Questions to Ask Your Interviewer in the Job Interview

Prepare a list of good questions to ask your interviewer and show that you are better organized and prepared than the other candidates. Use these practical guidelines to prepare your questions and know how to present your questions in the job interview for maximum impact.

Prepare questions that go beyond just exploring the the usual details

Questions to ask your interviewer should demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the position and the company. Interview questions about working conditions or that can be answered by reading the job posting show a lack of thought and initiative. Focus rather on questions that explore aspects such as role expectations, the priorities of the position, current and future departmental and organizational strategy and management style and expectations. Your interview questions should show how much thought and consideration you have given to this job interview and that you have taken the time to conduct background research on the organization before the interview.

Ask open-ended questions

Avoid closed questions that only require a one word answer. These tend to impact negatively on the flow of the interview and provide very little information. With a little thought a closed question can easily be turned into an open-ended question which allows for discussion and the building of rapport in the job interview. For example instead of asking "Who will I be reporting to?" rather ask "Can you tell me about the person I will be reporting to?"

Stick to relevant questions

Only ask questions that are about the job, department, management and the organization. Candidates can make the mistake of trying to engage interviewers on a more personal level by asking questions about their interests, family or their own job believing that this will help establish rapport. Keep it professional and stick to objective and factual questions that refer directly to the job you are interviewing for.

Avoid challenging the interviewer

Interview questions that are designed to challenge the interviewer by demanding knowledge and information that the interviewer probably doesn't have will be regarded negatively by the interviewer and give rise to an uncomfortable atmosphere. Consider the position of the person interviewing you and be aware of the sort of questions he or she will be able to answer.

Questions to avoid asking your interviewer

Questions that focus on company benefits can give the impression that you are more concerned about what the company can give you than with finding out about the job and your fit with it. The "What's in it for me" approach is disconcerting in a job interview where the emphasis should be on what you can contribute to the job and the company. Company benefits are important but the first job interview is not the place to focus on them. Towards the close of the interview you can ask the interviewer, "Where can I get details about the employment conditions for this position, I don't want to spend your time on that now?". This shows that the benefits are of secondary importance to the job itself.

Timing the questions to ask your interviewer

At some point the interviewer will ask you if you have any questions. You can wait for this question to ask your planned questions or you can evaluate the situation as the interview progresses to decide when to ask your questions. If the interview does not appear to be flowing well asking a relevant question can help improve the situation.

Avoid interrupting the interviewer with a question, be sure that it is an appropriate point to ask your question. If the interviewer doesn't directly ask you for your questions you can take the opportunity towards the close of the interview to present your questions by asking " Is this an appropriate time to ask you some questions?"

Not having prepared good questions to ask your interviewer during the job interview is a lethal interview mistake, it indicates a lack of interest and thought. Use your questions as the ideal opportunity to present yourself as a positive and confident candidate for the job. Good sample questions to ask the interviewer are provided at Questions to Ask in Your Interview.

Julia Penny is a recruitment and career management specialist with over 20 years experience. Her website Best Job Interview provides free, comprehensive and expert resources to help you get the job you want.