50+ Intelligent Questions To Ask During A Job Interview 

1. Who are the heroes at your company? What characteristics do the people who are most celebrated have in common with each other? Conversely, what are the characteristics that are common to the promising people you hired, but who then flamed out and failed or left? As I’m considering whether or not I’d be successful here, how should I think about the experiences of the heroes and of the flame-outs?

2. What’s your position on employee work/life balance?

3. Is there anything that stood out as especially positive or negative on my resume? What did you see that made you want to interview me? Are there any skills that I don’t have that would make me better suited to this position?

4. Thinking back to people who have been in this position previously, what differentiated the ones who were good from the ones who were really great?

5. What’s the most common shortcoming you encounter when new people take this role?

6. Why is the position open?

If I were to get the job, what should some of my initial goals be?

How will my performance be measured?

7. What does success look like in this role after 90 days and then after a year?

8. Were there any questions I answered that you would like me to expand on?

What is the next step following this interview?

9. What does the rest of your interview process look like? And when should I expect to hear back from you?

10. What new initiatives has your company undertaken to be more environmentally friendly/green?

11. Is this a new position being created or am I taking over a vacated spot?

12. If I were to receive this job, what could I do to prepare myself for my first shift?

13. Where do you expect a person in this position to be in 5 years?

14. What do you wish you had known when interviewing here?

15. What is the best or most memorable compliment, either personal or professional, you’ve received?

16. What’s the big challenge the office/the team is working towards this upcoming year?

What’s one thing you really like about working here and one thing that you think might not be for everyone?

Where has the company’s strategy fallen short in the past? What’s the plan for fixing this issue?

17. How did you get to where you are now in your role?

18. Why is this job open/what are you currently lacking?

19. How do you deal with employees becoming unmotivated?

20. What is the best form of communication with my direct supervisor? In person, email, or phone call?

21. What information is shared with the employees (revenues, costs, operating metrics)? Is this an “open book” shop, or do you play it closer to the vest? How is information shared? How do I get access to the information I need to be successful in this job?

22. Is there anything I have said today that would make you nervous about employing me?

23. What’s your on-boarding, team initiation process like?

24. Is there anything I can do to improve my chances of obtaining this position between now and when you make a decision?

25. What’s one thing that’s key to this company’s success that somebody from outside the company wouldn’t know about?

26. What team building exercises do you do?

27. What would I be doing that makes your job easier?

28. What are the first projects i could get to work on?

29. What is the rhythm to the work around here? Is there a time of year that it’s “all hands on deck” and we’re pulling all-nighters, or is it pretty consistent throughout the year? How about during the week / month? Is it pretty evenly spread throughout the week / month, or are there crunch days?

30. What do you enjoy the most about working here?

What made you interested in working for x company?

What does the average day working here look like?

31. What’s your (or my future boss’) leadership style?

32. What are some expectations that your company will be looking for in the first year of my employment?

33. Where is the company heading in the next five years?

How has your experience been in this company?

How does the company help in the personal and professional growth of their employees?

34. What is your performance review process?

35. How many people do you have working this position?

36. Do you have any reservations about my resume or qualifications that could prevent me from getting this job?

37. What has the company done to support your personal and professional development?

38. Do you have any concerns about my qualifications?

39. What position are people in this role promoted to?

40. What is the turnover rate for this position?

41. How much overtime is there for this position?

What is the office environment like? Quiet and reserved? Raucous?

What is the ratio of field/office time?

42. Do you have a card?

Who can I contact if I need additional information?

When can I hear back from you?

43. Are there any planned events throughout the year that are not work related?

44. How would my performance be measured?

45. Which question do you think I could have responded better to in this interview?

46. What is the culture in the office?

47. What’s your road map looking like for the next year?

To what extent does the company encourage training/completing classes?

48. I love how sustainable your business model is. What plans do you have moving forward with this? How can I contribute?

49. What kinds of growth and advancement opportunities are there for someone looking to stay with $COMPANY for the long term?

Do you match 401k contributions?

Does COMPANY pay for work-related certifications/education?

How long have your current employees worked for the company?

50. How does your team operate?