Best Questions to Ask in an Interview (And What Not to Ask!)

 Best Questions to Ask in an Interview

In today's fast-paced job market, it is very important for a candidate to figure out if a company is a good fit. Asking smart questions to the interviewer is the key to assess suitability to a company and makes you come across as a motivated and curious candidate. Questions to ask in an interview should be related to the interview process, company, manager, job profile, training and development, work culture, etc.

Company related questions for the interviewer

Asking questions about the company you are interviewing for will give you insights into its work culture, environment, progress graph, challenges, etc.

1. What is the most valued skill at your organization?
2. What is the best thing about this organization?
3. How has the company progressed over the last 5-7 years?
4. What changes do you see for the company in the next 5 years?
5. What makes this workplace special?
6. What are the biggest rewards of working with this company?
7. What challenges is the company facing right now?
8. What are the new products or growth ideas that the company is planning for?
9. Who do you consider your opponents? How do you compare?

Job profile related questions for the interviewer

Ask questions about the profile to understand the expectations that the company has for the job role and to know if you are on the same page.

1. I would like to understand how this role relates to the structure of the entire organization.
2. What have the past employees done to succeed in this position last year or before that?
3. How has this position evolved?
4. What are the biggest challenges of this job role?
5. What can I expect as a typical day in this job profile?
6. What projects will I be handling soon after joining?
7. What are the important skills for the ideal candidate for this role? Do I possess them?
8. Do you have any hesitations about my qualifications for this position?

Team related questions for the interviewer

Ask questions about the team to get to know more about the people you will be working closely with.

1. How many team members are there currently? Can you brief me on their job responsibilities?
2. Do you have plans to hire more people in the department in the near future?
3. If I get hired, will I be assigned a mentor or manager?
4. How am I expected to collaborate with my future manager?
5. Which other departments does this team work closely with?
6. Can you describe the team culture?

Interview process related questions for the interviewer

Asking questions about the interview process will let you know what to expect during the next steps of the process.

1. What is the next step in the interview process?
2. How long does it take for the recruitment process to complete?
3. Are you looking to hire someone immediately or is there a scope for notice period?
4. How many candidates have already been interviewed for this position?
5. When can I expect to hear from you next?

Training and development related questions for the interviewer

On joining a company, every candidate looks forward to how the job role will add to his skills and development. Ask questions about the training and development processes of the company to know if it is in line with your expectations.

1. Will there be a training process? What will the training process involve?
2. Are there opportunities for career enhancement? How does one normally achieve these?
3. What is the typical professional development for someone in this job role?

Performance related questions for the interviewer

Ask performance related questions to understand how the company reviews a candidate's performance over the period of time, the criteria it follows, and the expectations it has from a candidate.

1. How do you measure success for a position? Is it a target-based role?
2. What is the usual trajectory of an employee in the first 3 to 6 months?
3. How many times will my performance be reviewed during the year?
4. What is the performance review process like?
5. How did the earlier employees in this position progress professionally?

Work-life balance related questions for the interviewer

This is one of the most important criteria for a candidate when it comes to choosing a job. Ask these questions to understand if the company gives importance to work-life balance.

1. Are the working hours fixed or flexible?
2. How often are employees expected to work overtime?
3. Do the employees have the flexibility to work from home?
4. Does the company involve in any sort of event or activity?

About the interviewer

Asking questions to the interviewer about his association with the organization will help you build a rapport with him. It will also help both of you to get at ease with each other.

1. For how long have you been associated with the company?
2. What do you enjoy the most about working here?
3. How has your career graph evolved after being hired by this organization?

5 questions to NOT ask in an interview

Here are some questions that you should NOT ask an interviewer.

1. Never ask an interviewer what the company does. Do your
   research about the company before heading to an interview!
2. Avoid asking questions about salary, appraisal, etc. right away. Save them for the last round of the interview!
3. Do not ask any personal questions to the interviewer.
4. Do not ask multiple questions in one go. Ask one question at a time.
5. Do not stick to one single topic. Ask questions on different aspects to discover more about the company’s culture, goals, and required skills.

Note that ideally, a candidate should ask questions to the interviewer at the end of the interview.

Bonus Tip:

To prepare more questions, check the company ratings on various different aspects like skill development, company culture, job security, work-life balance, etc. If you find low ratings in any of these aspects, ask specific questions to the interviewer on the same.

Now get ready for your next interview by reading these interview questions and tips from other candidates.