Written by: Amy @BubbleJobs
We’ve all been there; the interview’s going well, you’ve prepared your answers (after reading the ‘ Interview Advice ‘ section on our Blog of course!) and you think you’ve clinched it… but then it all starts to go wrong. It happens right at the end when the tables are turned and the employer asks you if you’ve got any questions for them. Caught off guard, you literally don’t know what to say and panic and ask the first thing you can think of which happens to be some random question about holiday allowance – and it’s all over.
Now, despite us blogging about this interview question before, this one still catches people out. Why? Because it can be hard to know exactly what questions you should and shouldn’t ask at this point – after all, you haven’t got the job yet!
To help you out, we’ve come up with a list of six questions we feel are OK to ask at the end of any interview, regardless of what role you’re being interviewed for.
1. Why Is This Role Now Available?
This is a great question to ask because it shows that you’ve got an interest in the structure of the company – and it also shows that you’re keen to find out whose shoes (if anyone’s!) you’re going to be filling. There are a number of reasons why a role has been created – it could be that someone has been promoted, someone has quit, someone has shifted departments or someone has gone on maternity/paternity leave or taken a sabbatical – or it could be that the role is brand new. Either way it’s good to know what the reason is because this might affect whether you choose to take the job eg. if the previous candidate quit because they found it too stressful.
2. What Do You Think The Biggest Challenges Are In This Role?
Asking a question like this shows the interviewer that you’re serious about the role – and shows them that you’re keen to find out what difficulties you might encounter should you be offered the role. OK, so a couple of challenges might have been mentioned in the job ad – but it’s still worth asking the interviewer for their personal opinion. Being aware of possible challenges at this stage should help you to plan how to overcome them should you be offered the role, which should in turn make your life much easier in the long run.
3. What Are The Business’ Plans For The Future & How Would This Affect This Role?
This is another question that’s definitely worth asking at the end of any job interview. Why? Because it shows that you’re keen to learn about the business’ future which suggests to the employer that you plan on staying at the company for an extended period of time if you were to be offered the role – something every employer wants to hear from a prospective candidate. Similarly, the fact that you’re asking how the business’ future plans might affect the role shows that you’re keen to find out about how your role might change in the future – and again, suggests that you see a future with their company.
4. What Is Your Company’s Policy On Training & Progression?
Finding about any training and progression policies and opportunities is definitely worthwhile at this point for a couple of reasons. Firstly, if the company has limited training and progression opportunities – and you’re looking for one which has lots, you might want to reconsider if this is the right company/role for you. And secondly, if you’re asking about progression opportunities, it indicates again to an employer that you’d be keen to stick with the company and progress throughout their business.
5. Do You Have Any Doubts About My Suitability For This Role?
This question is a bit of a cheeky one because you’re asking for a bit of an insight into how the employer feels about you as a prospective candidate but it’s definitely worth asking. Why? Because you might be able to address some of these doubts there and then and make yourself into a much more appealing candidate.
6. Why Did You Choose To Work For This Company?
If you’re having doubts about whether this particular company is the right option for you regards culture-fit, it’s definitely worth asking your interviewer why they chose to work to work for the company because they might help to alleviate some of these doubts – and they might name some reasons or aspects of the company which you weren’t even aware of.
7. When Might I Expect To Hear From You Regarding This Role?
It’s always worth asking when you might expect to hear back from the employer at the end of the interview for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it shows that you’re still keen on the role. And secondly, being given a timeframe on when you might hear should help to put your mind at rest and should stop you from staring at your phone and refreshing your inbox every two seconds from the moment you leave the room until the moment you hear from them.