40 questions to ask at the end of an interview

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Never Ask This Question at the End of an Interview

The 3 rules

1. Ask 1 to 3 questions, not 10. Prepare more, but only ask the ones that still matter by the end.

2. Make it about the job, not about you. “Any hesitation in moving me forward?” is about you. “Is there anything about my experience you’d like me to explain?” helps them decide.

3. Go one level deeper. If they already answered your question, follow up on something they said. That turns an interview into a conversation.

If you only remember three

1. What does good look like in the first 30, 60 and 90 days? Tells you how you’ll be judged.

2. What kind of projects and practice areas will I work on? Tells you where your next few years actually go.

3. What support can I expect during onboarding? A vague answer is your warning sign.

Don’t ask early. Ask this instead.

HR or recruiter: 10 questions

Goal: learn the process, the path and the culture.

1. Why is this role open? Is it new or a replacement?

2. What have past campus hires in this role grown into?

3. Who will I meet in the next rounds, and what will they focus on?

4. What does training and onboarding look like for new joiners?

5. How is performance reviewed, and how often?

6. What does the career path from this role usually look like?

7. How would you describe the culture of this team?

8. What do people who succeed here tend to have in common?

9. Is there anything in my background you’d like me to clarify?

10. What is the timeline for a decision, and what are the next steps?

Hiring manager: 10 questions

Goal: learn the work, and how you’ll be judged. This is the most important conversation.

1. What are the top 3 priorities for this role right now?

2. What does good look like in the first 30, 60 and 90 days?

3. What will my day-to-day look like?

4. What kind of projects and practice areas will I work on?

5. A year from now, what would make you say you hired the right person?

6. What separates your strongest performers from the average?

7. What usually makes someone struggle in this role?

8. How do you prefer to give feedback?

9. What did people who grew fast in this role do differently?

10. What support can I expect during onboarding?

Future teammates: 10 questions

Goal: learn what it’s really like to work here.

1. What does a typical week look like?

2. What do you enjoy most about working here?

3. What’s the hardest part of the job?

4. What do you wish you’d known before joining?

5. How predictable is the workload?

6. How does the team handle tight deadlines?

7. What is it like working with the manager?

8. What have you learned since joining?

9. What’s one thing about this team you only learn after joining?

10. What makes someone successful on this team?

Senior leadership: 10 questions

Goal: show business thinking. Never ask what a quick search could answer.

1. What are the company’s biggest priorities for the next 2 to 3 years?

2. How does this team contribute to that strategy?

3. Where is the company investing most heavily right now?

4. What would make someone in this role truly valuable to the business?

5. What capabilities does the organisation need to build in the next few years?

6. What do people who grow into leaders here have in common?

7. What is one thing you’re actively trying to change in the organisation?

8. What are you most excited about in the business right now?

9. What keeps you up at night about the business?

10. If you were joining today, which part of the business would you want to work on?

Got the offer? Don’t sign yet.

Check all 7 letters of the CLARITY framework before you sign that offer letter. The CLARITY cheat sheet is at definecareer.com/cheat-sheets/clarity-framework.