company? This issue is closely related to the negative experience of a potential employee and the likelihood of developing conflict situations with clients in the future

• Why do some succeed at work and others fail? After answering this question, the manager understands how the applicant understands success and its reasons

• So many questions will help form the right image of the employee in the eyes of interviewers

Case interview

This method is a situation from life. During the story of a potential employee, the employer has questions. During an interview, a person describes people who make a certain decision and bear full responsibility for it. Cases describe the real situation. In conditions of scarce resources, they contain several options. The main task of such communication is to see the various opportunities for achieving the goals of the applicant. This method is based on the analysis of various situations and the proposal to a potential employee to describe the model of behavior he has chosen to solve the problem that has arisen. During such an interview, the candidate for the position tries to provide socially desirable answers. Thus, a person demonstrates his attitude to the situation and values. Therefore, the head of the organization can analyze how they relate to the values ​​of the company. Recruitment managers and leaders are interested in accepting a person who will cope with the upcoming tasks and will perform them responsibly. A case interview will help to verify or refute such personal and professional qualities as creativity, stress resistance, responsibility, punctuality, the ability to cope with a task in a limited time.

Questions related to the new position

Always during the interview, the applicant is interviewed on a topic related to the new position:

• Why do you think you are suitable for this position?

• Do you have relevant experience?

• What interested you the most in the proposed vacancy?

• How might this job affect your career plans?

• When will you be able to start working?

• What conditions do you need to work?

Hr-specialist, having received an answer, will be able to understand the motivation of the employee, his true desires, experience, and activity of the position. The job should please the applicant and cause him a great desire to achieve the goals of the enterprise. In this case, a fruitful interaction between the employer and the future employee will turn out.

Personal questions

Personal questions are not directly related to professional activities. But the answers to them can affect the performance of job duties and the quality of the work performed. In most cases, personal issues affect women. But men are also asked them. These include:

• Wife/husband’s place of work

• Wife/husband’s education

• Do you have financial obligations?

• Do you own real estate?

• Are you planning to get married?

• Are you planning to have a baby?

• Do you have any chronic diseases?

Labor law prohibits discrimination, but the employer may ask questions during the interview that will be uncomfortable for the applicant. Do not draw the attention of the recruiter to the incorrectness of the topic. Such a confrontation will turn into a boomerang. Treating the situation with humor will help overcome the barrier between the applicant for the position and the interviewer.

Salary questions

Friendly staff, tea, coffee and biscuits are great. But in order to live with dignity, this is not enough. For this reason, it is important to discuss salary levels during the interview. For the employer, the reasons may be different. The goal of the recruiter may be to test the soil and analyze the expectations of a potential employee.

In most cases, the employer, asking a question about the level of wages, expects to save on wages. The main thing is to soberly assess your experience and not agree to conditions that are not suitable.

This question from the employer can put the job seeker in an uncomfortable position. Do not worry, cooperation is built on trust and mutual respect. If the question seems to the applicant for the position incorrect, then you should think about it. Perhaps the job is not suitable. In any case, be guided by the average market salaries in the market. In some cases, applicants voice the salary gap, voicing the range of allowable income per month.

Recap

1. In order to successfully negotiate, you need to prepare for a conversation with a manager or recruiting manager in advance. It is important to prepare each answer so that you can successfully get settled and work in the company.

   Every job involves communication before signing an employment contract. After a conversation with the manager, you will be able to decide whether the vacancy is suitable and what to expect from mutual cooperation.

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What interview questions should you ask an employer?

• #Interview
• #Job and Career

During a job interview, there comes a time when the hiring manager gives the candidate the opportunity to ask all the questions that interest him. One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is not asking questions. As search and recruitment specialists, we always advise candidates not only to prepare for the interview by studying information about the company, but also to be ready to ask questions. This is your chance to better understand your potential employer, the culture of the company, as well as show your high interest in the job.

With this question, the interviewer can clarify any additional details regarding your candidacy and dispel any doubts about your professionalism. This is a good way to understand if the interviewer has doubts about your candidacy and resolve them right away.

This question further demonstrates your interest. It will also help you determine when, from whom, and where to expect a response, and will give you an idea of ​​when you should contact the company if they don’t respond to you. Follow-up questions: what is the work schedule, who will I meet next, are there any assignments / tests that I should be ready for?

The information you get from this question will help you understand your career prospects within the company and help you make an informed decision when applying for this position.

You are hired for your experience and skills to achieve a specific goal. If we talk about it openly, then the likely results will be obvious to both sides. In addition, when you start working, you already have a clear idea of ​​​​what and why you are doing in this company.

This defines the role of your department and your role in the organization.