Regardless of industry, company, or position candidates need to ask questions that not only qualify them for the opportunity, but position themselves to get an offer. When I get feedback from hiring managers, the people they speak most highly of are the ones that ask great questions and take notes. Your job in an interview is to find out more about the opportunity and find out what the interviewer wants in their next hire. These questions I am about to share with you help you not only learn about the company you're applying for, but also separate you from all other applicants gunning for the job.
1. "What does your ideal candidate look like?"
Get ready to take notes, because the hiring manager is about to give you the answers to the quiz. Whether it's intangibles to experience each hiring manager is going to have certain qualifications they're looking for that are not in a job description, Asking this question first is absolutely essential to separating yourself from other candidates. Regardless of what the manager says you need to write the answers down and use them to close out the interview. If the hiring manager says they want at least 3 years of experience working in IT and someone who is ambitious then you use that tidbit of information to qualify yourself to move on to the next step.
2. "Could you go into detail about the culture at "X" Company?"
It's 2021 and culture has never been more important. Times have certainly changed and culture is neck and neck with compensation. People can't be paid enough at a job they don't like. The hiring manager should have answer to your liking and if not this is good information to use for an overall decision whether that is to move forward in the interview process or accept a job offer.
3. "If you could go back and start over at "X" company what would you do differently?"
This is by far one of my most favorite questions and one that isn't likely to be asked. Most hiring managers are not used to this question and will appreciate the uniqueness to your approach. In addition, when you can put managers on the spot, you're more likely to get an honest answer. It's also helpful information if you were to accept a position with this new company and you know what you can do differently,
4. "What are the characteristics of your best hires?"
Similar to the first question you need to ask, this one aims to be a little bit more personable and less about experiences. Companies with good cultures will give you answers such as "my best hires were both ambitious and team players." Consider this incredibly useful toward qualifying either the company as an entity you would like to work for or as information to aid you in closing.
5. "Can I speak to your best employee for the position you're hiring for?"
You can certainly phrase this differently, but again, these are questions unlikely to be asked by other candidates. A question like this positions you as inquisitive and as someone who wants to learn from the best. When speaking to the top performer you're more likely to find out some information that you may not otherwise get from a manager.
All of these questions can and should be asked in every single step in the hiring process, do not be afraid of being repetitive. You will be speaking to multiple people in the company and everyone can have different takes on these questions. Each of these questions is designed to lean more and separate yourself at the same time.