Questions to Ask a Manager

Job interviews can be nerve-wracking, but the most tedious part is to answer the one question at the end that leaves many candidates baffled. The, ” Do you have any questions for me”. Almost every interviewer at the end is going to direct such a question to you and likely this question is the only one that can set you apart from millions of candidates who have the same skills as you. Here are the Questions to Ask a Manager.

Asking constructive questions that tell the interviews about your motivation to work, and enthusiasm to know the company’s structure, problems, and organizational details will push the manager to understand how serious you are with the role, and how the job matters. 

Be ready with at least 4 questions that tell the interviewers how intuitive, logical, competitive, you are and what sets you apart. Here are a few questions that you can refer to before going for your next big interview. 

Questions to Ask a Manager

1. Can you please tell me about the culture of the company?

Companies have several cultures, and the modern-day workforce is looking for something that can make them feel comfortable at work. The question helps you understand how the company works and whether employees in the company are treated well and with priority. 

A positive culture is a must for any candidate to grow through his professional life, and if a company possesses the same then it will be a golden opportunity for any candidate to work there.

2. Do you want to elaborate on my answers at any point?

Often, interviewers miss a point, before you begin asking about anything related to the organization or managers ask whether you have answered all their questions or you would be needed to elaborate on any points on your resume or highlight anything in particular. 

This allows candidates to judge how well they have answered the questions. A positive response like ” No, I was satisfied by all your answers”, will help you understand you indeed do great. If the answer is, ” Yes, can you elaborate on so and so points”, it will provide you with an opportunity to flaunt your skill with new energy.

3. How do you think I as an individual can contribute to the role?

This question can be a great icebreaker in the interview. The question allows both the candidates and the interviews to access the skills and skim through the entire conversation again and bring out constructive criticism. This can go two ways for any candidate. Firstly, he or she will understand how they can contribute and whether the contributions are significant. It presents a clear idea of what you would be expected to do after hiring, and sometimes about what you lack. 

Secondly, you catch the interviewer’s eye by asking them to review your skills. This helps them to go through your profile once again and reevaluate it from a different perspective to answer your question. This can sometimes prove to be extremely beneficial.

4. If I get hired, would I be working for the same or different teams?

The question seems less constructive when it comes to asking on the day of the interview but trust the process. This will give you an insight into how the company manages its assets and whether you would be working for multiple bosses. 

Working with several team heads can be tedious, you would also want to meet every person you would be directly working with to understand the work culture and people you will be associated with. So, don’t hesitate to ask the question, this can prove extremely crucial for you as a candidate to decide whether you like the job or not in the end. 

5. What do you expect from the person working in this position?

Asking this question will probably put you through the benefit of knowing the position better and understanding the expectations of the company for the designated position. It allows you to analyze if your skills match the ones the organization has been looking for and does it make any sense to go further with the process if the skills or expectations you possess from the role are not met. 

It also gives the candidate a clear idea about the trajectory of work he or she will follow and what challenges they could face working in the role. The question can play a vital role in determining whether you will be able to explore your skills or would need to follow a tight pattern in the job position.

6. What are the criteria that need to be satisfied for a person to undertake the position?

The question will help you get familiar with the position you are applying for. It helps you understand whether the position is new or exists throughout. It makes you aware of the duties and responsibilities that come with the position and other incentives that can back you up during the time. 

It also helps you understand the future positions and how you can grow through the learnings from the current position. In totality, this brings clarity of work for the individual. 

7. Well, who do you think is your biggest competitor in the market?

The question is like a scientific way to take you forward through your career path in the organization. When you ask a company about the top competitors it faces, they give you a list of companies that they genuinely think are better in some form or other. As a candidate, you can use this information to curate your plans for the future. 

When formulating plans you can also make sure to highlight the difference and tell them how this can improve the overall performance of the company and boost their growth. This also gives the interviews an idea that you understand competitiveness and will prove to be an asset for the company. 

8. What soft skills are expected for this position?

Apart from technical skills related to the position, an organization often looks for soft skills in any candidate. Asking this question will allow you to understand what soft skills the organizations have been looking for and whether you meet their criteria. You will also be able to understand the company culture, values, and various management techniques used by the company.

