How to Ask Interview Questions That WOW

We’ve all been there. You’re approaching the end of an interview and the Hiring Manager asks “Do you have any questions for me?” If you are not flipping to a specific page in your notebook, you’re already doing it wrong.

The question period in some interviews is the first and only time you get the opportunity to drive the conversation with a prospective employer. Use that time to impress them.

There are 3 types of Interview Questions

Bad Questions

Questions that are inappropriate to ask at that point of the interview process

Examples:

  1. How much are you going to pay me?
  2. Can you give me three weeks vacation instead of two?
  3. Can I use this position as a way of getting promoted into X other position in the next few months?
Lazy Questions

The most common type of question asked in an interview. They aren’t bad questions, but they do not show that you have done your research or thought critically about the role or company. They’re usually short, to the point, and you could probably answer them with a Google search or re-read of the job description.

Examples:

  1. What will my day to day look like?
  2. How would you describe the company culture?
  3. What are the company’s values?
  4. What would success look like in this position?
Questions that WOW

These questions show that you have read into everything that you can and have formed assumptions based off of your research by thinking critically. These questions usually start with a thought, assumption, or point from research and get the interviewer to confirm, or elaborate on the point you’ve made. This will create a greater dialogue and show that you’ve taken the extra steps to come prepared.

Examples:

  1. My understanding is that in this position success looks like me hitting all the cold calling, meeting booking, and revenue targets. What do you think the top performers on your team do to amplify their success?
  2. I noticed on your Linkedin that you come from 10 years of luxury real estate sales experience overseas. What made you decide to step out of your comfort zone and start X company?
  3. In my research I saw that some of your biggest competitors are X, Y and Z. My understanding is that you differentiate yourself by providing the best customer service and most competitive pricing, but I’d love to hear from your perspective what some of the biggest differentiators are.

How to Create Questions That WOW

When researching the company and interviewers take note of all the questions you have. Once you’re done, pick your top 5-7 most interesting questions and try to answer them yourself or through research.

By doing this you should be able to narrow down to 3-5 specific questions about the role, what success would look like, the interviewer and or the company. Make sure to take a notebook with your questions written down to your interview.

Summary:

Did you know there are three types of questions you can ask in an interview and that 75% of candidates are doing it all wrong?