What questions should I ask to find out about the company culture?

To understand company culture, ask: 'How would you describe the team culture here?', 'What do people who succeed in this company tend to have in common?', 'How does the team typically handle disagreements or differing opinions?', and 'What's something about working here that surprised you when you first joined?' These questions invite honest answers rather than rehearsed ones.

What to Ask in a Job Interview — 40+ Best Questions to Ask (2026)

Q: What questions should I ask at the end of an interview?

Ask questions that demonstrate genuine interest in the role and strategic thinking about the job. The best questions focus on: what success looks like in the first 90 days, the biggest challenges facing the team, how decisions are made, what the interviewer enjoys most about working there, and what the path forward looks like for someone in this role. Avoid questions about salary, holidays, or anything easily found on the company website.

Q: What are good questions to ask in an interview?

Good interview questions are specific, show you've done your research, and give you genuinely useful information for your decision. Examples include: 'What does success look like in this role at the 90-day mark?', 'What's the biggest challenge facing the team right now?', 'How do decisions typically get made in this team?', and 'What do you personally enjoy most about working here?' These questions are better than generic ones because they're harder to prepare canned answers for and generate real conversation.

Q: Is it bad to not have questions to ask at an interview?

Yes — saying 'no, I think you've covered everything' when asked if you have questions is one of the most common interview mistakes. It signals low interest, low curiosity, and poor preparation. Interviewers use your questions as evidence of how engaged you are with the role. Always prepare at least 3-4 questions before any interview.

Q: What questions should I ask about the role?

Ask: 'What does success look like in this role in the first 90 days?', 'What are the most important priorities for this role in the first six months?', 'What would make you look back on this hire as the right decision?', 'What does the day-to-day of this role look like?', and 'What are the biggest challenges someone in this role typically faces?'

Q: What questions should I avoid asking in an interview?

Avoid asking about salary or benefits (unless the interviewer raises it), holiday allowance, how quickly you could be promoted, anything easily found on the company website, whether you got the job, or questions that suggest you haven't been listening. These questions signal that your interest is transactional rather than genuine.

Q: How many questions should I ask in an interview?

Prepare 5-6 questions and expect to ask 3-4 of them. Some will be answered naturally during the conversation — having extra means you're never left scrambling. Don't feel you need to ask all of them; if the conversation has already covered something, skip it rather than asking redundantly.

Q: What questions should I ask a hiring manager in an interview?

When interviewing with a hiring manager, prioritise questions about their vision for the role, what the team's biggest challenges are, how they measure success, and what they value most in the people they hire. Hiring managers have more context about the real job than HR interviewers, so this is your chance to understand what the role actually involves day to day.

The questions you ask in an interview are evaluated just as closely as the questions you answer. Saying "no, I think you've covered everything" when asked if you have questions is one of the most common interview mistakes — it signals disengagement, low curiosity, and poor preparation.

Good questions do two things: they give you genuinely useful information to evaluate the role, and they signal to the interviewer that you're already thinking seriously about the job. This guide gives you 40+ questions organised by category, with notes on why each one works and what to avoid.

How to use this list: Pick 5-6 questions to prepare before each interview. Expect to ask 3-4 of them — some will be answered naturally in conversation. Never ask all of them; it feels like an interrogation. Prioritise questions that will genuinely help you decide whether to accept an offer if one comes.

Questions About the Role

These are the most important questions to ask — they tell you what the job actually involves and whether you can succeed in it.

"What does success look like in this role at the 90-day mark?"

One of the best questions you can ask. It forces a concrete answer about priorities and gives you a clear picture of what you'd be measured on immediately.

"What are the most important things this person needs to accomplish in the first six months?"

Reveals the actual priorities vs the job description, which often diverges from what the role ends up being day to day.

"What would make you look back on this hire as the right decision a year from now?"

A powerful question that gets to the interviewer's real expectations rather than the official version. Often produces very honest answers.

"What are the biggest challenges someone in this role typically faces?"

Shows you're thinking realistically about the job, not just the honeymoon period. Interviewers appreciate candidates who aren't naive about difficulty.

"How has this role evolved since it was created?"

Tells you whether the role has grown in scope and responsibility or shrunk — and what direction it's likely to move in.

"What does the day-to-day of this role look like?"

Job descriptions are often aspirational. This question gets to the reality of how someone actually spends their time.

"Why is this position open? Is it a new role or a replacement?"

A new role suggests growth. A replacement raises natural questions about why the previous person left — which the answer to this question will either address or conspicuously avoid.

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Questions About the Team

Team dynamics matter as much as the role itself. These questions help you understand who you'd be working with and how.

"Can you tell me about the team I'd be joining — size, structure, how long people have been there?"

High turnover in a team is a signal worth probing. Tenure tells you a lot about stability and culture.

"How do decisions typically get made in this team?"

Reveals the real power structure — is this a team where people have genuine autonomy, or is everything escalated upward? Important for candidates who value ownership.

"How does the team typically handle disagreements?"

Tells you whether healthy debate is welcomed or whether the culture is conflict-avoidant. Neither is inherently wrong — but it needs to match how you work.

"What's the collaboration like between this team and other departments?"

For most roles, cross-functional relationships significantly affect how much you can get done. Honest answers here are valuable.

"What do the most successful people on this team have in common?"

A smart indirect way of asking what it takes to succeed without sounding like you're fishing for the answer you should give.

"Is there anything the team is currently working to improve?"

No team is perfect. This question shows you're realistic and invites honest reflection. Good interviewers will give you a real answer.

Questions About the Company

These questions show strategic awareness and signal that you're thinking about the company's direction, not just your job.

"What are the company's main priorities over the next 12-18 months?"

