5 questions to ask in an interview to find a job, boss, and company that will value YOU
Mackenzie Waldron is a writer focused on ensuring workers have the information and resources they need to thrive. She explores topics that come up on Empower Work’s free, confidential text line and brings research-backed approaches to support you.
Interviewing for a job is a two-way street. In most interviews, the last question the interviewer asks is, “Now, do you have any questions for me?”
Your answer should always be, “Yes.”
This is the part of the conversation where you have the opportunity to become the interviewer. You’re in as much control of whether or not you and this job/boss/company are a good fit.
The last thing you want is to enter a workplace that isn’t right for you when you could have asked all the right questions upfront. Of course, there are helpful resources such as Glassdoor and LinkedIn where you can research company reviews and the company culture—which you totally should—but it’s also helpful to ask the questions for yourself directly.
Flipping the script on the interviewer can be intimidating, but it’s essential to finding the right job for you. Your questions are also not meant to stump to interviewer, but to genuinely get a feel for what working at that company will be like. After asking your questions, it’s important to listen intently and look out for green and red flags.
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So, what kind of questions should you be asking?
1. What is your company culture like?
Asking this question in a job interview will help you get a good idea of what every day at this company will look like, how your coworkers communicate, and the company’s values.
When the interviewer responds to this question, look out for an answer that focuses on the value and appreciation of the employees. Other positive answers may include a good work-life balance, a work environment where no one feels judged or isolated, support for professional development, or a growing environment where consistent learning is encouraged.
There are also red flags to look out for in this answer. For instance, if the interviewer doesn’t know how to best answer this question, the company may not address or attempt to create a good company culture or their communication style is unclear. There might also be red flags for your personal interest that aren’t necessarily red flags for someone else. For example, if the interviewer describes the company as a fast-paced environment when you want to slow things down in your career, then this job may not be a good fit for you. No job is one-size-fits-all.
2. What are your expectations for this role?
Knowing the expectations of your responsibilities for the role you’re interviewing for is crucial. And you have the opportunity to ask exactly what those expectations are.
A green flag in an answer to this question will be reasonable—you are expected to get your work done on time, communicate fairly well with your team, be eager to learn, and achieve other duties specific to your job.
Red flags may look like high expectations for a low-paying role, working nights and weekends without overtime pay when you’re looking for a job with flexible hours, or if the responsibilities go way beyond the job description. In this case, you may want to rethink the possibility of working at this company and ask yourself if these expectations are too high for you.
3. Where do you see the company five years from now?
This question is a good way to ask what the company's long-term goals are. It’s important to know where the company is headed and if it’s a good fit for your own future and goals.
A good answer to this question depends on what your own values and goals look like. If you want to grow within a company, look out for an answer that promotes professional growth opportunities. If you want to make a difference in this job field, look for an answer that includes a realistic and tangible goal and increasing number of the people they serve, products they sell, or services they provide.
If the interviewer answers this question with a goal that doesn’t align with your own goals, this may be a red flag. For example, if there isn’t much room for growth in your role and department, then this may not be a fit for you.
4. What is your management style like?
If you have the opportunity to speak to the manager of a company, this would be a great question to ask. Even if you speak to someone who isn’t the manager, you could ask what the management style at the company is like from their perspective.
Much like the question about the company’s goals, a good answer may depend on what you prefer in a management style. If you like a more hands-off approach, then it would be a green flag if the interviewer described the management style as not micro-managing. If you’re eager to learn, a green flag would be the interviewer describing the management style as being a learning experience where both the boss and employee can learn from each other.
A red flag for this answer may appear as the interviewer not placing the focus of value on the employees, but the manager instead. A company should be welcoming and non-judgmental.
5. What are some of the ways your company promotes or celebrates diversity?
This question will let you know if your values are aligned with a company, and will dive deeper into their company culture. Asking this question will also show your care and appreciation for being a part of an inclusive team.
If an interviewer is caught off guard or stumped by this question, the company may not make an effort to promote or celebrate diversity, and they may not have even recognized it until you asked this question. Answers that include Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Training, promoting pay equality, and communicating with transparency are all green flags.
Reach out
While there are many more questions to ask in an interview—and questions regarding specific roles—these 5 questions will help you get an understanding of where a company places its value. And it should be on you, the future employee.
It’s important to remember when listening intently to their answers: no job is one-size-fits-all. An answer that is a green flag to one person may be a red flag to the next person. Before entering an interview, have in mind what kind of answers you are looking for in each question.
Regardless of whether you feel in control of the interview or not, interviews can be tough and intimidating. If you need a thought partner before heading into an interview, Empower Work Peer Counselors are here. Text 510-674-1414 for free, confidential support.
*Note: Empower Work provides non-legal support for workplace challenges. This information, while authoritative, is not legal advice or guaranteed for legality. Employment laws and regulations vary by state. We recommend consulting with state resources for specific interpretation and decisions. If you believe you were discriminated against in violation of the law, we recommend you seek legal advice.