Questions to ask during a job interview: sample wording to use and avoid
Ask questions that only make sense for this job. Good topics are how success is measured in the first months, which duty in the posting matters most, how the team settles disagreements, and what recently changed at the company. You can also ask whether the interviewer has concerns about your background and what the next steps are. Prepare five or six. Tie at least half to the posting or the conversation, and ask two or three when invited.
By I start Monday team · Published October 29, 2026 · 9 min read
When an interviewer says "What questions do you have for us?", treat it as part of the interview. This guide suggests using your questions to show three things: that you understood the job well enough to have real gaps in your knowledge, that you care how the work gets done day to day, and that you would be easy to work with when you need help or disagree. Asking how success is measured in the first few months shows you are thinking ahead about the work. Asking nothing, or asking only about time off, misses that chance. This page covers what to ask during a job interview, organized by prompts an interviewer might use to hand you the floor. Each prompt has sample wording you can adapt and a version this guide suggests avoiding.
Six prompts that invite your questions
"Do you have any questions for me?"
Why it matters: This prompt gives you a chance to show curiosity and preparation. Saying no gives that chance up, even if you only meant the conversation was thorough.
A strong answer: "Yes, two. You mentioned the team is moving its reporting into a new system this quarter. What does a good first month look like for the person in this role while that's happening? And what part of the job do people who struggled here tend to underestimate?"
A weak answer: "No, I think you covered everything. It all sounded great." It's polite, but it ends the conversation at the exact moment you were given room to show what you noticed.
Fix it in one line: Always have two questions ready, and tie at least one to something the interviewer said earlier in the conversation.
"What would you like to know about the role?"
Why it matters: This prompt is a chance to show you read the posting closely and to check that your picture of the job matches the interviewer's. It's better to find a mismatch in the interview than in your third week.
A strong answer: "The posting lists vendor management and weekly reporting. Roughly how does the week split between those two, and which one would you want me to take off your plate first?"
A weak answer: "What does a typical day look like?" It's a fair question, but you could ask it about any job, so it tells the interviewer nothing about what you understood from this one.
Fix it in one line: Name a specific duty from the posting and ask how it works in practice.
"What questions do you have about the team?"
Why it matters: This prompt is a chance to show you think about working with the people beside you, not only about your own task list.
A strong answer: "Who would I work with most outside this team? And when two groups disagree about priorities, how does that usually get settled?"
A weak answer: "Is the team fun? Do you guys do happy hours?" Asking about culture is reasonable. Asking only about social events suggests you're picturing the perks more than the work.
Fix it in one line: Ask how the team makes decisions and handles friction, because that tells you more about daily life than social plans do.
"Is there anything you'd like to ask about the company?"
Why it matters: This prompt is a chance to show basic research. Look at the company's homepage first so you don't ask about something it already covers.
A strong answer: "I read that you opened a second location this spring. Has that changed what this role is responsible for, or is it mostly the same work at a larger scale?"
A weak answer: "So what does the company actually do day to day?" Asked in a final round, this misses the chance to show what you've learned about the company.
Fix it in one line: Open with one fact you found, then ask what it means for this specific job.
"Is there anything else, or anything you want to ask before we wrap up?"
Why it matters: This prompt gives you room to deal with doubts. If the interviewer has a concern, such as a short stint at a past job or a missing tool on your resume, asking about it gives you a chance to answer while you're still in the room.
A strong answer: "Is there anything in my background you'd want to hear more about before you decide? I'd like the chance to answer it now while we're both here."
A weak answer: "So, did I get the job?" It can put the interviewer on the spot, and they may not have an answer yet.
Fix it in one line: Ask whether anything in your experience needs more detail, which gets you a specific answer you can respond to right away.
"What questions do you have about next steps?"
Why it matters: Clear, practical questions about the process help you set expectations and know how to follow up.
A strong answer: "What are the remaining steps, and roughly when should I expect to hear back? If a question comes up in the meantime, should I send it to you?"
A weak answer: "How much does it pay, and when can I take my first vacation?" Pay and leave are fair topics. When they're the first thing you ask a hiring manager at the end of the interview, though, they can overshadow everything you said about the work.
Fix it in one line: Consider leading with the work and the timeline, and bringing up pay and leave afterward.
SPECIFIC-QUESTION RATIO
Before the interview, write out every question you plan to ask. Mark each one S if it names something specific to this employer, like a duty from the posting, a product, a team, or something said in an earlier round. Mark it G if you could ask it at any company. Then divide your S count by your total. If 4 of your 6 questions are S, your ratio is 4 divided by 6, or two thirds. If you come out under one half, rewrite G questions until at least half are S. Do a second check near the end of the interview: cross off anything the interviewer already answered. If fewer than 2 questions remain, add one follow-up built on something they said.
| Question | What the interviewer may be wondering | A strong answer in one line | A red flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do you have any questions for me? | Were you curious and prepared, or just enduring the interview? | Ask what a good first month looks like, tied to something they said | Saying no, or praising the interview instead of asking |
| What would you like to know about the role? | Does your picture of the job match ours? | Name one duty from the posting and ask how it plays out | This guide suggests avoiding a generic typical-day question with no follow-up |
| What questions do you have about the team? | Will you work well with people, including in disagreements? | Ask who you work with most and how priority conflicts get settled | Asking only about parties, perks, or remote days |
| Anything you'd like to ask about the company? | Did you do basic research before today? | Lead with one fact you found and ask what it means for this role | Asking what the company does |
| Anything else before we wrap up? | Is there a doubt you could clear up right now? | Ask if anything in your background needs more explanation | Asking whether you got the job |
| What questions do you have about next steps? | Will you be easy to schedule and follow up with? | Ask for the remaining steps, rough timing, and the right contact | This guide suggests not opening with vacation and pay questions to the hiring manager |
The night before
- This guide suggests writing 5 or 6 questions on one page and ranking them, so you can start with your best two if time runs short. See also the interview cheat sheet.
- Reread the posting and mark the 3 duties you'd most like to ask about. Compare them with the typical tasks O*NET lists for the occupation, and you may spot work the posting left out that's worth asking about.
- Decide which questions go to which person: process and pay to the recruiter, priorities and success measures to the manager, and day-to-day work to peers.
- Practice your opening too. See also the guide on how to answer "tell me about yourself" and the interview preparation checklist.
- Say two of your questions out loud so they sound like conversation. See also the guide on customer service interview questions.
Try it
Ready to put these questions to work? Start on I start Monday
Frequently asked questions
How many questions should I ask at the end of an interview?
As a rule of thumb, this guide suggests two or three, depending on how much time is left. Prepare five or six, because some may get answered during the conversation. If the interviewer is clearly running over time, ask your single best question and offer to send the rest by email to the recruiter.
Is it okay to ask about salary during a first interview?
It can be, and a recruiter is a sensible person to ask if you're talking with one. With a hiring manager, this guide suggests focusing on the work first and leaving pay for the recruiter or a later stage, unless the manager raises it first.
What if the interviewer answered all my questions before I got to ask them?
Say so briefly and then go deeper on one point. For example, mention that they covered how the team is structured, then ask a follow-up about something specific they said. That shows you were listening, and it counts as a real question instead of an empty reply.
More on Interview
- HVAC Technician Interview Questions: Six to Practice and How to Answer Each One
- Teacher interview questions: what principals ask and how to answer each one
- Cybersecurity analyst interview questions: what managers ask and how to answer each one