Questions to ask at the end of an interview (with examples)
The short answer
Ask four or five questions that show you listened and that tell you what the job is really like: what success looks like in the first six months, how the team works, what the biggest challenge is, and what the next steps are. Avoid questions the website answers, and hold questions about pay and leave until the employer raises them or an offer is made.
“Do you have any questions for us?” is not a formality. Interviewers read your questions as a sign of how seriously you take the job and how well you listened. A candidate with nothing to ask looks uninterested, and one who asks something answered on the careers page looks unprepared. The questions are also your best chance to learn whether you want the job.
How to ask well
- Prepare more than you need. Bring five to seven. Some will be answered during the conversation, and that is fine.
- Ask about what you heard. “You mentioned the team is reorganising. How is that affecting the role?” beats any list.
- Match the question to the person. Ask a hiring manager about the team and the work, a recruiter about the process, a future colleague about the day to day.
- Write them down and glance at your notes. It is normal.
- Ask, then listen. Follow-up questions show more interest than a list read in order.
Questions about the role
These tell you what you would actually be doing and how you would be judged.
- What would success look like in the first six months?
- What does a typical week look like in this role?
- What is the biggest challenge the person in this role will face?
- What happened to the last person in this role, and what did they go on to do?
- Which parts of the job do people find hardest?
The last one is useful and usually answered honestly.
Questions about the team and the manager
- How is the team structured, and who would I work with most?
- How would you describe your management style?
- How does the team make decisions and handle disagreement?
- How do you give feedback, and how often?
- What does the team do well, and what would it like to improve?
Questions about the company
- What are the company’s main priorities for the next year?
- How does this team’s work connect to those priorities?
- What has changed in the past year, and what do you expect to change in the next?
- What do you enjoy most about working here, and what would you change?
Ask the last one of anyone who has been there a while. The pause before they answer tells you something too.
Questions about growth
- How do people typically grow in this role?
- What support is there for learning, training or moving between teams?
- Can you give an example of someone who has progressed from this position?
Questions about the process
Save one for the end, whoever you are talking to.
- What are the next steps, and when should I expect to hear from you?
- Is there anything about my background that you would like me to expand on?
- Is there anything that gives you pause about my fit for the role?
The last two are bold and effective. They surface a doubt while you are still in the room and can answer it. The timeline question gives you a date to follow up against, as described in Ghosted after an interview.
Questions to avoid
| Avoid | Why | Ask instead |
|---|---|---|
| What does the company do? | The website answers it | How does this team’s work fit with the company’s priorities? |
| How much leave do I get? | Premature in an early round | Leave it for the offer stage |
| How soon can I be promoted? | Sounds as if you are already leaving the role | How do people typically grow here? |
| Do you check social media? | Puts the interviewer on the defensive | Skip it |
| Nothing, I think you covered everything | Reads as no curiosity | Ask one of the questions above |
Pay is a fair topic, but wait for the employer to open it or for an offer to arrive. When the salary question does come, see How to answer “what are your salary expectations?”.
What not to do
- Do not ask only about benefits and flexibility. It suggests the job is secondary.
- Do not ask a question you could have answered yourself in two minutes.
- Do not argue with the answer. If you disagree, note it and think afterwards.
- Do not treat it as a test. The goal is information, and you are choosing too.
After the interview
The answers you collected are material for your thank-you email. Mention one of them, and the message becomes specific to the conversation. See Thank-you email after an interview.
Where Glide helps
Glide researches each company you apply to and helps you prepare for the interview, so your questions can rest on what you found about the employer: its recent news, its teams and what it pays by title. You decide what goes out.
Common questions
How many questions should I ask at the end of an interview?
Three to five is enough. If time is short, ask two good ones and offer to send the rest by email.
Is it okay to ask about salary at the end of an interview?
It is better to wait for the employer to raise it, or for an offer. If you are asked about it, answer from the market range you have researched.
What if the interviewer has already answered all my questions?
Say so, and ask a follow-up on something they covered: “You mentioned the team is growing. What is the first thing a new person usually takes on?”
Can I ask the interviewer what they think of my interview?
Yes, politely. “Is there anything that gives you pause about my fit for the role?” gives you a chance to respond before you leave.
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