Questions Worth Asking at the End of a Job Interview

Near the end of most interviews you get a version of the same prompt: "Do you have any questions for us?" The answer should always be yes. Saying you have none reads as low interest. Good questions do two things at once. They show your judgment, and they help you decide whether the job is right for you.

Here are questions worth asking, and a few to avoid.

Questions about the role

These help you understand what the job is like day to day.

• "What does a successful first 90 days look like in this role?"
• "What are the biggest challenges the person in this role will face?"
• "How is success measured here, and how often is it reviewed?"
• "Why is this role open? Is it new, or is someone moving on?"

The last one is useful. A new role and a backfill tell you different things about the team.

Questions about the team and manager

You are choosing a manager and a team as much as a job.

• "How would you describe your management style?"
• "How does the team handle disagreement and feedback?"
• "What does support look like for someone new on the team?"

Listen for specifics. A vague answer to a direct question can tell you as much as the words themselves.

Questions about the company

These check that the role sits on solid ground.

• "What are the team's main goals for the next year?"
• "How has the team or company changed in the past year?"
• "What do you like most about working here, and what would you change?"

That final question is fair to ask, and the honesty of the answer is a useful signal.

Questions to avoid

A few questions can work against you, at least early on.

• Anything you could have answered by reading the company website. It signals you did not prepare.
• Salary and benefits in a first screen, unless the interviewer raises it. There is usually a better time, once there is mutual interest.
• "Did I get the job?" It puts the interviewer on the spot and rarely helps you.

Match the question to the person

Have more questions ready than you will use, and pick based on who is in front of you. Ask a recruiter about process and timeline. Ask a manager about the work and the team. Ask a senior leader about direction and goals. Matching the question to your audience shows that you think about it.

Why a focused process gives you room

In a flooded hiring process your questions can get rushed, because the interviewer is moving through a large pile of candidates. In a smaller, more deliberate process there is room for a real conversation.

That is part of what a capped applicant pool creates. Koali limits how many people can apply to each role, so interviews are conversations rather than quick screens, and every applicant gets a response within 10 business days. You can read how caps work in what is an application cap.

Browse open roles on Koali.

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Related reading: How to write a job application that gets read and Koali vs. traditional job boards.