35 Great Questions To Ask In Your Interview To Assess The Role Fit

Your interview is an opportunity for the employer to find out about you as much as it is for you to find out about them. Make better decisions about whether or not to join the company by using these questions to ask in your interview.

These clever questions you can ask the hiring manager or interviewer will help you find out about:

1. Interview questions about the job
2. Interview questions about the boss
3. Interview questions about the progression opportunities
4. Interview questions about the company
5. Interview questions about the culture
6. Interview questions about the team
7. Interview questions about work-life balance

Questions to ask in your interview about the job

1. What are the day-to-day responsibilities of the role?
2. If I could join this role what can I do in the first 3 months to add the most value?
3. What do you most enjoy about your job?
4. What are the things you would like the successful candidate to accomplish in the first 6 months?
5. What are the biggest challenges that someone in this position would face?
6. How does this position contribute to the department and company overall?
7. How would you describe your perfect employee?
8. Thinking back to people you’ve seen do this work previously, what differentiated the ones who were good from the ones who were really great at it? 

Questions to ask in your interview about the boss

1. What’s the process for evaluating employee performance?
2. How would your direct reports describe your management style? If the interviewer works with the boss, ask “How would you describe X’s management style?”
3. What’s your favourite part of working with X?
4. How do you like to give constructive criticism?
5. How do you empower people on your team?
6. How do you empower people on your team?

Questions to ask after your interview about progression opportunities 

1. What can you tell me about the company’s new products or plans for growth? 
2. What learning and professional development opportunities are available to your employees?
3. Will there be opportunities for stretch assignments where I can learn and use new skills?
4. What are the opportunities for advancement within the company?

Questions to ask the interviewer about the company 

1. What are the current goals that the company is focused on? How does the team work to support hitting those goals?
2. What direction do you see this company heading in over the next years? 
3. What excites you most about the company’s future?
4. What challenges will the business face in the next 3 to 5 years?  

Questions to ask in your interview about the culture 

1. What is the last change that you implemented based on employee feedback? 
2. How does the company ensure it’s upholding its values?
3. How would you describe the culture in the company?  
4. Joining an inclusive team is important to me. How do you promote inclusivity on your team so that everyone can succeed?
5. Can you share data on current employee diversity? What steps are leadership taking to hire and empower underrepresented groups?

Questions to ask the interviewer about the team 

1. What can you tell me about the team I’ll be working with?
2. What are the team’s biggest strengths and challenges?
3. Do you expect to hire more people in this team in the next six months?

Questions to ask in your interview about work-life balance

1. What is your approach to a hybrid way of working?
2. How does the team collaborate? What tools do you use?
3. How regularly does the team get together?
4. What resources and benefits are available to working parents/employees with care duties?

Conclusion

Asking the right questions in your interview is critical to assess the fit of the role to your values, non-negotiables, interests, and long-term career aspirations.

Want to ace your interview even if you don’t have all the skills? Check out this comprehensive guide on how to nail your interview even if you’re not fully qualified.