Nailing a job interview isn’t just about answering questions, it’s about asking the right ones too. A pack of thoughtful, relevant questions to the hiring manager is the best way to close a job interview on a high note.
But what exactly should you ask? Here’s our list of suggestions for sounding smart and becoming better informed about the company, the role, and the team.
What Questions to Ask a Hiring Manager?
Good questions from your side should give you extra clarity into the role. Start with what a typical day looks like and the immediate priorities for the new hire. Clarify any points about the responsibilities, team dynamics, and company culture you didn’t quite grasp from the earlier convo.
To get a feel for the work environment, ask about work-life balance, the company’s values, and how they foster innovation and handle feedback. Lastly, explore the next steps in the hiring process and any potential career paths within the organization.
The Best Interview Questions to Ask Hiring Manager
Whether you’re on your first or final interview round, here are some very good interview questions to ask the hiring manager to determine if the role is indeed right for you.
Company-Related
Company research is a must-do before every interview. Public reviews can reveal some red flags and possible deal-breakers. But not all information will pop up in search results. Especially about the company goals, challenges, and future aspirations. To demonstrate your interest and collect some extra intel for the next interview round(s), pose the next Qs:
- How does this role contribute to the larger company objectives?
- What type of organizational hierarchy do you have?
- How do the company’s values, influence day-to-day operations?
- What is your company’s approach to succession planning?
- How do you see the company’s strategy evolving in the next two years?
- Do you expect to expand into adjacent markets or new geo locations?
- What’s the average employee tenure in your organization?
- How has the company adapted to [recent change] in the industry?
- How does the leadership team communicate about the company goals?
- What do you love the most about working at this company?
Role-Related
Over half of people quit a job because it didn’t match their initial expectations. Most commonly workers file a resignation letter because the responsibilities differ from the job description. Or because they were led to believe that they’d be involved in more existing work on have greater autonomy. No matter the case, it’s best to clear as much air as possible by probing the hiring manager with the following questions:
- Is this a new role? Why did it become available?
- What’s a typical day like for someone in this role?
- What are the top three priorities for a successful hire?
- How do you see this role evolving over the next few years?
- What types of opportunities for professional development are available?
- How would you measure success in this position?
- What opportunities are there for cross-departmental collaboration?
- Can you provide examples of career paths taken by others in this position?
- Is there anything about my background that makes you doubt my fit?
Team-Related
The people you work with will have a huge impact on your job satisfaction and career progression. So the last thing you’d want is to constantly deal with an annoying colleague or people who sabotage you. Likewise, you might want some extra deets on the current workload and key priorities. To suss out what the team is like, shoot these questions to the hiring manager:
- Can you tell me more about the team dynamics and work styles?
- What are the key initiatives the team is focused on right now?
- What’s the team’s approach to handling tight deadlines?
- How do you celebrate team and individual successes?
- Could you share some recent major accomplishments from the team?
- Does the team prefer a more collaborative or autonomous work style?
Culture-Related
Last, but not least: You should get a good scoop on the company culture. There are many signs of a toxic work environment that may become apparent during an interview. In that case, you can politely decline a subsequent interview.
On the other hand, if all is awesome, the next questions can yield you some extra insights about the managers’ expectations to nail a culture-fit interview.
- Can you describe the company culture in three adjectives?
- How do you support work-life balance here?
- What’s the company policy regarding hybrid work?
- What kind of training and support do you provide to new hires?
- How does the company support diversity and inclusion?
- How does the management handle performance reviews?
- What kind of social activities or team-building events does the company organize?
- How does the company handle conflict resolution?
- What’s the feedback structure like here?
- What may be the most challenging part of working for this company?
Final Tip: Don’t be Afraid to Ask the Hiring Manager Tough Questions
An interview is a two-way street. Just like the hiring manager, you want to make the right call. Although asking the hiring manager direct and somewhat inconvenient questions about the company’s policies, organizational practices, or even viability may be intimidating, it’s in your best interests to do so.
That said, you should stay polite and respectful. Frame difficult questions with curiosity, rather than criticism or distrust. For example, instead of asking “Why was the company recently criticized for greenwashing?”, say something along the lines of “How does the company plan to reduce its carbon footprint?”.
In a Note app on your phone, write down five to six interview questions to ask the hiring manager. Then have a quick peek before you go into the room or keep the note visible while you’re on a video call.
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