A job interview is bi-directional and many job seekers forget that. Every good hiring manager ends the interview by asking “what questions do you have for me”. Regardless of how well you demonstrated your capabilities or fit for the job if you don’t have questions you will likely be rejected. Asking difficult and thoughtful interview questions makes you stand out from the competition.
Beat the Competition and Stand Out with These 33 Interview Questions
Don’t show up to the interview planning to ask all of these questions and the questions are not in any particular order. Asking a combination of these interview questions will make you stand out from the competition. They will demonstrate that you are engaged in the interview and are taking a thoughtful approach to evaluate your fit with the company.
Interview Questions About The Role
- “Do you have any reservations about my fit for this role?”
- “What is the average tenure of employees in a similar role?”
- “How do you see this role evolving over the next 12 months?”
- “Where have successful employees in this position progressed to?”
- “Which other departments work most closely with this one and can you describe that relationship today?”
- “Why are you hiring for this role or why did the previous person decide to leave?”
Training, Development, Coaching and Performance Interview Questions
- “What metrics or goals will my performance be measured against?”
- “How will I know I’m successful in this role?”
- “Can you describe your coaching process and the frequency of the coaching sessions?”
- “How will you judge my success in this role?”
- “How will I be trained and what training programs are available after the initial onboarding?”
Interview Questions for the Hiring Manager
- “What do you like most about working here or why have you stayed on in your role?”
- “What did you do before this?”
- “How has your role changed since you’ve been here?”
- “How would your team describe you as a manager?”
- “What do you do in your free time?”
Company and Culture Interview Questions
- “Can you give me an example of how you handle conflict within the team?”
- “What exactly does the company value the most and how does this role contribute to those values?”
- “Could you give me an example of the least desirable aspect of the company’s culture?”
- “Where does the company want to be in the next 5 years?”
- “What gets you most excited about the company’s future?”
- “How has the company changed since you joined?”
- “How would you describe the work environment is it more collaborative or independent?”
Interview Questions to Evaluate the Team
- “Could I meet with some of the people I’d be working with?”
- “In what areas could your team use a little polishing?”
- “What skills are missing in the team that you are looking to fill?”
- “Can you tell me about the last team event you did together?”
Wrap Up Interview Questions
- “This opportunity seems to be exactly what I’m looking for, is there a fit here?”
- “What does the benefits package look like?” (401K, vacation, sick time, raise cycles and process, health/dental insurance, etc.)
- “Is there anything else I can provide you with that would be helpful?”
- “What are the next steps?”
- “Can you give me feedback on how I did and what I could have done better?”
- “What is the one question you really want to ask me but haven’t?”
Final Tips for Successful Interview Questions
- See where the conversation goes after the questions are asked and ask relevant follow-up questions as necessary.
- Take notes as you go to show you are paying attention and so you can refer back as needed.
- Some of these interview questions may be answered during the normal course of the interview so cross them off your notes if that happens. This avoids looking like you weren’t paying attention throughout the interview.
- Do research on the company and the interviewers then tailor your interview questions leveraging that research for greater impact.
- Pay attention to body language, facial expressions, and eye contact then ask clarifying questions to the responses as necessary. Non-verbal queues are especially important for some of the difficult questions above.
These interview questions will help you make an informed decision when it comes to accepted or rejecting a job offer. They demonstrate that you are being thoughtful about where and who you want to work for. In the off chance that asking these questions disqualify you for the job then it isn’t a position you would want to accept anyway. We spend more of our time with our boss, our team and at our office than anywhere else. Make sure it is a place you want to dedicate so much of your life to. Stand out from the job seeker competition with these interview questions.
Last updated on July 24th, 2019 at 06:21 am
