Questions to ask in an interview

When attending an interview, typically a candidate’s main concern is anticipating what set of questions the interviewer is going to ask them. Arguably, this is a good first step in preparing for an interview in a way that gives you a good chance of getting the position. However, professionals can forget that an interview is a two-way street and it is as much your decision as it is theirs. Preparing for an interview should also include listing questions that you have for your potential employer, as it is important to find out as much about the company as possible, to make sure you will be happy there.

Job interviews are a time for employers to gauge whether or not you are the right candidate to fill their position. Interviews are a time for you to display your past experience, best skills and your personality, to see whether or not you can perform the role, and whether or not you fit well with the company’s current team and culture. Similarly, they also provide you with the opportunity to find out more about the organisation you are interviewing for, and (help you) assess whether or not you can imagine yourself working for the organisation.

What to expect in an interview?

Going into an interview can be a stressful experience, because you can’t anticipate exactly what you’ll be asked. It can be difficult to articulate yourself in the right way. As to be expected, the interviewer will ask you a series of questions about your job history and experience and this could be straightforward or rather generalised. Or if you are going for an industry specific role they might ask for direct examples of your experience dealing with similar tasks. 

Towards the end of the interview you can expect the interviewer to ask if you have any questions for them about the job, wider team or company on a whole. You should always come prepared with some questions to ask them. Even if they have broadly touched upon everything you thought of asking, ask for further information where needed.

Why you should ask your interviewer questions

Asking relevant questions during an interview will not only give you answers, it demonstrates that you have initiative and enthusiasm for both the position and the company. Top candidates will always value a company that offers them a positive working environment with a management structure that they work well within. Therefore they will always ask further questions about the business and role to find out for sure if this is the right fit for them.
 

Good questions to ask in an interview

We want to give you some good examples of questions to ask at the end of your interview, which you can adapt to suit your current situation. Asking for clarification or further information on a topic that has been discussed is great, but asking a question that has already been answered will reflect badly on you, as it looks as though you haven’t been paying attention.

• How will my performance be measured, and how often is it reviewed?
• What long-term career opportunities are available to me?
• What upskilling and training opportunities will I be offered?
• What are the key challenges of the role, particularly in the first 6 months?
• How many people are in my team and what are their roles?
• What would be my day-to-day responsibilities?
• What benefits are offered to employees?
• How would you describe the culture of the company?
• Who will I report directly into?
• How do you see this role developing over time?

If you go into the interview and are excited by the prospects outlined in the job description, be sure to show your enthusiasm throughout the interview. Be proactive, sell yourself as the best person for the role, and prove this by offering examples of past work and challenges that you have faced and overcome.

Our specialist recruitment consultants can help you best prepare for any interview, as we provide tailored advice to candidates and offer insight into what the company is looking for, assessing your skills and experience which make you a standout applicant. 

If you would like to speak to one of our specialist consultants, please get in touch. Alternatively, if you are looking for great positions to interview for, browse our live jobs today.