How To Answer This Important Interview Question

By Pablo G. Suarez

SMITH BRAIN TRUST – It might seem like an offhand, even throwaway, question, coming as it often does at the end of a job interview. It’s the moment when the hiring team asks, “Do you have any questions for us?”

But it’s not a throwaway question. In fact, it’s one that can reveal as much about an applicant as the rest of the interview questions, combined.

Asking good questions during a job interview can help applicants convey a strong interest in the company and the job itself, says Rachel Loock, a career and leadership coach at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

It’s where they can showcase their enthusiasm and indicate their ability to contribute to fulfilling the company’s goals. Loock says applicants’ questions should stretch beyond basic basic company info, as a way of showing that they’ve done their homework and thought critically about the role they might fill.

“It’s really important for the interviewee to learn as much about the company as they can before they decide whether it’s a good fit for them,” Loock says. “Will the culture align with their values? Will it be work that they want to perform?”

To complement any preliminary company research, Loock encourages job applicants to read news coverage about the companies they’re interested in and to reach out to current and former employees for insights about their experiences.

“Employers want to hire people who are excited about their role in the company,” Loock says. “The questions you ask can convey that.”

Applicants should generally prepare four or five solid questions for an interview, Loock says. At least one should be specific to the particular company and role, while others can be more generic. Loock offers these reliable, one-size-fits-most questions:

1. Can you describe the company’s culture?

2. What is the management style like?

3. Why do you like working here?

4. How did this position come to be vacant?

5. What does success look like in this position?

Try to remember that in an interview not all questions are good questions. For example, Loock says, it’s generally unwise to ask about salary, vacation allowances and benefits during the interview. Save that conversation until an offer is made.

Consider asking follow-up questions on projects or ideas that the hiring team brings up during the interview, Loock says. This conveys attentive listening and curiosity. And it allows you to formulate questions on the spot, she says.

“You don’t want to sit there and say at the end of an interview that you don’t have any questions,” Loock says. “That’s a bad thing.”

Pablo G. Suarez is a marketing communications writer at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business.