5 Great Questions to Ask Employers in an Interview

Doesn’t matter if it’s a phone interview or a third round, these questions are sure to impress.

I’ve gone through more interviews than I can count in my days, especially during the pandemic. There’s always ways that you can impress potential employers other than your answers and one of those is through the questions that you ask. And yes, you should always, ALWAYS ask questions

Asking questions is a great way to show that you’re interested in the job and organization. It also gives you more information to evaluate if this is the right move for you. Interviews are always a two-way process to see if you’re the right fit for them and if they’re the right fit for you.

Communication is a goal-oriented process where there is always something to gain out of every interaction we have and one of the most common goals is uncertainty avoidance. We’re naturally uncomfortable with not knowing things and this is why we ask questions frequently before making a major life decision like taking a job.

Here are just a few questions that are thought-provoking and informative questions to ask potential employers.

1. How do you see my skills, education, and experience fitting in this role and department?

This is one of my favorite questions to ask and is a guaranteed response of “wow that’s actually a really good question!” This question causes them to picture you in this role and see where your strengths would benefit them. This question alone has gotten me jobs and advanced me through interviews. When they start thinking of you in the role, it’s something that they haven’t done with the other applicants, at least not seriously.

You can mix and match skills, education, and experience to best fit the job you’re applying for. For example, maybe you don’t have the several years of experience a job posting is asking for, then just ask this with your skills and education. The key to this question is to get the employer to picture you in this role and doing it well.

2. How has this role typically worked in the department and what would you like to see changed, if anything?

I like this question because it gives you a bit more insight into how this role worked with everybody else in the department and what they may not have liked about the arrangement with the last person. It’s also a great question because it shows employers that you’re proactively thinking about what you would do in this role.

It’s a simple question that gives you a wealth of knowledge about how the role works day-to-day and also shows a bit into the work environment without having to ask about it explicitly. It also gives employers a chance to address certain things that they’d like to see out of a new person in this role and create a different dynamic in the workplace.

3. What’s the most important thing that needs to get done in the first 60 days?

Always discuss things in interviews as if you’re the person for the job. It shows confidence and forward thinking. This questions gives you a chance to collaborate with potential employers and highlight your various skills. This conversation gives them insight about how you work in a team or independent environment as well as your creative capabilities.

One of the main reasons I like this question is because it gives you a heads-up on what you can expect your first couple months will be focused on. This gives you time to develop ideas and plans for when you start so you can hit the ground running.

4. Where do you see the company/organization in five years?

This turns the table on that commonly asked question of “where do you see yourself in five years?” Not that it’s a bad question, but everybody asks it at some point or another. And now it’s your turn to ask it.

The thing about asking this question toward the employer is that it gives you a good idea of their direction, how they want to get there, and how you can contribute to that. It also gives them the impression that you’re planning on being in this role long term.

5. What are the biggest challenges people tend to have in this role?

Expecting the unexpected is always a good mentality for starting a new job, but it’s also nice to be aware of expected challenges so you can best be prepared to handle them if, and when, they arise. It’s a great way to envision you in the role overcoming obstacles and it impresses your employers for handling them. This is another question showing your proactive thinking, which is something employers love to see in a potential hire.

Asking questions is the whole point of an interview so ask them. Like I said, interviews are a two-way street. You should know more about the place you want to work and the people you would work with before accepting any kind of offer. All too often, it feels like you have no power in interviews and that you’re at their every whim when that’s just not the case. Asking them questions is a great way to get information and balance the power dynamics between interviewer and applicant.