Strategic Questions to Ask in an Interview: Enhancing Your Interviewer Engagement
You have survived the majority of the interview. The panel sitting before you peers at you with scrutinizing eyes, and drops an antithetic question:
“Do you have any questions for me?”
What do you do? Should you just say “no” and wrap up the ordeal?
Contrary to what many candidates end up doing, this question requires a well-framed answer. The way you respond and tackle this scenario tells the interviewer a lot about who you are.
Let us first look at building a framework for strategic questions to ask in an interview.
Tip – 1: Personalization
Avoid using a templatized answer.
That is to say, the questions you pose should hint at your genuine interest in the role. You can do this by adding your knowledge of the company to your question and proceeding from there.
Moreover, experts say that you must frame your questions to ask in an interview in a way that places you in the job role. The interviewer starts imagining you in the position, urging them to decide in your favour.
Tip – 2: Research
This cannot be emphasized enough.
Researching the company beforehand involves sifting through the various online platforms they occupy, studying the team you would potentially be a part of, and learning about the company’s goals and values.
The key here is to understand the work culture. More than anything else, employee retention is enabled by a positive culture. Once you get a whiff of how things work, you can use that information to further resolve any doubts about the values that the company upholds.
Tip – 3: Be Specific
Do not beat around the bush.
Hiring managers have loads of resumes to look through. After having gone through that cumbersome process, they chose to interview you. So, make sure you are as specific as possible.
One way you can achieve this is by using bits and pieces of the interview conversation in the questions to ask in an interview. This showcases your attentiveness, willingness, and enthusiasm for the role itself.
Strategic Questions to Ask in an Interview
To start you off, we have a list of 6 questions that you can ask the interviewer. Remember, you have to tweak the questions according to the company, industry, and role you are applying for.
- What would a typical day for me look like in this role?
- Are there any immediate projects that I would be working on?
- What, according to you, are some qualities that would make a person successful in this field?
- Do you think that my responsibilities in this role might change in the next six months?
- What direction do you see the company heading towards in the near future?
- What are the company’s most cherished values?
An interview isn’t just a one-sided interrogation. It is also a great chance for the interviewee to gauge whether the company fits their expectations. Thus, our advice is to prepare well for this one question, as it can change the interview’s outcome!
As your career development partners, we are here to ensure your job selection process can go as smoothly as possible. Explore our Interview Training Services to make your next career move with confidence.