Better Questions to Ask During Your Interview

The interview process is an important and often stressful time. No matter how at ease the interviewer tries to make you feel, it’s an evaluation process. It’s important to remember they aren’t just evaluating you – you are also evaluating them. Typically near the end of the interview, the manager will ask if you have any questions. This is a prime opportunity to really learn about the company.

Here are a few questions interviewers often ask during the interview and some suggestions for how to improve.

Common Question #1: “Can you tell me about the culture here?”

Better Question: “Can you think of a time when the company’s culture made you excited to work here or helped you during a challenging time?” 

While the first question is fine, it allows for the interviewer to use some company culture jargon and skate over the question. The alternative allows for a deeper dive and gets a better feel for the culture.

Common Question #2: “How have you liked working here?”

Better Question: “I noticed you worked at Company Y before coming here. I’m curious, what did you see about this opportunity that made you make the jump?”

It’s important to research not only the company but the interviewer as well. This also demonstrates you’ve done your research, but the better question will give you a look into what life will be like at this company and how you will fit in.

Common Question #3: “The company has had rapid growth. Do you expect that to continue?”

Better Question: “Given the growth, this company has experienced, do you anticipate significant strains on your customer service group?”

It’s good to know what you’re walking into and how this could affect the job you’re interviewing. You might even be able to use this information to follow up with ideas about how to help the company manage its growth.

The job market is hot right now and it can feel like you don’t need to put in as much effort, but asking better questions during the interview will help you gain the valuable insight to figure out if the job is right for you.