What Questions Should You Ask the Interviewer? (By Stage)

Almost every interview ends with "Do you have any questions for me?" Your answer is the last impression you leave, and it is also your best chance to find out whether you want the job. This guide groups questions by interview stage and by the person you are talking to, lists the questions to avoid, and shows how to turn a generic question into a sharp one.

Why do interviewers ask if you have any questions?

They ask to see how interested and prepared you are, and to give you a chance to check the job fits you. Virginia Tech's career office puts the first part simply: asking questions at the end of an interview makes you look interested, enthusiastic and engaged.^⁠[1]

Your questions do two jobs at once:

• They send a signal. A question that builds on the company's plans or on something the interviewer said shows preparation and judgement.
• They collect information. You learn what success looks like, who you would work with and what the problems are, which you need to decide on an offer.

"No, I think you've covered everything" wastes both. Always have something ready.

How many questions should you prepare?

Prepare four or five and expect to ask two or three. Virginia Tech's career advisers recommend four or five, so that you still have backups when one or two are answered during the conversation.^⁠[1]

Watch the clock. If the interviewer has five minutes left, ask your single best question and the one about next steps. If they have answered everything you prepared, say so and follow up on something they mentioned:

You've answered most of what I wanted to ask, especially about how the team is split between the two offices. One thing I'd like to understand better: you mentioned the reporting tool is being replaced next quarter. Who will own that project?

Which questions should you ask at each stage, and to whom?

Ask each person what they are best placed to answer. A recruiter can tell you about the process but not how your future manager gives feedback; a peer can tell you what a normal week looks like but not the budget for the role. This table matches the usual interview stages with the person you will meet and the focus of your questions.

The sections below give example questions for each person. Pick the ones that fit the role and rewrite them in your own words.

What should you ask a recruiter in a screening call?

Ask a recruiter about the process, the timeline and the practical terms of the job. They run the process and usually know the pay range, so they are the right person for those questions.

• "What are the next stages, and who will I meet in each one?"
• "What is the timeline for a decision?"
• "Is there a salary range for the role?" (ask only if the posting doesn't give one)
• "How is the working pattern set: on-site, hybrid or remote, and is it decided by the team?"
• "Is there anything in my background you'd like me to clarify before the next round?"

The last question is especially useful early on. It gives you a chance to address a concern, such as a gap or a career change, before it quietly counts against you. Our screening interview guide covers how to prepare for the call itself.

What should you ask the hiring manager?

Ask the hiring manager about what success looks like, what problems the role exists to solve and how they work. These are the questions only they can answer, and their answers tell you what to emphasise in later rounds.

• "What would you need to see in the first three months to feel you'd hired the right person?"
• "What is the biggest problem the person in this role will need to solve in the first year?"
• "Why is the role open: is it new, or is someone moving on?"
• "What separates the people who do well on your team from the ones who struggle?"
• "How do you prefer to give feedback and keep track of progress?"
• "You mentioned [something from earlier in the interview]. How is the team handling that today?"

Write down the answer to the first question. It is the clearest statement you will get of what the employer values, and it gives you the material for a strong answer if a later interviewer asks why they should hire you.

What should you ask future peers or team members?

Ask peers about the day-to-day reality of the job: how work arrives, how people collaborate and what it is actually like. Peers are often more candid than managers, and they are describing a job they do themselves.

• "What does a normal week look like for you?"
• "How does work reach this role, and who decides what comes first?"
• "Which tools and systems do you use most?"
• "What do you wish you had known in your first month?"
• "How does the team handle a deadline that is about to slip?"
• "What would make the person in this role easy to work with, from your side?"

Avoid putting a peer in an awkward spot. "Do you like your manager?" invites a guarded answer; "How does the team get feedback on its work?" gets you the same information more politely.

What should you ask a senior leader in the final round?

Ask a senior leader about direction and impact: where the team is heading and how the role contributes. Keep the questions broad enough for someone who won't know the daily details.

• "Where do you expect this team's work to make the biggest difference over the next year or two?"
• "What are the main challenges for the department right now?"
• "What do the people you trust most in this organisation have in common?"
• "How does this role connect to the priorities you've set for the year?"

If you have done your research, connect a question to it: a recent product launch, a reorganisation or a new market. Our guide to answering "Why do you want to work here?" lists where to find that kind of information. If you want a more detailed method, our sister site ResumeFast has a guide to researching a company before an interview that turns each finding into a question or talking point.

Which questions should you ask at the end of every interview?

Close every round by asking about next steps and timing. It shows you want to move forward, and it tells you when a follow-up is reasonable.

• "What are the next steps, and when can I expect to hear from you?"
• "Is there anything else I can send you that would help?"

A bolder option is "Is there anything about my background that makes you hesitate?" It can feel uncomfortable, but it gives you one last chance to answer a doubt in person. Use it when the conversation has been open and friendly, and answer any concern calmly rather than defensively.

Which questions should you avoid?

Avoid questions the company's website already answers, questions about what you get before you have shown what you offer, and questions that put the interviewer on the spot. Virginia Tech's advisers suggest that, in the early stages, you hold questions about salary, benefits, holiday and perks until you are formally offered the job.^⁠[1] One reasonable exception is a screening call, where asking the recruiter for the pay range is common if the posting doesn't state it.

How do you turn a generic question into a specific one?

Anchor it in something real: a detail from the job ad, your research or the interview itself. Generic questions get generic answers; specific ones show how you think and get you useful information.

Generic: What is the company culture like?

Specific: You said the team moved to two-week release cycles this year. How has that changed the way engineers and designers work together?

Generic: Are there opportunities for growth?

Specific: If someone did well in this role for two years, what would their next step usually be here?

Generic: What are the challenges of the role?

Specific: The job ad mentions reducing onboarding time for new clients. What has made that hard so far?

To practise, write your list the evening before and say each question out loud. If a question sounds like it could be asked at any company, add one specific detail.

What should you do with the answers?

Write them down as soon as the interview ends, while the details are fresh. The answers feed directly into the next steps of your search:

• Your thank-you note. Mention one thing the interviewer told you; our follow-up guide has a template for the note.
• Your next round. What the hiring manager said about success tells you what to emphasise with the next interviewer.
• Your decision. If an offer arrives, compare the answers with what matters to you.

Keep the notes next to the application itself, so everything about each role is in one place. Our guide on how to track job applications shows a simple way to set that up.