Top five questions to ask at interview
posted 12 Jul 23
Remember a job interview is a two-way conversation, not just an opportunity for your potential employer to run the rule over you. They also provide a chance to grill them (politely!) about the job in question and what it could offer you in terms of job satisfaction, workplace culture, and future career prospects.Â
Firstly, you’ll need to give a convincing account of yourself. Of course, you need to emphasise your credentials and prove as best you can that your particular skill set and experience make you well-suited for the job in question. Secondly, you should demonstrate genuine interest and enthusiasm about the role to the prospective employer. Asking the right interview questions will prove you are proactive and engaged.
A job interview offers a platform to sell yourself, alongside discussing your years of work experience. Once the interviewer has finished asking questions, they will offer a chance to pose some of your own, which presents an excellent opportunity to gain more information and demonstrate how inquisitive you are. If you are preparing for an all-important interview, read on to discover a list of questions to ask your interviewer.
Interview questions you need to ask
1. What day-to-day responsibilities does the role involve?
Before your interview, make sure you go over the job description with a fine-tooth comb. Look for clues and insights about what to expect should you succeed in getting the job. Simultaneously, be aware of the limitations of job descriptions. They can give you a decent overview of the role in question, but they can’t give you a full picture of what it’s likely to involve day-to-day. Especially in the modern working environment, jobs are more fluid and flexible.
Ask your interviewer what responsibilities the job will entail on a regular working day to help you get a better sense of what the role will actually be like if you get it, as well as looking good to the interviewer.
2. What future opportunities will there be for career progression?
Clearly, there’s a great deal of variation in career prospects between different types of job. Some will offer a clear career ladder for you to ascend (provided you perform well enough), whereas for others, it’s not so obvious. In an interview, it’s always good to demonstrate that you’re ambitious, energetic, and looking to progress. So when you get the chance to ask questions, you should definitely ask them for an outline of what your future career path could look if you were to get the job.
There’s rarely any strict one-size-fits-all solution with career progression. But you could gain a deeper understanding by asking interview questions about what route your colleagues’ career paths have taken. If your interviewers struggle to give you a convincing answer, that might be a sign that the job risks becoming something of a cul-de-sac.
3. Where do you see the company going over the next few years?
In job interviews, employers will look for an indication that you’re planning to stick around with them for the long haul (in permanent roles, however it may be different for fixed-term contract roles). To emphasise your willingness to commit, you should take the opportunity to ask them about their medium to long-term plans for the company. Ask them where they see themselves going and if they have any plans for expansion to reassure your interviewer as well as helping you learn more.
Often employers with big plans for investment won’t wait for you to ask before telling you about it, so you may already have covered this. If not, though, make sure you raise it yourself.
4. How would you describe the workplace culture?
Culture is a big consideration for anyone looking for a new job. Unhealthy or frosty workplace culture is a driving factor for people to seek new opportunities in the first place; it’s, therefore, important to seek reassurance that your next workplace offers a good atmosphere, a vibrant social life, and plenty of mutual trust and respect between colleagues. You should ask about this at any interview if it doesn’t come up in discussion beforehand.
As one of the more potentially revealing interview questions, it will give your interviewer a chance to elaborate on the culture of the company you could soon be working for. This question will help you consider how far they prioritise their internal culture and what the experience would be like for you.
5. What personal skills are most important in doing this job?
Interviews usually require you to run through at least some of the contents of your CV, discussing your work history and relating your previous experience to the needs of the new jobs. Nevertheless, soft skills such as good communication, flexibility, and a willingness to shoulder large workloads are also hugely important. Be sure to ask your interviewer which soft skills are required to do the job well.
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At Search, we’ve got years of experience preparing candidates for interviews and helping them find their perfect job, so we hope you’ve found our list of the best interview questions to ask advantageous. If you are looking for your next opportunity, don’t hesitate to contact us or explore the range of jobs we have available today.
