Smart Ask: 9 Questions Posed by Successful Interviewees

Once I noticed that my interviewer had a guitar-shaped belt buckle. I asked about it. We talked as much about the great stringsmen of classic rock as we did about my core skillset and company culture. I accepted the job.

Did you have anything for me? usually marks the end of a job interview wherein the hiring manager offers to field questions from the candidate.

Often a candidate plays this as a simple formality and politely declines, packs up their materials, and walks away. That’s a mistake. They are passing up a golden opportunity to leave an impression when they fail to ask smart questions.

What kinds of questions leave the right impression?

Any question is better than none, due to the simple fact that people like talking about themselves. It’s scientific: we are our own favorite topic, and talking about ourselves creates an endorphin buzz. This forms a connection--a feeling that interviewers remember.

As a candidate, you probably want to know about the timeline for a decision, or how many other candidates you’re up against. Ask these questions by all means. But first, work up the nice brain chemicals by getting interviewees to talk about themselves.

1. Can you tell me more about your role at the company?

Normally you will broach this in the interview a bit. When you ask straight away, it gives the interviewer a chance to narrate his or her perspective of self in the context of their career. This lays the foundation of the buzz. Listen to the response, and good follow-up questions should emerge as they tell you more about themselves.

2. What drew you to your line of work, or, what drew you to this company?

It makes sense that you and your potential hiring manager share common skillsets and motives for choosing careers writing code. There’s a good chance that you can strike up short conversation about how you share similar passions and goals. Easy fodder for connecting on a more personal level.

3. What might you say are the biggest challenges in your role? 

This is a question to pose when the job interviewer works in the department in which you’re trying to land the job. Their response triggers a chance for interviewees to empathize with the challenges, and better yet, proffer ways that you would help address them. It’s great if you can conjure up relatable experiences from your work history. You cut to the essence of what a candidate wants to get across to the company--you have tangible skills that address their pain points.

4. What are some qualities that your best team members possess?

Show the interviewer that you’re interested in synergizing with others you work alongside. Listen to the response, and speak to how your background encapsulates the qualities the interviewer articulates. Again, mention any connection to past work experience as it illustrates you’re exactly what this hiring manager wants.

5. I read over the company’s mission statement and was wondering how you and the department addresses [mention any specific facets that stand out]?

Many companies have mission statements just to have one. Some exercise it to the deepest fibers of company culture. Always assume the latter. It never hurts. Plus, if you expose that a company’s mission statement doesn’t really mean anything, that might sound alarms for you.

6. What do you wish you’d have known before starting here?

If you start to pick up negative vibes about a workplace, this question can unroot additional warning signs for a candidate. Always look out for your interests. Any smart candidate does so, and a question like this is a nice way of showing your professional awareness.

7. How would you characterize the turnover at the company?

Self preservation is a natural instinct. You may not have to ask this question if you do your homework. If you come across negative reviews from past employees, it is advisable to caveat this question by referencing something that you read during your research. That said, it is a fair question that should be addressed with candor.

8. What does the career arc look like for people like us at this company?

Chances are you heard a question along the lines of, where you see yourself in five years? Often the logical place for that response happens to be the job occupied by the interviewer. Ideally, your interviewer is as career minded as you are. If not, a question like “what are the chances for advancement” might threaten a complacent hiring manager. Take some of the bite out of the question by asking about advancement in this manner.

9. What is your timeline for hiring?

After several “you” questions, turn your attention to the “me” question. This is a nice way of asking, when I am I going to land this job?