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It’s inevitable that at the end of every interview, you’ll be asked – “do you have any questions for me”? While you may feel there’s nothing else you need to know – not asking more questions can be a sign to the interviewer that you’re not very interested in the role or company. Below are our tips for acing this common, yet sometimes difficult question, with sample questions you can ask in your 2022 interview.
Just as interviewers often write down notes prior to meeting a candidate or during their conversation, so can you! Write down your questions for the person you’re speaking with in advance so you can easily refer to them when it’s time. Or during your conversation, if the interviewer says something you’re curious about or weren’t aware of, that’s a great thing to jot down to come back to.
This is also a great time to ask any questions around compensation if you’re unclear, or equity if you’re going to a company where that’s often part of a compensation package. If you’re interviewing with a company that has raised capital (or may raise capital in the future), you can also ask your interviewer about this. Prepared candidates understand that a company’s plans to raise capital can affect them once they start a role, and this can be helpful information to know. The compensation structure for candidates has changed a lot in the past few years, especially since 2022. It’s important to understand your market value in order to make a smart decision.
Another great method to generate questions to ask at the end of the interview is to reread the job description again. Are there any key responsibilities or planned projects, mentioned in the description that you can ask the interviewer about? For example – if the role mentions “researching a new IT security system to implement” can you ask a question about what “research” may look like at the organization, or what their experience has been with implementing IT security systems in the past?
This technique is helpful for two reasons. 1. You get the chance to learn more about specific objectives and tasks of the role, which can help you decide if you’re interested, and 2. This question can turn into you demonstrating to the interviewer that you have experience with the task at hand. In the above example, if the interview admits they’ve struggled to find an IT security platform that can work for the size of their rapidly expanding company, that’s a great opportunity for you to mention that you have experience implementing IT security platforms before, or experience in similar areas.
Do an online search for any recent news stories about the company. Were they recently acquired? Did they raise a new round of capital? Did they expand into a new area of business, or a new market? Ask the interviewer what this change has been like at the organization – has it been exciting? Is that why they are hiring, and hiring for this role in particular?
Sometimes, the news you read about a company might not be as positive. Have there been any recent lawsuits or controversies? Do they have an upset customer base right now? If you ask carefully and considerately, questions about negative press are fair to ask as a candidate and show the interviewer you’ve taken the time to research their company. Besides, the interviewer’s reaction to these questions can tell you a lot about how the company deals with conflicts, or if the potential problems have continued.
Many jobs have been remote since 2020, but “remote” occasionally means different things to different people – especially in 2022. If work style is important to you, it’s wise to ask questions around if there’s plans to return to the office, or a hybrid model of work from home/work remotely.
If remote work has already come up during the interview and you know the company’s plans, consider asking some more in-depth questions about remote work. For example, if you know you’ll be working with teams across time zones, ask a question about how the company manages communication or when the expected work hours are in your time zone. Do they plan to meet in person every other month? Every six months? Never? These are helpful questions to answer as you think about what an ideal work environment looks like for you.
Below are some sample questions we’ve put together to help you ace your next interview. Good luck!
1. Why is this position available – is it newly created?
2. Who are some of the other team members I’d be working with, and what are they like?
3. If the position is remote, does that mean permanently remote or is there a planned return to office?
4. Who are some of the other departments I’d be working closely with?
5. Have you raised capital in the past?
6. How does your team manage working across different time zones?
7. Are you planning on raising more capital soon?
Want more interview prep? Check out our posts on:
Interview prep for Founding Engineers
How to answer the interview question, what do you bring to the company
How to talk about a career change
How to talk about your long-term career goals
For other interview tips, check out our other posts on interviewing on the blog.
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