15 Questions You Should Be Asking in Your Next Interview

So imagine that you’re on a blind date. You sit down at a restaurant to have a lovely dinner. They’re looking nice and smelling good! You start asking them questions to spark up a conversation. They answers your questions politely and with a little charm but as the date goes on you realize that they’ve never even once asked you a question. You’ve shared some details about yourself but that’s only because you were relating or responding to something that they said. By the end of the date, you’re probably going to question their interest in you. Right?

Apply that same scenario to a job interview. The employer invites you out for a job interview, asks you all these questions and then asks you if you have any questions. If you don’t have anything to ask, it may be a red flag for the employer. The best way to express your genuine interest in working for that company during an interview is to ask the employer some thought provoking questions that shows that you’ve done your research on the company and want to be sure that it’s a good fit for you as well. However, nerves may settle in and you could draw a blank when it’s time for you to ask questions. So it’s great to prepare before hand.

Here’s some great questions to ask:

1. What are the biggest challenges that I would face in this position?

2. Are there any upcoming projects outside of typical assigned duties that this position is expected to be responsible for?

3. What does a typical day look like for this position?

4. What do you value most about working for this company?

5. What standards do you go by to measure performance and success in this position?

6. Are employees evaluated on an annual basis? (this question may provide you with an answer that includes whether merit increases are given annually too!)

7. How would your describe your management style?

8. How would you describe the culture of the company?

9. Is this a new position?

10. Has your role changed since working for the company?

11. What attributes does someone need to be successful in this position?

12. Have any employees who held this position progressed within the company?

13. What are the next steps in the decision making process?

14. When can I expect to receive a call back from you?

15. At this point, is there anything that you need from me that may be helpful to you?