Best interview questions to ask your interviewer

You get to the end of the interview, are proud of your answers, but then the interviewer asks “do you have any questions to ask me?”. Suddenly you panic - wasn't he meant to be asking all the questions? What should I ask him. Well next time, make sure you are prepared with a series of proven questions to ask your interviewer.

Why you should ask questions during an interview

The opportunity for you to ask questions during an interview can fulfil a number of needs. It can obviously give you the chance to get information that isn't available in other ways. It can also, however, allow you to show how much you have already researched the company and impress your interviewer. Finally, it gives the interviewer the opportunity to find out a little more about why you really want the job.

What questions should you ask during an interview

So, what are the best questions to ask your interviewer?

The first thing to bear in mind is that you should tailor your questions to the person who is interviewing you. They should be questions that your interviewer is the best person to answer - this way, the interviewer is allowed to talk about what they know, which is a more pleasant experience all round!! Here are some examples of the best questions to ask your interviewer:

For the head of department/company:

• What do you see as the key challenges facing the XXX industry this year?
• If I were successful, how would you see my role helping your department/company to be more successful?
• What are the current growth ambitions for the department/company, and how can I best support those ambitions?

For your direct superior:

• What do you see as the qualities required to be successful in this position in the long term?

For the HR manager:

• Can you describe the appraisal process?
• What kind of training courses do you offer?

These are just to start you off. Now it's your turn to do some work and prepare your own tailored list of questions to ask your interviewer...

Click here for more advice on how to develop your own questions to ask during an interview, as well as answers to the most popular tough interview questions.