Questions to Ask the Interviewer: 20 Smart Questions That Make a Strong Last Impression

By Preeti Verma

Near the end of almost every interview comes the question: "Do you have any questions for us?" Many candidates say "No, I think everything is clear" and lose a good chance. This is the moment to show that you have thought about the role, and to find out whether the job is right for you.

Good questions do two jobs. They tell the interviewer you are serious and thoughtful, and they give you the information to decide if you actually want the job. An interview goes both ways.

How to choose your questions

  • Prepare five or six, and ask two or three. Some will be answered during the conversation.
  • Ask about things that are not on the careers page. Basic facts you can find online make it look as if you did not research.
  • Match the question to the person. Ask a hiring manager about the team and priorities, an engineer about day-to-day work, and HR about process and benefits.
  • Listen to the answer and ask a follow-up. It shows you are engaged.

Questions about the role

  1. "What would success look like in this role after the first 90 days?" It shows you think about results and tells you what they truly expect.
  2. "What are the biggest challenges someone in this role would face?" You learn what you are signing up for.
  3. "What does a typical week look like?" Useful for understanding the balance of coding, meetings and support work.
  4. "How is performance measured, and how often is feedback given?" Good for understanding expectations.
  5. "Why is this position open?" It is a growth hire, a replacement or a new team, and each has different implications.

Questions about the team and how it works

  1. "Can you tell me about the team I would be working with?" Size, experience and how they collaborate.
  2. "How does the team handle code reviews, testing and releases?" For engineers, this reveals engineering quality.
  3. "How do you handle disagreements on technical decisions?" It reveals culture quickly.
  4. "What does on-call or production support look like?" Better to know early, especially for backend roles.
  5. "What tools and technologies does the team use, and are there any planned changes?" It shows you are thinking about the work itself.

Questions about growth and learning

  1. "What learning opportunities does the team provide?" Courses, mentoring, time to explore.
  2. "What does a typical career path look like from this role?" It shows ambition without sounding impatient.
  3. "How does the company support people moving between teams or taking on bigger responsibilities?"
  4. "Is there something you would want me to learn or improve quickly after joining?" It shows openness to feedback.

Questions about the company and culture

  1. "What do you enjoy most about working here?" People usually answer honestly, and you learn a lot from the pause before they answer.
  2. "What are the company's priorities for the next year, and how does this team contribute?" It connects the role to the bigger picture.
  3. "How would you describe the culture in a few words?" Ask for specific examples afterwards.

Questions about next steps

  1. "What are the next steps in the process, and what is the timeline?" It saves you worrying and following up unnecessarily.
  2. "Is there anything about my background that you would like me to clarify?" It gives you a chance to address a concern before you leave the room. This one is brave and effective.
  3. "Is there anything else I can provide that would help your decision?"

Questions to avoid in a first interview

  • "What does the company do?" You should know this already.
  • Salary and leave questions as your opening question. There will be a time for them, usually later, and our guide to salary expectations explains how to handle that.
  • "How soon can I get promoted?" It can sound like you are already looking past the role.
  • Anything that signals you want to do as little as possible, such as how much work-from-home flexibility you can get, before showing interest in the work. (Flexibility is a fair question later. Timing and tone matter.)
  • Negative gossip questions about the previous person in the role.

Examples of good question-and-follow-up pairs

  • You ask: "What are the biggest challenges for this role?" They say: "We are migrating a monolith to microservices." You follow up: "How is the team handling data consistency during the migration?" This shows you have real understanding, as in our guide to microservices interview questions.
  • You ask: "What does success look like in 90 days?" They say: "Taking ownership of one service." You follow up: "What support would I have to get up to speed on it?"

A note on online and voice interviews

In video calls, the same questions apply. Ask clearly and leave a pause. If it is an AI-led or recorded interview, there may be no chance to ask questions at the end, so use your preparation to learn about the company beforehand. For tips, see online and AI voice interview tips.

How to practise

Write your questions down, because nerves make them vanish. Bring a small notebook or keep a note open. You can also rehearse the ending of an interview in a mock interview, so asking questions feels natural. If you want the complete picture, our 24-hour preparation plan includes this step.

FAQ

How many questions should I ask? Two to four is plenty. Quality matters more than quantity.

What if my questions have already been answered? Say so: "You covered most of what I wanted to ask. One thing I would still like to understand is..." That shows you listened.

Is it okay to ask about the interviewer's own experience? Yes. "What made you choose to join, and what has kept you here?" is a friendly question that people usually enjoy answering.

The takeaway

Never say "no questions". Prepare a handful, tailor them to the person in front of you, and ask at least one that shows you thought about the work itself. The last five minutes of an interview are often remembered longest.