“What questions do you have for me?”
Acing The Reverse Interview
At the end of each interview it’s customary to ask you, the candidate, if you have any questions. The worst mistake you can make is asking one or two surface questions and then yielding the time.
Really? You have a hiring manager’s time, which hundreds of other candidates would fight for, and you ask them “what’s your favorite thing about working here?” This doesn’t show passion, it doesn’t show that you’re seriously considering the opportunity, and it definitely doesn’t show experience.
In a recent coaching session I had a client practice their “why do I want to work here” speech for a climate tech company. About half way in I cut her off.
Me: This is all good, but it’s too much. Trim it down to three or four sentences.
Them: But I know so much about this industry, and I want them to know that. How will they know if I don’t tell them?
Me: Let me ask you a question. How is this company considering the Inflation Reduction Act’s impact on their business model, and do they have plans in case the current administration rolls back those incentives? Also, there are plenty of other carbon accounting products out there, what do they do specifically to help with disclose that these companies don’t?
Them: I honestly don’t know, should I have that information before I go into the interview? Also I had no idea you know this much about climate tech.
Me: You don’t need to know that information, but that second thing you said. Isn’t that your goal, to have them react that way towards you?
Bottom Line: demonstrate your passion and knowledge through questions and conversation. That’s how you show, rather than tell.
The Signals You’re Delivering
Beyond the industry specific questions you can (and should) be asking, there are plenty of other signals you might want to deliver. Asking specific questions about process and organization will demonstrate that you understand the impact about these things, and have a particular interest in not only being discerning about the company you join but having a positive impact on these facets.
When you’re selecting questions to ask, keep in mind the following goals:
Demonstrate knowledge/passion about the company’s product and industry
Get insight on what abilities, experiences and skills you should highlight in future rounds
Communicate your values and experience by showing what you care about
My favorite tactic to demonstrate that this isn’t your first rodeo is to turn their questions back on them. If an interviewer asked you how you approach conflict, ask them how they’ve had to handle conflict. If they ask you how you leverage AI in your work flow, ask them the same. If they give you a technical prompt, ask them if they approach problems the same way. This again turns the interview from an exam into a conversation, and gives you an opportunity to make the interviewer feel like they’re actually getting to know you and vice versa.
Don’t Do This, Please
Before we get to the questions you should ask, let’s talk about what you should avoid.
“What’s your favorite part of working here?” This is just weak. I’ll answer it for you: it’s either going to be the people, the mission, or both. Next.
“What is work life balance like?” Most managers/recruiters/coaches will say to avoid this because it tells them that you aren’t a hard worker. I have a different take: it’s not a valid question. Everyone has their own definition of WLB. For me, I don’t mind working long hours, as long as I don’t have to log on before 11am. I prefer to work on weekends so I can spread my work out and have my mornings open, because nothing says “30 something brooklyn DINK” like going to multiple shows every week (check out my photography if you’re into that kind of thing). The point it, you define your WLB, it means different things to different people, and it’s a question better asked after you get an offer, because asking this question doesn’t help to get you closer to that goal.
“What does success look like?” To be fair, this isn’t that bad of a question, but we can do better. I’d rather ask for something concrete, such as “Can you share the engineering ladder/review rubric with me?” or “The last time someone was promoted, what did they do to achieve that?”
My Favorite Questions
Here’s a basic laundry list of things I like to ask:
For Recruiters:
When asking recruiters questions, you should not only demonstrate to them that you are looking for two way fit, but in the same breath get information that will help you in preparing for future rounds. Some examples include:
What is the manager looking for in this role?
What problems is this team solving?
What challenges is the team/manager facing?
What are people getting rejected for?
How will I be judged? What’s the rubric?
For Management Specifically:
“How do you make money?” This isn’t always as obvious as you’d think. Some companies make more off a quiet B2B arm than their B2C offerings. Costco, for example, makes most of their money off memberships rather than the products they sell in store.
“If the company fails, what causes it to happen?” This demonstrates how they think about the company, their competition, and what their goals are to prevent that from happening.
“What would your employees say if I asked them what it’s like working for you?” This shows how they see themselves as leaders, what they value, and when you ask the same question to said employees you’ll get to see how self-aware management is.
“What part of the business is growing the fastest?” Great way to gain visibility into the company’s north star, and areas of opportunity for you to have an impact.
“If your competitors were to make me an offer, what would you tell me to convince me to work here instead?” This will also demonstrate how they see themselves, what their edge is, and again show you areas of opportunity to have an impact.
For Individual Contributors:
“What’s changed the most about your organization or team since you’ve joined?” Demonstrates how the company make decisions, how bold their moves are, and of course transparency.
“What’s it like working for (or with) <HIRING MANAGER>?” It’s just a good idea to get a few different perspectives on the person who is going to be not only making the decision on whether or not to hire you, but also how your performance is evaluated.
For Everyone:
“What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made since you joined the company? What happened?” Gives you insights into how they demonstrate psychological safety. Also helps you understand how they operate, and how they’ve increased confidence in shipping code safely.
“What challenges do you see your team facing in the next 6-12 months?” Great way to get insight into the roadmap that you would be directly involved in.
“What are you most proud of that you/your team has done?” This is better than just asking about culture in a generic way.
“What’s the hardest thing you’ve had to do since joining?” Good insight into the mechanics of working there.
“What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made since joining?” Always a good question to ask, answers are usually highly valuable.
Your goal is to have a conversation at the end of the interview that leaves both of you wishing you had more time. If your interview closes before the end of the available time, you’ve failed, full stop.
And if you ever, ever, ever say “no I don’t have any questions I want to ask” at the end of the interview, don’t tell them you got your advice from me. I have a reputation to protect.
