QUESTIONS TO ASK
To you interviewer
Questions are a great way to show interviewers about your
interest in the company and to help you learn more about the
position, team and company.
Here is a list of some great questions to ask your interviewers. The questions are broken
into groups based on the type of information you are learning about. Of course this list
isn’t exhaustive and you should always ask any additional questions you may have. Hint
hint - Use your research to develop position specific ones.
Remember to write down a list of questions (10-15) to bring to every interview
and take note of the answers that you can reference later.
Always Ask!
What do the next steps look like and when should I expect to hear back?
POSITION
How would you describe the responsibilities of this position?
Can you give me some examples of the types of projects I may be working on?
What does a typical work day and week look like?
What technologies does the team use? How are those technologies decided?
Why you do you use <technology xyz>?
SUCCESS
What metrics do you use to measure success in this role?
Do you have a policy for helping new members of the team get on board?
What’s the most important thing I should accomplish in the first 90 days?
What are the top things you are looking for in a new hire?
PERSONAL GROWTH
What are the prospects for growth and advancement?
What does continuous learning like here? Is there a budget for learning or
conferences?
What is the typical career path here for a person hired into this role?
How common is it for employees to do horizontal switches between teams within the
company? Better for larger companies
TEAM
What is your background?
Why did you decide to work at this company?
You’ve been at this company for a while. What keeps you motivated? This is where
your research comes in
What are some pros and cons of working here? Great question to ask multiple
employees
How many employees? on the team? in engineering? at the company?
What is the biggest challenge the team has faced in the past year?
What behaviors do the most successful members of the team exhibit? Can you give
me an example?
What does collaboration look like within the team? Are tasks typically worked on
alone or with others?
MANAGEMENT
What is the company’s management style?
Who does this position report to? If I am offered the position, can I meet him or her?
How do the tasks get delegated within the team?
Who decides on the features you build? Is there a Product Manager? Do engineers
decide on new features?
CULTURE
Where do people usually eat lunch?
How would you characterize the organization? What are its principal values?
Can you describe the company culture?
Do employees participate in events outside of work?
What does the office look like at 7pm?
COMPANY
What are the company’s plans for growth and development?
What is your company’s customer or client service philosophy?
What does the loop look like between sales, customer service and the engineering
team?
How has the company changed over the last few years?
STARTUP SPECIFIC
Who are the founders and what are their qualifications to run a startup?
How much has the company raised?
At your current burn rate, how many months of operation can you finance before the
next round of funding?
What is your unique selling proposition?
Who are you current shareholders?
What is your growth strategy?
What are the long-term goals, and what is your exit strategy?
Has anyone already left the company? If so, why didn’t it work out?
What does the office look like at 7pm?
