The interviews going smoothly. You’ve answered all of the recruiter’s questions with self-assurance and the sessions about to come to a close. You take a sigh of relief knowing you’ve smashed it, but completely forget about the one question that leaves the final impression.

‘’Do You Have Any Questions For Us?’’

So what is an employer looking for when they ask you this question, and how can you stand out from the crowd?

They’re looking for someone who’s genuinely interested in the company, and it doesn’t hurt to show interest in the employer’s work life either. People love talking about their achievements, so coming across as engaged in their work life will help swing the odds in your favour.

Try not to ask questions that require a yes or no response. You want to get them thinking to the point where they’re sitting in silence trying to think of an answer.

So what questions will leave your employer stumped for words? Here are the best interview questions to ask if you want to impress your employer.

How Can I Set A Strong Example In The First Few Months On The Job?

This shows you’re planning a step ahead of other candidates, and it puts you in a great position to learn exactly what they’re looking for.

Pay close attention to what the recruiter has to say. Doing so will give you some pointers on what the company has a keen eye for so you can impress them quickly if you get the job.

What Are The Company’s Main Objectives For The Next Five Years?

While this is a question that’s commonly asked by other candidates, it will give you an overall picture of the stability of your job. You might also learn about major projects or plans for the company that are still in progress.

This also gives you a great chance to talk about how important it is to set goals for the future, and how your past goals have helped you reach achievements in your own life.

What Do You Enjoy About Your Job?

This question is your best opportunity to build a connection with the employer, and it allows them to tell you more about what they enjoy, and what to expect when working with them.

It will help you get an inside look at the company’s culture as well as the working environment, and you may even find out how the recruiter got their start in the industry and advanced in their career.

What Is A Typical Day Like At (Company Name)?

Learning the ‘’lay of the land’’  is a great way to better your understanding of what working with their company would be like. Hiring managers will typically go on to talk about the broad strokes of the work week, month, and year. But don’t leave this question at just that. Inquire about employer activities, team-building events, and other ways to build a connection within the team.

Those in executive positions usually love to brag about their close ties to the team, so this is a great question to ask if you want to seem interested in their situation.

How Do You Deal With Staff Disagreements?

Take this as another way to learn about the organisation’s values and show that you know how to deal with conflict, which is an important part of any well-run business.

Showing you understand that conflict should be dealt with quickly in the workplace is a great way to set a professional example.

How Do People On The Team Help One Another?

The majority of managers agree that negativity from team members or leaders makes the work environment less healthy.

You need to understand the culture of feedback if you want to work on a team where you feel included, respected, and heard. A workplace that is open and honest will make you feel like you can speak up, try new things, make mistakes, and take responsibility for what you do.

If you ask this question, you might start a conversation with the interviewer about how important feedback is, why it’s important to you, and how you think it affects your work performance and growth.

Look for recurring ideas in the examples the hiring manager gives you. Are they protective and avoiding? Do the examples they give seem real? Are they giving specific examples of team members or making broad statements about them? As you notice these patterns, try to figure out how the manager handles tough conversations. For example, do they set up one-on-one meetings for sensitive issues or bring up important topics in team meetings?

It’s easy to be impressed when an employer says there are no problems on their team, but this can be a sign of trouble. Healthy teams don’t avoid disagreements. Instead, they encourage people to speak up and find ways to work through them.

Questions To Avoid

Here are some questions you shouldn’t ask at the end of an interview:

How much is the starting salary?

What are your rules about paid time off?

Is there a way for me to increase the starting salary?

It’s important to avoid negotiating salary or benefits too early in the process, because you’re still in a place where they don’t know you well enough. Leave these inquiries till after you’ve been accepted or it might have a negative effect on your chances of landing the job.

Mastering The Question

These questions are just a few examples you could ask in an interview, and they should help give you a good baseline of what to say. During each interview, make sure to ask at least three of these questions. Stay confident, show up early, and always be ready, and you’ll have no trouble sealing the deal.

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