Top 10 Questions to Ask in a Job Interview

What Questions Should You be Asking in a Job Interview?

We all know that we should be asking questions in interviews to show our interest and engagement. But what questions should you be asking? You don’t want to ask the same questions that the people before and after you are asking.

“Do you have any questions for us?”‍

If you’re unsure of what to ask during an interview, ignore advice telling you to say “You’ve answered all the questions I have already”. It doesn’t show that the interviewer is so great at their job they’ve already answered your questions. It’s code for ‘I don’t know what to ask’ or ‘I’m nervous and don’t want to ask something that makes me look unsuitable for the role’.

Lucky for you, we’ve put together a list of the top 10 questions you should be asking in job interviews.

Top 10 questions to ask in an interview:

1. Ask if there are any bespoke applications, custom built technologies, or in-house tools that they use. This is especially good to ask if your role uses a lot of technology.

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2. Ask about the team size and how big the office is. A lot of people forget to ask what the office is like if it isn’t an in-office interview. Is it an open plan office space, or are the departments separated? Are there spaces to socialise during breaks? This helps you to gain insight into the company culture.

3. Do the different departments socialise inside or outside of work? Show that you’re looking to integrate into the team and company culture. There might be regular socials, clubs for people with similar interests, or sports teams. If there isn't, you could start one!

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4. Ask questions about the organisational structure. How close is your role to the owners, C-level or managers? Will you interact with them often? Who will you directly report to, and what is their management style like?

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5. Are there regular reviews or one-to-ones? What do the processes for these look like? This demonstrates an interest in your development and growth as an employee.

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6. How do they see the role you’re applying to growing and evolving over the years as the company grows? This helps you to see if they’re invested in your development and ambition as an individual.

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7. Where have successful employees previously in this position progressed to? Again this shows your willingness to learn and develop.

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8. What is the training process? No matter how much experience you have, each company does things in their own way and has processes they use. How will you be taught these processes? Will you be trained with others, or will you be shadowing someone at first? Or are they expecting you to pick it up yourself as you go along?

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9. Ask questions about the interviewer - they’ll be able to give you the best insight to what it’s like being an interviewee. How long have they worked there? What do they enjoy most about their job? If they’ve been there a long time, what’s made them stay?

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10. Ask questions about the company. As an employee, the overarching existence of your role is to help the company grow and succeed. So, what are the company’s future goals? Where does the company plan to be in 5 years time? If the company is ambitious, it sets the expectation that you’ll be ambitious too. It also means there is room for professional development

A motto that I firmly believe, follow and encourage others to adopt is that:

In every interview you, you are both the interviewee and the interviewer.

I have said it before, and I will continue to say it. Interviews are an opportunity for you to gain more insight into the company you’re applying to. You should be asking them similar questions to the ones they’re asking you. The last thing you want to do is ace an interview, get the job, and quickly realise that you don’t like it or it doesn’t suit you.

Some people prefer working in an environment where they have their own office and wear a 2-piece suit every day. Others prefer casual dress and an open plan office. There’s no right or wrong answer, only what is right or wrong for you.

Written by Phoebe Blair

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