Even if you are not selected for the role, knowing the answer to this question can help you bring changes to your profile that can make you a much stronger candidate for future interviews.

9. What is the trajectory of the career path in the organization?

If you are entering a company at an entry-level position this question can prove to be extremely beneficial. Firstly you will understand the scope of advancement in the position and the time frame that would be required for the advancement. You could always be sure there is enough room for personal and professional growth. 

This question also helps candidates to convince interviewers that they are looking for a position the long-term them long-term benefits, and they are willing to be a part of the company for several years. This adds to the points in hitting

10. What skills are you looking for in a candidate that is hired by the organization?

Asking questions wherein you discuss your skills with the interviewer and ask them what skills they have been looking for gives you an upper hand in the interview, as you can readily flaunt the skill set that they have mentioned subtly in a thank you note. This provides a great impression in the interview and you could also understand how your profile aligns with the job. 

Here you can add a point to ask, how you compare with the rest of the candidates who applied for the job. This will help you understand whether you have any chance of hiring, or what candidates leave a good and bad impression in the minds of the interviewer. 

11. What makes this place an ideal workplace, and do you like working for the company?

Well, who does not like to talk about themselves, especially when they have been constantly racking their brains to understand views from different people? This question can be a great mood changer and uplifter for any candidate. It allows you to get a view of the insides of the business and also allows you to understand the best parts of working with the organization. 

Apart from that it creates a positive vibe at the end of the interview and helps you to leave a lasting impression on the interviewer’s mind. 

12. Does the management involve a timeline and feedback system?

Understanding an organization’s timelines, and management system makes one know-how eager you are to bear from the about the position. This also proves a great question in understanding the system of management followed and how you will receive feedback for your work. 

In the future, if you are hired for the role, this also proves a great guideline for understanding several aspects of the organization and planning your moves so you can give your best in the position. 

13. What steps does a candidate need to follow to extend his or her offer?

Interviewers love candidates who are eager to work and know their priorities right. They are looking for candidates that can add value to the organization on a long-term basis and help the organization to come up with new changes in its structure. The questions serve the above purpose tactfully.

When you ask a question it tells the interviewers how serious you are with your position and how you also seek to for a longer period in this position. This helps them have employee retention, which can prove beneficial for the company. 

14. Do my qualifications match your criteria?

Bringing up your qualifications can be a tricky question, as It may put you in a position that will scrutinize your qualifications, and often make the interviewer compare it with something or someone that possesses a higher qualification. But the question also has a positive turn and allows them to understand that you are not afraid to discuss your weakness.  

If you get an answer that tells you, ” We might look for better qualifications”, you can always show the candidates how you are ready to change your ways and learn from the devices given to you. This shows how open you are to the process of learning. This is the best qualification any candidate can possess.

15. What challenges are usually attached to this position?

Challenges can be a great way to define personal growth inside an organization. Ask your interviews about the possible challenges you will face. There could be a list of challenges associated with the position, this allows you to understand your work better and also guide you in advance about the challenges you can face. You can always come up with constructive solutions.

On the contrary, if the work is easy without challenges you might reconsider it in terms of personal growth and development. 

16. Could you please tell me about your management style?

Knowing the companies management style helps a candidate understand whether they are up for constant bombarding from managers in the position if there would be a scope where you will be allowed to individually perform your duty without nagging from different aspects. Well, a company might not often think managers pressurize candidates; it happens a lot in real-life scenarios where a candidate’s skills are curved by constant navigation. 

The question will help you understand if you are signing for such a role and you can take your measures ahead of time. Speaking of which, a management style with support from the manager and feedback once in a while can be the best for you to work with finesse.

17. What are the next steps to hire?

The question is quite simple in its existence and only helps a candidate know whether they would clear the interview round. For a great candidate who has probably given a great interview, the interviewer will not hesitate to answer the question and give the next steps directly. 

If the interviews doubt your chances of getting in, they could politely tell you about how the calls ahead will guide you through the same, and other information that will inform the candidate. This can be the best way to get your results and move on with the interview. 

Note this is not necessarily a sure-shot excuse. A person may genuinely ask you to wait for calls and you can still get hired.

