38 Smart Questions to Ask in a Job Interview: The Harvard Business Review Guide

AMY GALLO: All right. You're in a job interview. It's going great. You've answered all their

questions quite well you think. And then comes that question

that turns the tables-- you know the one. So, do you have any

questions for me? When the interviewer

opens up the floor to you, you don't want to

be caught off guard. And you don't want to

miss an opportunity to prove your right for the job

and gather crucial information. So it's a good idea

to be prepared. Luckily, I'm here to help. I've got 38 really

smart questions you can ask to show that

you're right for the job. Ready? Here they are. [MUSIC PLAYING] Oh, still there? I guess I owe you

some more context. Obviously, you're not going

to ask all those questions. So let's break them down. And I'll walk you through

what you're actually going to do in that

moment in the interview. Keep watching. First, let's talk

broadly about what you want to accomplish with

this portion of the interview. You have two goals here. One, asking smart

questions will help you assess whether the job

is indeed one you want. And second, those

questions will help further demonstrate that you're the

right person for the job. To achieve those

goals, you'll want to pay attention to how

you phrase your questions. First, make them personal. Instead of asking generic

questions, make them specific, how they pertain to you. For example, instead of asking

what would a typical day look like, try asking, what would a

typical day for me in this role look like? According to John Lees,

author of How to Get a Job You Love, this is a great

psychological trick that gets them to

picture you in the role. He says, "As soon as they

visualize you doing the job, it's hard to let

go of that image." Second, you want to build

off the conversation adding to what's happened so far. For example, you might ask about

a project that they mentioned or a responsibility that didn't

show up in the job description. The key is to make this

portion of the interview feel like a continuation

of the conversation. This requires that you be

nimble in the actual interview and that you adjust your

questions accordingly. But it's helpful to have a sense

of the questions you'll ask and to have a few

in your back pocket. Of course, as I

said earlier, you're not going to ask all

38 questions that I'm about to share with you. So choose a few that

are relevant to you, your interests, and

the specific job. And write those down. Have a glance at them before

you go into the interview so they're fresh in your mind. All right, let's get to those

questions, all 38 of them. First up, questions

about the job itself. These will help you

zero in on whether this is a role you really want. These are pretty basic questions

about the responsibilities you'll have, the projects

you might work on, how your performance

might be assessed. Here they are. Number one, what are

your expectations for me in this role? Number two, what's the

most important thing I should accomplish

in the first 90 days? Three, what's the performance

review process like here? And how often would I

be formally reviewed? Four, what metrics or

goals will my performance be evaluated against? Five, what are the

most immediate projects that I would take on? Six, how long before I will

be, and fill in the blank here, meeting with clients,

have responsibility for my own accounts, interacting

with other departments, et cetera? Next, here are some questions

that will get you clarity on the team. You'll be working with. These get into the nitty

gritty of how they see you fitting into the larger group. What the team's needs are, who

else is on it, whether you'll be managing people, and

what other departments you'll be working with. Let's look at those questions. Number seven, what

types of skills is the team missing

that you're looking to fill with a new hire? Eight, what are the

biggest challenges that I might face in this position? Nine, do you expect my

main responsibilities in this position to change in

the next six months or a year? 10, can you tell me about the

team I'll be working with? 11, who will I work

with most closely? What other departments or

units will I interact with? 12, can you tell me

about my direct reports? What are their strengths and

the team's biggest challenges? A lot of times the

person interviewing you will be your potential boss. If that's the case, here

are some questions for them. These will give you a sense

of who you'll be working for, their relationship to

the larger organization, and whether you want

to be working for them. Here are the questions. Number 13, how long have

you been at the company? 14, how long have

you been a manager? 15, what's your favorite

part of working here? And here are some

smart questions to ask about the company itself. You want to get a good sense

of whether the organization's goals and values

align with your own. Here they are. Number 16, what are

the current goals that the company is focused on? And how does this team work to

support hitting those goals? 17, what gets you most excited

about the company's future? 18, how would you describe

the company's values? 19, how has the company changed

over the last few years? 20, what are the company's plans

for growth and development? One important note here. Don't ask things you can find

in a quick Google search. You don't want them to think

you haven't done your research. Of course, understanding the

company culture is crucial. So here are some questions

that get at that. Number 21, how do you

typically onboard employees? 22, what do new

employees typically find surprising

after they start? 23, is there anything

that I should read before starting

that would help me have a shared understanding

with my colleagues? 24, what's your favorite

office tradition? 25. what do you and the team

usually do for lunch? 26, do you ever do joint

events with other departments or teams? 27, what's different about

working here than anywhere else you've worked? 28, how has the company

changed since you joined? John Lees warns that

you should take answers to these questions about

culture with a grain of salt. It's highly unlikely

that an interviewer is going to come out and say

this is an unwelcoming place to work or that it's

even a toxic environment. That's why slightly indirect

questions like number 22, what do new employees find

surprising, can be helpful. They get at company

culture without explicitly asking about it. One tip related to remote work

from Art Markman, the author of Bring Your Brain to Work. If the job you're

interviewing for is going to be fully remote,

be sure to ask specifically about how remote employees

are onboarded and integrated into the company culture. Another critical element of the

job that you want to understand is what your growth and career

development will look like. You need to be sure you can

see yourself in the role that you're currently

applying for, but also that you can

see a future for yourself in the organization. Here are some questions that get

at career paths and development opportunities. Number 29, what learning and

development opportunities will I have in this role? 30, how does the team

I'll be part of continue to grow professionally? 31, are there examples of

a career path beginning with this position? 32, what are the common career

paths in this department? 33, how are promotions

typically handled? 34, where have successful

employees moved on to? OK. These last four

are good questions to conclude with, though,

make sure that you've covered all your bases. And that what's happening

next in the hiring process. Here they are. Number 35, what am I not

asking you that I should? 36, is there anything

else I can provide you with that would be helpful? 37, is there anything

I can clarify for you about my qualifications? 38, what are the next steps

in the hiring process? When wrapping up,

you may be tempted to ask about salary

or start date. But that's probably

not a good idea. It's too early to ask

about those things, because you're not yet in

a position to negotiate. Let them fall in

love with you first. Then negotiate. Here are some examples of other

questions you shouldn't ask. Can you tell me about

your health insurance? What are your paid

leave policies? So, do I have the job? So there you go, 38

smart questions to ask and a few bonus ones not to ask. As a reminder, you're not

going to ask all of them. Be mindful of the

interviewer's time. And if you have just

a few minutes left, choose two or three that

are most important to you. You will always have time to

ask more questions once you have the offer in hand. Good luck. Thanks for watching. All of these questions

are from my HBR article, which is linked in

the description below. Do you have a piece of advice

about interviewing for jobs or is there a topic you'd like

us to cover in the future? Comment below. Bye for now.