The Best Questions to Ask the Interviewer (to get hired fast!)
So, you want a new job, you perfected your resume and you’ve made it to the interview stage – congratulations! Interviewing can be lots of fun when you are well prepared.
With hundreds of job applicants out there, it’s a feat to be proud of to even land the job interview.
Interviewing is your time to shine and show the employer why you’re the perfect candidate for the job.
But before you can do that, you need to prepare to be sure that you know exactly what the best questions to ask the interviewer are.
Yes, that’s right! You will be answering questions during the conversation, but you should also be asking plenty of questions during your interviews to learn more about the job and get a better sense of if this is the right job opportunity for you.
There are a million questions you could be asking, but there is a secret to ensuring your next steps are to sign your offer letter and celebrate.
What are the best questions to ask in an interview if you want to get hired fast?
Be sure to review this list before your next interview and click the links below to see some of the best answers out there!
Let’s take a deep dive into the best questions to ask the interviewer to successfully land your dream job!
Q1. Would you describe what skills and experience are most important for a candidate to be successful in this job?
A: “Some common skills and experience that you expect to be successful in this future job include strong communication and organizational skills, the ability to work independently, and previous experience working in a similar role.”
Q2. What is the company culture like?
A: “Our organization’s culture is creative, innovative, and forward-thinking. New hires are encouraged to think outside the box and come up with new ideas that can improve the products and services offered by the company. Flexibility is also a priority for us, which is evident in the many flexible work arrangements that are available if interested.”
Q3. How is performance success in this role measured?
A: “We don’t just rely on a resume to predict performance. Performance success in this role is typically measured by meeting or exceeding set goals. We have a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) that everyone is responsible for meeting. Meeting or exceeding these KPIs generally indicates that we’re performing well in our roles.”
Q4. What are the potential career paths and next steps open to someone in this position?
A: “The potential career paths open to someone in this job may vary depending on the position. However, some common career paths for this job include becoming a supervisor or manager, moving into a related field such as marketing or sales, or working your way up to a more senior role within the company.”
Q5. Can you give me a sense of what the challenges associated with this position are?
A: “Some common challenges associated with this position include working under tight deadlines and handling a high volume of work. It’s important to be able to stay organized in our fast-paced environment. Additionally, it’s essential to be able to help the company handle change well, as new challenges and responsibilities are often introduced in this role.”
Q6. What are the current team’s strengths and weaknesses?
A: “Our strengths include communication. We are committed to their personal and professional development. They feel valued by the company and get recognized for a job well done on a timely basis. Some of their weaknesses include time management and discipline, but these have shown improvements lately with effective position peer coaching.”
Q7. Would you describe a typical day for this position?
A: “A standard day in this position might involve working on a variety of tasks, such as creating reports, collaborating with others on projects, and attending meetings. It’s important to be able to be productive and efficient when working independently, as well as part of a team.”
Q8. What is the management style of the team or department?
A: “The management style of the team is where managers give team members a lot of freedom to make decisions while closely monitoring progress and providing direction as needed.”
Q9. What is the biggest project this group has worked on recently?
A: “The biggest project we’ve worked on recently was developing a new product. One of the biggest challenges we had was to come up with a prototype and then pitch it to our head office. It was a challenging process, but we were ultimately successful.”
Q10. What inspired the company to create this role?
A: The company created this role because they recognized the need for a specialized individual who could handle a high volume of work and communicate effectively with others. They also wanted someone innovative and could think outside the box.
Q11. What makes this company unique?
A: Our company uniqueness stems from things like our company structure – which is flat so our associates are empowered to ask the right questions and make decisions.
Plus a bonus – Find out what is the best question to ask the interviewer about professional development during the interview process.
Q12. Does the company have advancement opportunities such as education or training?
A: “Yes! The company plans to continually train and educate employees to scale career opportunities within the organization. Employers such as ours are committed to investing in the education of their people, having even developed a leadership training program that’s designed specifically for lower-level supervisors and managers.”
A few more tips.
When it comes to presenting yourself to the hiring manager, it’s important to remember that meeting with a manager during the job interview should be a two-way street.
You’ll want to learn more about the job opportunity, the level of work life balance, professional development opportunities, the company values, and what’s on tap for the company’s future. You” want to find out how many jobs are open and how many people typically leave every year.
Is the companies future bright?
Vacation time may be limited and overtime expected. It’s ok to also ask the interviewer questions on these topics. Just be careful and consider asking these questions after the offer is made.
You’ll be answering a lot of questions during the interview (which may seem like a grueling process), but if you want to secure the job, you’ll need to accurately discuss your top accomplishments and position yourself as the job candidate of choice.
That means preparing yourself for the interview process by reviewing the job description, brushing up on your resume, and being prepared to ask the interviewer a series of questions.
