Have you ever reached the end of an interview, everything has gone well, and you have answered every question perfectly, there is nothing that can ruin this now… is there?
At the end of an interview it is almost certain you will be asked, “Do you have any questions for me?” This question could make or break the interview.
The worst answer you can give is “No.” Giving this answer will undo all the work you have put into making this a great interview.
The interviewer is expecting you to ask questions here and by reading this article, you will be prepared to end the interview in the best way possible.
Why should you never say “no”?
When an interviewer asks you if you have any questions for them, it is their way of assessing how interested you are in the job.
By you asking them about the role, is shows that you care about what it entails and let’s face it, there’s no way you could possibly know everything there is to know about it.
What question should you ask?
The question you ask should be something that has not already been answered during the interview. This will not look good and will make it look like you haven’t been listening.
Here are some sample interview questions:
Ask about the role
Read the relevant material relating to the role as this will usually be an outline of the most important aspects. Dig deeper to find details that have not been given and how you could ask about them.
Example question:
How will our roles collaborate?
Ask about the company
Don’t just look at the company’s website and assume that’s all there is to know. Find out about other aspects such as financials or any news publications that may be related to the business such as new products, community service or leadership changes.
Remember that is important to understand the culture of the company, you will be working and spending a considerable amount of your time there. This is an opportunity to also determine whether this role is what you want and if it is right for you.
Example question:
Tell me a little bit about the team culture here?
Ask about the process
The final question should be aiming to understand what comes next.
Also keep in mind that any of these questions can be used as an extra opportunity to sell yourself.
Interview questions NOT to ask
As with anything there are questions you should never ask.
Here are some examples that you should try to avoid
- Never ask about the salary
- Never ask about the benefits that are being offered to you
- Don’t ask for time off or mention that you may need it
- Be careful with questions about promotional opportunities
- It may come across as you jumping the gun and looking for new opportunities before even starting this one
Finally
Always take the time to fully prepare for any interview. Create a list of questions you want to ask the interviewer and make sure you keep a few in reserve, 5-7 should be a minimum.
Make sure that you ask questions that will let them know that you have done research and that you are interested in the role.
Remember: Never say you don’t have a question.