A list of important questions you should be asking at the end of an interview

Try as you might, you can never predict how an interview will unfurl until you’re actually sitting across the table, living it. That being said, you should definitely be prepared with flash-points for a standard set of questions, responses, and examples that you know will come up as a part of the nerve-wracking process. Along with this, there are enough articles and YouTube videos telling you how you should dress or what body language you should sport for the same.

However, what isn’t emphasised enough is the last several minutes of the interview, right before it is to conclude for the day. Your interviewer, at this point, will probably put forth the standard ‘Do you have any questions for us?’ directive, at which point instead of shaking your head politely and sprinting from the room, you should pounce on the opportunity.

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While improvisation will always be a recommendation for those who still have their wits about them at the end of an interview, here’s a list of important questions you should be asking your future employer at this point in the process.

Can you give me a few more details about the profile?

How can you be willing to take on a role that you don’t know enough about? While your interviewer may have touched upon the surface level of responsibilities that you will be required to carry out on a daily basis, you need a little more detail than that. Things like who you will report to, how big your team will be, and what kind of projects you will need to inculcate are all a mandatory part of helping you decided whether you should take up the offer for the position if it were given to you.

How would you describe the company’s culture?

You need to know the kind of work culture you will be entering into. This includes information on how flexible they are on timings, the number of days you get off in a year, as well as the regularity of working weekends. While all of this information will indeed be mentioned in your contract, you don’t want to wait till it’s too late to back out, in case the provisions don’t agree with you greatly.

What are the greatest challenges someone in this role could face?

Asking your interviewer about the greatest potential challenges for someone in this post is important. This will give you a first-hand account of the responsibilities that your potential company will expect out of the role, on the basis of its representative’s words. At the same time, it will help you make a mental list of things to be careful about if you do end up receiving an offer to accept this particular position.

Could you tell me a bit about the training process?

This is always a good question to ask your interviewer, especially at the end of an interview. This shows that you are interested to understand how the interim period of your new job will pan out, and more importantly for how long. It will also help you note whether the company will be setting aside a particular time period for your training or whether they expect you to pick up the trade while you’re on the job.

When can I expect to hear back from you?

Do not worry about sounding too persistent at this point. You are entitled to know the approximate amount of time you should keep waiting, so that you do not waste another opportunity that may arise later.

Keep these points in mind the next time your interviewer asks you to put forth your own questions. Not only will it prove to them that you have come well prepared for the interview, the information you receive will make it easier for you to take a final call on whether you wish to take up the job.