Reverse interview: What questions to ask an employer at a job interview?

While interviews help the employer understand your skills and qualifications, they are also an opportunity for you to learn more about the position. During the interview, you are free to ask questions that will help you learn more about the company's culture, job responsibilities, and success metrics for the position. In addition, asking questions can demonstrate your enthusiasm for the position.

In this article, we will look at the questions to ask during a job interview and explain how these questions can help you make a positive impression on recruiters.

Questions about the company:

1. Does the company provide professional development opportunities?

Ask this question to find out how you can improve your professional growth within the organization. Find out whether the company offers formal training or has a budget for employee development. Also, you can ask if the approval for training comes from the manager, or if the HR department and senior management need to be involved, etc.

2. What is the schedule and work format (remote work, hybrid, office)?

It is very important to find out what work formats the company supports. This will provide an understanding of how working days will be organized.  

3. Which format is used for employment?

It is important to know whether the format offered by the company is suitable for you: an employment contract, sole proprietorship, workbook, or another method.

4. Why is this position open?

This question can help you learn valuable details about your position. If your predecessor left because of a promotion or after several years with the company, it may indicate opportunities for advancement and a positive company culture.

5. What are the company's culture and values?

This is a great interview question for hiring managers as it gives you an idea of what working for the company is like. There are variations of this question that you can also ask depending on your values. Consider asking questions about:

• teamwork;
• work-life balance;
• collaboration;
• other important topics for you.

6. What are the company's team building and leisure activities?

When employees enjoy working together, they often spend time together during breaks or outside of work. You can find out about:

• sports events organized by the company;
• celebrations on the occasion of great achievements;
• holiday parties;
• other annual celebrations.

The way a company treats its employees can tell you a lot about its culture. You can get an idea of how much your employer is invested in the team's well-being.

7. What are the company's current opportunities?

Use this question to find out more about the direction the company is taking. If you have considerable experience in the industry, this will help you understand whether the company is in line with the latest trends and whether it is evolving. If you are new to it, this is a good way to learn more about industry developments based on your employer's answers.

8. Are there benefits and compensation?

Ask whether there is a regular salary review, bonuses, and a social package. Also, if there are overtime hours and how they are paid. Additionally, it's a good idea to ask about the number of paid days off and sick leave. 

Questions about the position:

9. Is this a new position or will I be filling an existing role?

Asking this question can help you set expectations for the role. For example, if you are filling a vacant position, the employer will expect you to do the same or even more work than the previous employee. In case it is a new position, you can show them how the company or team can benefit from you.

10. What is the onboarding process for this position?

As you begin your first day of work, it is helpful to know what to expect so you feel confident and prepared. With this question, you can find out what kind of onboarding process the employer uses. It also shows that receiving proper training is important to you.

11. What performance metrics are you looking for?

You can ask about performance metrics for the first 30, 60, and 90 days of employment. Your potential employer can give you an idea of what they expect from you during the first three months, including training and adaptation. This will help you understand what to do if you get the job.

12. What would a career path look like in this position?

You can use this question to learn about the opportunities for promotion or career growth in the company. For example, you can find out about:

• opportunities for promotion;
• average time in the position;
• growth within the company.

13. What character qualities are key to success in this position?

Thanks to this question you will learn what hard and soft qualities are important for this position and what abilities can help succeed in it. It is also a good way to see whether you're ready for this job.

14. What other departments will I need to work with?

Use this question to find out how many people you will be working with and how much teamwork is important to the company. Moreover, by asking this question, you can demonstrate your willingness to work with others.

15. Which customers will I be directly working with?

This question allows you to get a better idea of the projects you might be working on in your new position. Write down your interviewer's answer so that you can research the clients they name. Analyze this information to decide whether you are interested in working with these clients.

16. What makes an ideal candidate for the position?

This question is to help you assess how well you are suited for the position. For example, it can be a good sign if the employer describes many of your qualities. If you get the job, the answer to this question will help you understand what skills you can develop to be successful in the position.

17. What are the biggest challenges or obstacles I might face in this position?

This is a good question as it shows that you are proactive and want to be prepared for any possible challenges. After that, asking "And what are the best ways to prepare for these challenges?" will prove that you are eager to succeed in the position and want to know what you can do to ensure your success.

Additional questions to ask during the interview:

18. Do you have any additional questions for me?

This question allows your interviewer to find out more about a certain part of your work experience or skills. It will also help you assess how well the interview is going. If the interviewer comments that you have sufficiently described your qualifications, this response may imply that you have provided an effective answer to their question. If the interviewer feels they have additional questions, you can take this opportunity to provide a more detailed picture of your professional experience and qualifications.

19. How often do employees communicate with management?

This question is useful for finding out about the style of the company's managers or executives. Based on the interviewer's answer, you can learn how often management interacts with employees and whether the company has a top-down hierarchy. 

20. Is there a process for providing feedback to employees?

Both performance reviews and regular feedback are great ways to learn how you're doing in your role. Based on the response of your interviewer, you will be able to tell if the position provides enough feedback to employees. If the company has a feedback system their managers likely care about sharing information with employees about their performance and ways to improve it.

21. What are the following steps in the hiring process?

This may be the last question that you need to ask at the end of the interview. It is an effective way to ask the interviewer about when you can expect a hiring decision. It reveals how long the selection process may take. Asking such a question also demonstrates that you are looking forward to hearing from the employer.

The questions you choose to ask at the end of the interview will express your understanding of what was discussed and emphasize what is important to you.

Be sure to choose your question topics carefully and observe the answers critically. Pay attention to what the interviewer is saying and what is being left out.

We also recommend avoiding questions that you can easily research on your own.