Questions to ask your interviewer in a job interview
Recently a client asked me whether this was a good question to ask her interview: “How does Amazon support its employees with certifications or continuing ed? For example, pursuing a PhD?”
I told her that was a question to save for after she got the offer. It’s not a bad question, but it could make the interviewer worry that she would be spending more time studying than working.
What are some questions she should ask instead?
Good questions to ask during your interview, by topic
You can use these questions for ideas, but if there’s something you’re interested in learning you should definitely use your own idea instead because it will sound more personalized.
The Position
What is a typical day like for the person in this job?
Can you tell me more about the day-to-day responsibilities for this job?
Can you give me some examples of projects I’d be working on?
Do you expect the main responsibilities for this position to change in the next 6 months to a year?
Is this a new role that’s been created?
What are the 3 most important leadership principles for this job?
How do you define success for this position? What metrics will you use to measure my accomplishments?
Do you have any concerns about my qualifications for this job?
Training and Development
How will I be trained?
Where is the last person who held this role moving on to?
What is the typical career path for someone in this role?
Review Process
What is the performance review process like here? Can you walk me through a typical one?
What would your expectation for me be for the first 90 days?
The Interviewer
These questions are personal so you don’t want to ask them if your interviewer seems like they might have a problem with personal questions. They’re not too personal though so you can definitely ask them if it seems like a good time to do so.
How long have you been working here?
Why did you choose this company?
What’s your favorite part about working here?
The Team
How would you describe the team culture?
Can you tell me about the members of the team?
What are the team’s strengths and weaknesses?
What have been the biggest challenges for the team this year?
Whom will I report to directly?
Which other departments work closely with this one?
Do you expect the department/team to grow?
The Company
How does this service or product fit into the larger picture?
How do you measure customer service?
What important initiatives are you working on for the next 6-12 months?
How does this role contribute to larger company goals?
What do you like the most about working here?
Can you tell me a little bit about the company culture?
Where do you think the company is headed in the next 5 years?
Whom do you consider your top competitor and why?
What are the biggest opportunities facing the company right now?
Next steps
Is there anything else I can provide you with that would be helpful?
Can I answer any final questions for you?
What are the next steps in the interview process?
Topics to avoid during your interview
If you ask about these you'll make a bad impression. Save them for the recruiter after they offer you the job.
Basic info about the company you can find on Google, like who their competitors are (don’t even ask the recruiter these)
Salary, benefits
Working hours/your schedule/vacation time/work-life balance
Too much about the interviewer’s background. You don’t want to seem like a stalker.
Did I get the job?
If I get the job, how soon can I change roles within the company?
Do you do background checks?
Do you monitor your employees’ social media or internet use?