Shows you're thinking about your role in the context of the business, not just your own function. Senior interviewers respond well to this.

"How does this team's work connect to the company's broader goals?"

Signals that you care about impact and context, not just executing tasks. Important for anyone applying to a strategic or senior role.

"What do you think sets [company] apart from its main competitors?"

Shows commercial awareness and invites the interviewer to sell you on the company — which reveals how genuinely enthusiastic they are about it.

"How has the company changed in the last two or three years?"

Useful for understanding growth trajectory, strategic pivots, and whether the company is in a stable or turbulent phase.

"Are there any challenges the company is navigating right now that would affect this role?"

Shows maturity and realism. Interviewers respect candidates who ask about challenges rather than only the positives.

Questions About Culture and Growth

Culture questions are hard to answer honestly with canned responses. These formulations make authentic answers more likely.

"What do you personally enjoy most about working here?"

The best culture question. It's personal, hard to deflect, and tells you more about the real experience of working there than any company-line answer.

"What surprised you most about working here after you joined?"

Invites honest reflection about the gap between perception and reality — often produces the most useful answers in the entire interview.

"How does the company approach learning and development?"

Reveals how seriously the company invests in people. Vague answers ("we have a training budget") are worth following up on.

"What does career progression typically look like for someone in this role?"

Signals ambition and forward-thinking. Ask this carefully — frame it as interest in contributing and growing, not just being promoted.

"How would you describe the management style here?"

Important if you know your preferences around autonomy vs direction. The answer tells you a lot about whether you'll thrive or struggle.

"What's something about working here that you wish you'd known before you joined?"

A variant of the "surprise" question that often gets an even more candid answer. Interviewers who deflect this question are telling you something too.

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Questions to Ask a Hiring Manager Specifically

When you're speaking with the hiring manager — the person you'd directly report to — these questions are particularly valuable.

"What's your vision for this role over the next year?"

The hiring manager's vision for the role often differs from HR's version. This tells you the real direction they want to take it.

"How would you describe your management style?"

Essential — you'd report to this person. Understanding how they lead tells you whether you'd get the autonomy, support, and direction you need to do your best work.

"What's the best thing about having you as a manager?"

An unusual question that great managers answer with genuine confidence. Mediocre ones flounder. The answer — and how it's given — tells you a lot.

"What are the most important qualities you look for in the people you hire?"

Gives you a direct map to what they're evaluating you against and often reveals more than any job description.

"What does a typical week look like for you right now?"

Tells you what your manager is focused on — and whether the challenges they're dealing with are ones you'd enjoy engaging with.

Questions NOT to Ask

These questions damage your candidacy — either by signalling low interest, poor research, or the wrong priorities.

⚠️ "What does your company do?"

This should have been researched before the interview. Asking it signals you didn't prepare and have no genuine interest in the company.

⚠️ "How much holiday do I get?" / "What are the hours?"

Asking about benefits and working conditions before you have an offer signals that your primary interest is in what you get rather than what you contribute. Save these for the offer stage.

⚠️ "Did I get the job?"

Awkward, puts the interviewer in an impossible position, and signals anxiety. If you want to understand the timeline, ask "what are the next steps?" instead.

⚠️ "How quickly could I be promoted?"

Asking about promotion in a first interview signals that you're already looking past the role you're applying for. Ask about career progression instead — it's the same intent, framed as growth rather than impatience.

⚠️ Anything already answered during the interview

If you ask a question that was already covered in the conversation, it signals you weren't listening. Keep a mental note as the interview progresses and skip any questions that have already been addressed.

⚠️ "No, I think you've covered everything"

The worst answer of all. Always have questions prepared. Always ask at least two. The absence of questions is interpreted as lack of interest in the vast majority of cases.

Interview Questions FAQs

What questions should I ask at the end of an interview?

Ask questions that demonstrate genuine interest and strategic thinking: what success looks like in the first 90 days, the biggest challenges facing the team, how decisions are made, what the interviewer enjoys most about working there, and what the path forward looks like. Avoid questions about salary, holidays, or anything easily found on the company website.

Is it bad to not have questions to ask at an interview?

Yes — saying "no, I think you've covered everything" when asked if you have questions is one of the most common interview mistakes. It signals low interest, low curiosity, and poor preparation. Always prepare at least 3-4 questions before any interview.

What are good questions to ask in an interview?

Good interview questions are specific, show research, and generate useful information. Examples: "What does success look like in this role at 90 days?", "What's the biggest challenge facing the team right now?", "What do you personally enjoy most about working here?" These are better than generic questions because they're harder to deflect.

How many questions should I ask in an interview?

Prepare 5-6 questions and expect to ask 3-4. Some will be answered naturally during the conversation. Don't feel you need to ask all of them — if something was already covered, skip it rather than asking redundantly.

What questions should I ask about the company culture?

Ask: "What do you personally enjoy most about working here?", "What surprised you most after you joined?", "How does the team typically handle disagreements?", and "What's something about working here that you wish you'd known before joining?" These invite honest answers rather than rehearsed ones.

What questions should I avoid asking in an interview?

Avoid asking about salary or benefits before an offer, holiday allowance, how quickly you could be promoted, anything easily found on the company website, whether you got the job, or questions that suggest you haven't been listening.

What questions should I ask a hiring manager in an interview?

Ask about their vision for the role, their management style, what they value most in the people they hire, and what a typical week looks like for them. Hiring managers have more context about the real job than HR interviewers.

What questions should I ask about the role?

Ask: "What does success look like at 90 days?", "What are the most important priorities in the first six months?", "What would make you look back on this hire as the right decision?", "What are the biggest challenges someone in this role faces?", and "Why is this position open?"

What to Ask in a Job Interview