Your communication skills will come into play when answering interviewer questions, so it’s important to prepare to not only (brilliantly) answer interview questions that are thrown your way – but also have a prepared list of awesome interview questions to ask.
Long gone are the days when a job interview lasted just a few minutes. You’ll want to be prepared with some great questions to ask to help you stand out in the crowd.
Based on expert tips, we’ve created this list of questions to ask in an interview to learn more about the job and ensure you leave the interview setting yourself above the others.
The most interesting questions I’ve seen someone ask an interviewer were questions that gave a deeper understanding the of pain points the current company experienced.
Asking a great open-ended question allows a manager to open up – giving you more useful information about the job.
Gaining great insight into managerial style, the company’s values and company’s goals gives a better understanding of how they operate.
Do they care about team work? Do they work on tight deadlines? Asking potential employers questions such as if anything about the company changed recently are great open ended questions that can lead you to meaningful answers.
Having your list of interview questions prepared will give you the insight you are looking for during the onboarding process.
It’s important to keep in mind that an interviewer’s answers can provide insight, so act interested and listen carefully for any weak points you may hear.
Be sure to learn about the day-to-day responsibilities during the recruitment process?
There are so many things to learn during the job interview, it can seem overwhelming. You’ll want to learn more about the day-to-day responsibilities of the position so you can have a good grasp of what you are walking into.
As a job candidate, you’ll want to learn about career path opportunities and what makes successful associates stand out.
And while a job description is important, you’ll want to find out during the job interview what are things that are missing from the job description.
You can ask an interviewer if there was a previous employee in the position. Ask what else is important to the employer.
The success or failure of past employees may be a good indication of your potential success in this new position. It’s ok to ask the employer if the previous person in the role was successful or if the person left the company for a good reason.
The interviewer’s response to the question can help you understand what to expect from the employer, including if there are any unrealistic expectations.
Nervous about meeting with the hiring manager?
Don’t be!
While it’s perfectly normal to feel nervous, remember that you are the one in control. You’ve been invited to meet with the employer because your resume and qualifications have impressed them – so now it’s time to show them what you’re made of in person.
Employers often think they are the ones in charge, but the reality is that candidates can control the job interview if they are skillful enough.
If you want to land the job offer, you can increase your chances by preparing a list of interview questions in advance.
This way, when the time comes, you can ask thoughtful questions that demonstrate your interest in the role and company and leave a lasting impression on the employer.
So what are the best interview questions to ask?
The best questions to ask your interviewer (aside from the above) depend on what’s important to you, but some general things to keep in mind include finding out more about the company’s culture and values, getting an idea of what the day-to-day work would be like, and asking about potential growth opportunities.
Whatever questions you choose to ask, make sure they come from a place of genuine interest and curiosity – after all, that’s what hiring managers are looking for in a prospective employee.
Managers often ask candidates how they would handle a difficult situation. This question is meant to test your problem-solving skills and see how you react under pressure.
Some interviewees make the mistake of trying to guess what the interviewer wants to hear. However, it’s important to be honest and give a real answer that shows how you would handle the situation.
For example, if you are asked how you would handle a situation where you had to deal with a difficult customer, don’t say that you would simply smile and try to diffuse the situation.
Instead, talk about a time when you encountered a similar issue and what steps you took to resolve it. This will give the interviewer a better idea of your true capabilities.
Here are a few more things to consider.
Making a great impression
Preparing for your job interview is key to making a good impression. If you go in knowing what to expect and what questions you’ll be asked, you’ll feel more confident and prepared.
Some things to keep in mind include doing your research on the company, preparing answers to common interview questions, and rehearsing your responses.
It’s also important to be aware of your body language and make sure you have dressed appropriately.
When it comes to answering questions, it’s important to stay calm and avoid rambling. Be concise and answer the question directly.
If you don’t know the answer, don’t try to make something up – simply say that you don’t know and offer to find out.
Dress to impress
It’s important to dress professionally for your job interview, regardless of the company’s dress code. This means wearing clothes that are neat, clean and fit well.
For men, a suit is always a safe choice. A shirt, tie and dress pants are also appropriate options. If you don’t have a suit, try wearing a dress shirt and tie with dress pants or a skirt.
For women, it’s generally best to wear a blazer or jacket with a skirt or slacks. Avoid wearing too much jewelry or makeup, and make sure your hair is neat.
Whatever you choose to wear, make sure it’s professional and reflects well on you.
Feel better prepared with questions to ask in your next job interview?
It’s time to get your questions ready and over the next few months, enjoy your interviews confidently. What interview question is always top on your list to ask? Tag us on LinkedIn with the answer!
Looking for additional career advice? Head over here!
