“Do you have any questions for us?” It may come as a surprise but this is one of the most important questions that you’ll get asked during any interview, yet it’s often the question that you’ll spend the least amount of time preparing for.
It pays to spend some time prepping some sharp and well-considered questions that you want to ask your potential employer. Why? Well because it’s an important opportunity for you to
a) gain clarity on the role, the company, and the culture, and
b) it demonstrates that you’re genuinely interested in the position.
Choosing the right questions can be tough, so to help, I’ve compiled the following.
Top 11 questions you could consider asking in your next interview:
1. What is the salary range for this position?
It’s almost too obvious to include in this list, but often this question is completely overlooked / avoided until the offer stage. If you want to avoid wasting your time interviewing for a role that won’t pay you what you’re looking for then you need to ask this question early in the process.
2. Besides the salary does the company offer any other financial / non financial benefits?
Most companies offer a range of other financial and non-financial benefits to their employees. This could take the form of bonus structures, additional annual leave, birthday leave, community days, 4-day work weeks, medical cover, phone / car / internet allowance, free parking, gym memberships etc. These additional ‘perks’ can add a load of additional value so be sure to ask about them.
3. What does your flexible work policy look like?
Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to working from home so it’s important to know what policies the company has to ensure that you’re on the same page from the get-go.
4. What learning and development opportunities does the business offer?
Continuous learning is something that nearly every person is looking for and the good news is that many companies are offering some form of learning & development fund to help their staff with learning new skills.
5. What are the top 3 things you’re looking for in your ideal candidate?
Ask this question early in the interview process because the answer is worth its weight in gold. By knowing exactly what your potential employer is looking for, you can use this information to your advantage and strategically adjust what you talk about to ensure you’re highlighting your skills that are aligned with what they are looking for.
6. What was it about my experience that made you want to do an interview?
I’m a big fan of this question as it helps you understand what it is about your background that your employer likes. You can then spend more time highlighting these areas during the interview. In addition, it also gives you an insight into what the employer is looking for in their ideal candidate.
7. Do you see any gaps in my experience?
This short question will help you identify any areas that the interviewer may see in your experience. The good news is that once you know the answer to this question you can try and alleviate those concerns with additional information about your experience.
8. How will success be measured in this position?
This question will help unearth how they will be measuring your performance in this role i.e. is it leads / revenue / engagement / sales etc. Some companies have very clear objectives / KPIs so it’s important to know what you’re signing up for before you start.
9. What does a typical day look like in this role?
In my experience, job descriptions tend to be broad with a list of the overall key responsibilities. Asking the employer about what a normal day in the life of this role looks like will help you get a better feel for what the role will be responsible for and what you could expect when you begin.
10. How would you describe your management style?
Everybody has their own management style and every employee has their own preference when it comes to being managed. It’s important to find a boss who you are compatible with. Finding out that your boss is a micromanager is something you’d want to find out early and not after you’ve already started.
11. What are the next steps from here?
This should always be the last question you ask during any interview because you always want to know what the next steps are and when you can expect to hear back. This information helps keep the employer accountable and it helps you manage your own expectations throughout the interview process.
Will you be able to ask all 11 questions during the interview? Probably not, however, there is nothing stopping you from asking a few of these questions during the interview and then sending any remaining questions to the hiring manager after the interview. There is no limit on how many questions you can ask!
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