12 Questions Every Job Seeker Should Ask

Most job interviews consist of being asked a series of questions so the recruiter can get a feel for your qualifications and if you would be a good fit for the position and the company itself. They also offer information and insights into the job you are applying for.

A good interviewer will give you the opportunity to ask your own questions at the end. It is essential that you take advantage of this. Prepare some questions in advance to help you learn more about the work culture and company outlook so you can make an informed decision on whether the position is one you should take if it is offered.

Declining to ask any questions may give the recruiter the impression that you are not interested in the job opportunity. Show your enthusiasm by engaging in the conversation and asking some astute questions of your own. Here is a list of questions you can utilize to impress the hiring manager in your next interview. Try to personalize your questions and make them relevant to the job you are applying to, so you get the most information possible.

1. What is your relationship with the company, and have you been working with them for a long time?
2. This is the knowledge I already have about the company, but is there anything that you can expand upon to give me a better insight into what the company’s goals and mission statement are?
3. Have you placed many other recruits at this organization? Is there anything you can tell me about their experience that would benefit me?
4. Is there any potential opportunity for remote work, or are all jobs required to be completed at the company’s location in “X”?
5. What is the overall interview process like? I am familiar with the standard procedure of a telephone or video interview at the beginning as an initial interview, followed by one with the company’s hiring manager. After that is usually an on-site interview to gauge skills and qualifications as well as the behavior-based part of the interview. Does this company use the same interview structure?
6. What is the timeframe that is being considered to hire a candidate? I am interested in the opportunity and wanted to get further information because I have (a vacation, travel for work, another job offer) and need to know what to expect.
7. My understanding of the company and job requirements is that they are looking to achieve these three things. Have I correctly understood these intentions? Is there any other pertinent information that may have been left out of the job description or materials that I have been provided that I need to be aware of so I can address them in a future interview?
8. Can you describe to me what the company culture is like? What can I expect in that regard?
9. Can you tell me what a typical workday for this position would look like?
10. If I am able to move forward in the recruitment process, I would like to thoroughly address all the things that the company holds important. They seem to have a special interest in my knowledge, skills, and experience in this “X” area. Is that a correct read of the situation? Is there anything you feel that I should have prepared or be ready to address?
11. What are the top priorities of the candidate that accepts this job? What kinds of duties and interactions with other departments or organizations will there be?
12. How does the organization support additional training and continued education? Do they have a policy in place to assist their employees in staying current in their area of expertise?

Have a strategy prepared in advance to ask your questions of the recruiter. Stick to time-appropriate queries that give you a deeper understanding of the company and the responsibilities that you would have. Avoid asking about salary and benefits until the recruiter mentions the topic.

Always be polite and courteous. Do your research into the organization and the specific job you are interviewing for in advance. You can discover a lot of information on your own. Asking questions that you could have easily found the answer to yourself waste the interviewer’s time and puts you in a poor light.

Do your best to craft careful questions and modify them to reflect the information you have learned throughout the interview. This is your opportunity to gain greater knowledge and a better understanding of the position to make your decision easier.