Great Questions to Impress at the Interview

by Liz Harding, Principal and Co-Founder, eLoft Careers ​​

An interview is a business meeting and, just like any meeting, it is important to go into it well prepared.  In most cases, the interviewer will allow you the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the interview. Asking great questions is one way to impress them and has many advantages for you, the job seeker:

1. It tells the interviewer that you have prepared well and done your research
2. It demonstrates your interest in the position and the company and makes the interviewer feel that you are genuinely keen on this role in their organization
3. It demonstrates curiosity and leaves a favourable impression.  Failing to ask questions suggests to the interviewer that you are just not that interested in the role or the company
4. Finally, it shows the interviewer that you are looking for the right fit opportunity. This is what the interviewer wants too!

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Prepare a wide range of questions
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Now, sometimes, the interviewer answers many of your questions during the course of the interview, leaving you with nothing else to ask.  To avoid this situation, prepare lots of questions and take them with you to the interview.  Try to include some questions that link to the research you have done as it is less likely that these will have been answered during the normal course of the interview discussion. Taking along 8-10 great questions will ensure you have something left to ask at the end of the process. 

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So, what should be the focus of your questions?
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Great questions will focus on the following areas (but don’t ask anything basic that can be answered through a simple online search):

• The organization; its history, products, services, regions, plans for the future, growth, and success to date etc. Ask questions that expand on your research into these aspects.
• The specific role and the team; the responsibilities, expectations, priorities, size of the team, background of the team, length of service of the team, the reason for the position being available etc.
• The industry; you can ask questions on the trends, competitors, size, growth, external factors impacting the industry, innovations etc.
• Research-based questions; e.g. perhaps you read that they recently sponsored a local event in your community and you’d like to find out more about that or that they recently entered a new market and you have some questions relating to that strategy.

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Example questions to ask:

There is an infinite number of questions you could ask and they will vary depending on the role, organization, and the interviewer.  Here are some examples to help you get started:

• Can you tell me more about the team with whom I will be working?
• What do you love about working here?
• I was interested to read about your recent sponsorship of the Kids Up Front charity event in Toronto.  Can you tell me a bit more about the company’s involvement in community projects?
• Why has this position become available?
• What training is provided during onboarding?
• Can you walk me through a typical day in this role?
• What are the main priorities for this role in the first 6 months?
• Is there anything else I can provide you with that would be helpful?
• What are the next steps in the interview process?

Check out our Interview to Land Course for more great tips on preparing for your next interview. https://www.eloftcareers.com/elearning-online-courses.html

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