18. What do you expect to achieve in the next five years?

Agreed, this question often comes the other way round rather than a candidate asking the interviews. But many experts have claimed that they would love to hear one such question from the candidates. This helps them to understand how an already existing person in the organization views their roles and how pervasive growth is in their career with the organization.

It helps you to understand the trajectory of the career path and makes you aware of how you can make decisions for your next five years in the organization. All in all, this will set you apart in the interview. 

19.  Can you walk me through some professional developmental activities carried out by the organization?

Ok, this could be a controversial question to ask in the interview but not the worst. The question does allow some growth in terms of understanding how you are ready for long-term plans with the company and are ready to dedicate yourself to create an environment wherein you can contribute towards the development of the company. 

A candidate who is ready to work long-term is often preferred by organizations as they offer higher returns. For promotional or developmental activities make sure to put it in the form of inquisitive questions rather than demanding answers. 

20. What are the metrics that evaluate success?

Companies often have different ways in which they evaluate the success of any position. It could be revenue when it comes to accounts, software security, or ubiquity for developers, and many others. Asking a question that helps you understand the metrics of success will prove extremely beneficial to you once you are hired for the position. You can plan your work accordingly.

In the interview, this question also adds credibility to your profile. Any interview will be convinced that you believe in putting your best foot forward and always work towards meeting the metrics set by the organization. This will surely boost your chances of getting hired.

Questions to avoid 

Now you might ask if there are questions that we should express to the hiring manager then what we should keep in mind to not sound mundane and wrong things. 

There are a lot of sentences that leave a negative impact on the interview, when though it might be your genuine concern they come out to be questions that prove that you lack the discipline to work in an organization and other factors that do not stand true to the culture of the organization. We have listed a few points that you need to avoid in your questions to the manager.

• Asking about the company performance and products that they produce. This tells you to have a lack of information about the company and you have not researched the position well before the application process. If you do not know something that can be found on the company website don’t ask. You could always research later, rather than asking the wrong question. 

Please do your research well.

• Asking about holidays, this can seem like you slack on your work. Vacations or holidays can be important to take a break from the tedious job, but an interview is surely not a place to gather such information.

• Talking about promotions, it just shows he you are eager to attain a certain position without proving yourself or taking basic training. Look for promotional activities after you start a job, this also boosts your professional space.

• Benefits or salaries related to the job. You can negotiate a salary but directly asking about what you would make early can seem a bit throwing in the interview. The question revolving around salaries can indicate how you are concerned about generations and not the actual work. 

• Avoid anything that brings suspicion to you, asking whether background checks, drug tests, late marks, warnings, and other controversial stuff are important to be tested out. 

Why is it important to ask questions?

To be simple and precise, it will help you to learn and improve yourself. Whether you get the job or not you will understand what the interviewers thought about you, where you need to improve, skills you lack, qualifications you can take, and so much more. It helps on a personal level to develop professionalism. 

Apart from personal growth, it helps in creating an impressive image in front of the manager. The manager will most probably remember you as a candidate who asked them questions and proved indirectly that you are capable of making decisions on your own. As an individual, this can be very fruitful in the long-term relationship building for any organization. 

Conclusion

Questioning can be a great practice to follow when you go for an interview. They are like instant feedback that helps you understand how the interview went and are there is any improvement that you can make in your professional life. Be smart and pick the right question that will help you understand more about the organization while providing you with important information about yourself. 

Another point to remember here is to avoid asking too many questions. Ideally, you can ask about 2 questions that best resonate with you. Avoid unnecessary banter, and hold normal conversations that boost your chances of getting hired. 

In the end, don’t be afraid to ask questions, they are vital for you to stand out in the crowd and receive appreciation.

FAQ 

1. Can we avoid asking questions to the hiring manager?

Honestly, you do not need to ask any questions at the end. But you will surely benefit from the questions you ask. So you should ask anything that makes you comfortable and also lets you understand more about the position. If you feel it could be too much to question a hiring manager, simply ask about your skills, and whether you fit right for the position. 

2. How would we know if we could ask a certain question to the manager?

Follow the article above, it contains all the questions that you should consider asking your manager and things you should avoid.

3. How many questions should we ask the manager?

Do not exceed more than 2 questions, follow-up questions can be added if the interview is one on one and does not have other people in the queue.