During a job interview, there will come a moment when the interviewer will ask you, ‘do you have any questions for us?‘ Usually, this is asked at the end of the interview.
When the interviewer asks you this question, you might feel like ‘No, I think we discussed everything.’ However, this question is actually great to further demonstrate that you’re the ideal candidate for the job.
There is a reason why the interviewer asks you if you have any questions. Therefore, make sure that you always ask the interviewer a question back. Of course, you should ensure that you ask the right questions to impress the interviewer.
In this blog, we explain why you should ask questions to the interviewer. We also discuss how you can use this question to your advantage and how to answer. In other words, we’re here to help you out!
Also, read more about frequently asked job interview questions here and check our job interview preparation checklist.
Read everything about the most common interview questions here. Learn more about questions to ask the interviewer here.
Why is the interviewer interested in if you have any questions?
It’s important to realize that an interview should be a two-way street. The interviewer wants to get to know you and to see if you’re a good match for the position. They want to learn more about your personality, skills, experience, and abilities.
However, a job interview is also an opportunity for you to see how well the company and position fit you. Make sure you ask the interviewer clarifying questions about the job, team, and company if you have any.
If you do not ask the interviewer questions back, he or she can think that you’re not well-prepared or not really interested. When you ask the right questions, the interviewer is more likely to think that you did your homework and are genuinely interested. In other words, when you get the opportunity, ask questions back.
The strength in asking the right questions back during a job interview is an overlooked key to show your suitability. Think about it, if you don’t show genuine interest, why would an employer be interested in hiring you?
Tips for answering ‘Do you have any questions for us?’
This question is commonly asked during the interview. This means you need to prepare it. It’s just as important as other frequently asked job interview questions.
The questions that you ask the interviewer should be formulated well and need to be related to the job. Preferably, ask open-ended questions. This allows you to create a conversation with the interviewer and the ability to ask follow-up questions. Furthermore, you create an opportunity to further highlight your skills, work experience, and show that you’re the right person for the job. Make sure you take advantage of this opportunity.
There are several ways you can go about answering. To impress the interviewer, you make a personal statement in the form of a question. Focus on:
- Highlighting your skills and work experience
- Demonstrating that you’re confident in your abilities and job fit
- Showing commitment and motivation
- Showing that you understand the challenges of the job
- Reinforcing why you are the right candidate in general
Your goal is to ask questions that make the interviewer take notice of your suitability for the position. Asking the right questions shows that you did your research on the job, that you can take on the daily tasks, and that you understand what is required for the position.
Usually, the interviewer will ask if you have any questions at the end of your interviewer. Ensure that you have two or three good questions prepared that demonstrate one or more statements mentioned above.
How to prepare questions to ask the interviewer
There are a couple of important steps that you can take to start preparing your questions for the interviewer. First off, already start taking notes when you’re conducting your pre-interview research. During this research, you’re trying to gather important information about the company and position. While doing this, you will most likely run into information that you can ask smart questions bout.
Consider the following elements when preparing your questions:
Analyze the Job Description
By analyzing the job description, you get more info about the required skills and experience. The same goes for job requirements. It’s important that you get a good understanding of what the organization looks for in a qualified candidate.
This information can help you position yourself as the right candidate for the position. It will help you to ask the right smart questions that will get the interviewer’s attention. Based on your research, you can ask questions, for example:
- Can you describe the team that I will be working with if I’m hired?
- Can you tell me more about the career paths in this company if I were to start at this position?
- Is there anything about my background or resume that I can further explain to you to demonstrate my suitability?
Research the Company Website
It’s important that you understand the position, but you should also get to know the company. The quickest way to get started is by touring the company website. There you can read more about their products, services, mission statement, company goals, and organizational structure. Furthermore, you will get a clearer view of the markets in which they’re active and in which countries they’re located.
Also, find out who the key people are in the company and research them further. Key people in an organization can be partners, managers, directors, and the CEO.
You could, for instance, ask questions such as:
- How would you describe the company culture in this organization?
Read News About the Company
Make sure that you know what the company has been up to by reading the latest news and updates. There’s always a chance the interviewers ask you, ‘what do you already know about the company?‘ When they ask you this, you can use this knowledge to your advantage.
When the interviewer asks you if you have any questions, you can also use this information to formulate a smart question. Ask questions to get information that you should not have gotten yourself based on your research.
Research the Company’s Customers, Products, and Services
It’s important that you have a thorough understanding of the type of environment that you will be active in if you get hired. This knowledge can also help you out during the interview.
You can ask the interviewer questions about their customers, products, and services. Again, make sure that these are questions to get information that you could not get yourself during your research. Based on your research, you could ask questions to uncover the company’s future goals, such as:
- Where do you see the company in the next five to ten years?
- What are the company’s plans to expand and grow in the future?
Use Your LinkedIn Network
It’s always wise to consult your network to get inside information. If you know someone who has worked for the company or is currently working there, approach them. Ask them about the company and the position to uncover inside details that you cannot find online.
Ask them, for instance, about their experience with the company and how their application process went.
Research the people you’re interviewing with
Finally, make sure you’re familiar with the people interviewing you. This means that you should research them as part of your pre-interview preparation.
Knowing who you will be interviewing with can give you a serious advantage during your job interview. This is because you have a higher chance of connecting with them – you can play into the information you already have about them and ask relevant questions.
Due to this advantage, you have a better chance of starting a meaningful and in-depth conversation, which is exactly what an interview should be. You can ask them personal questions, for example:
- What is your personal favorite aspect of working at this company?
- What did you do before you started at this company?
Prepare Clarifying Questions
As soon as you get the chance to ask the interviewer a question, focus them on the job and anything that’s not yet clear to you. However, avoid asking questions that you could have already known the answer to.
Questions that you ask the interviewer should we well thought-out. It’s a chance to demonstrate that you have actually thought about the job and that you’re trying to clarify uncertainties.
Examples of such questions are:
- Could you please walk me through a typical workday here?
- How does your organization review job performance?
- Could you tell me about the challenges faced in this position?
- Can you give an example of a project of a current project that I will start working on if I’m hired?
- How will I be trained in this position?
- Can you tell me about the most important performance expectation in the first year?
Job Interview Topics – Common Job Interview Questions & Answers
Below you can find a list of common job interview topics. Each link will direct you to an article regarding the specific topics that discuss commonly asked interview questions. Furthermore, each article discusses why the interviewer asks these questions and how you answer them!
- Accomplishments
- Adaptability
- Admission
- Behavioral
- Career Change
- Career Goals
- Communication
- Competency
- Conflict Resolution
- Creative Thinking
- Cultural Fit
- Customer Service
- Direct
- Experience
- Government
- Graduate
- Growth Potential
- Honesty & Integrity
- Illegal
- Inappropriate
- Job Satisfaction
- Leadership
- Management
- Entry-Level & No experience
- Performance-Based
- Personal
- Prioritization & Time Management
- Problem-solving
- Salary
- Situational & Scenario-based
- Stress Management
- Teamwork
- Telephone Interview
- Tough
- Uncomfortable
- Work Ethic
