What should you ask a hiring manager during an interview? Choosing the seemingly perfect questions to ask a potential boss when you meet them for the first time can feel daunting.
One of the primary reasons the endeavor can feel so intimidating is that the conversation with the hiring manager is often scheduled at the beginning of the interview process, and you want to make a good impression despite having limited information about the role and company.
Conversely, if the conversation is scheduled toward the end of the interview process, you may not have any pressing questions remaining once you speak one-on-one with your potential boss, but you want to ensure you seal the deal and receive a job offer.
Either way, you must avoid asking hiring managers generic questions during your interview. You only get one last impression, and you want to make it as memorable as possible by asking thoughtful questions that continue to demonstrate your unique value proposition (AKA your fabulousness). Otherwise, you risk blending in with fellow applicants and not landing the job.
A quick note: The questions you ask a hiring manager during a job interview will be different than the ones you might ask a recruiter or peer, as your goal is to understand their management style, expectations for the role, and available growth opportunities, while also reinforcing that you’re the very best candidate for the role.
Now, let’s dive into some questions you can ask a potential boss during a job interview:
Questions To Ask A Hiring Manager During An Interview To Learn More About Their Leadership Style
For starters, meeting with your potential future boss is an opportunity to learn more about their leadership style and what it would be like to work with them.
The following are a few questions to help you get a better sense of your future supervisor’s management approach:
- How would you describe your leadership style?
- What do your team and one-on-one meetings look like?
- How do you communicate with your team between meetings?
- Can you tell me about a time a direct report made a mistake? How did you support them afterward?
- What else should I know about you as a leader?
Important: You will want to briefly inject your fabulousness into these questions, as it’s still a job interview, even when you’re the one asking the questions. For example, you might inquire, “How would you describe your leadership style? As someone who has always worked in leadership roles at startups, I‘ve always appreciated when I have the autonomy to do my work while also knowing my boss is there when I need their support and sponsorship on a project.”
Questions To Ask A Hiring Manager During An Interview To Better Understand The Role
In addition to better understanding the expectations and working style of your prospective manager, you’ll likely also want to focus ample interview time on clarifying their expectations for the role.
These types of questions can help you get a better sense of the position and what your manager expects of you if you are in it:
- What is your vision for this role?
- What do you want this person to achieve in their first 90 days?
- What might be some of the biggest barriers to achieving that vision and executing on those goals?
- Who are some of the stakeholders this person will need to most often interact with?
- Looking back six months from now, how will you know you hired the right person for this role?
Note: You’ll want to adjust your questions for the hiring manager depending on the stage of the interview process you’re in at the time of the meeting.
Questions To Ask A Hiring Manager During An Interview To Understand Growth Opportunities
You don’t want your prospective boss to assume you’re preoccupied with promotions during the interview, though, so it can be helpful to understand what growth opportunities exist within the organization and how supportive, or unsupportive, your future boss may be.
Here are some questions to help you identify potential development opportunities within the company:
- How do you support the growth and advancement of your staff?
- What professional development and stretch opportunities are available to employees?
- What does the typical career trajectory look like for someone in this role?
- Can you tell me about your feedback process?
As you develop questions for the hiring manager, reflect on the ones that are most important to you and your individual goals. For instance, if working with a coach is a really important aspect of your professional growth, you might ask whether PD funds are available and if they can be spent on an executive coach.
Questions To Ask A Hiring Manager During An Interview To Assess The Company Culture
Although you typically want to tailor your questions to each person you meet, it can be helpful to have a few standard questions that you ask all interviewers, particularly when it comes to organizational and team dynamics, as this can give you a sense of whether everyone is on the same page.
The following are examples of questions you can ask to evaluate a company and its team culture:
- What’s your favorite part of working here?
- What’s your least favorite part of working here?
- What should I know about the company’s culture before joining?
- How does [company] support employee mental health and well-being?
- Tell me about a recent decision the organization/team made. What steps were taken to make the decision? How was the change communicated?
As you prepare for your conversation with your potential boss, reflect on what’s important to you in a job and company, and then develop questions that will enable you to make an informed decision if you’re later presented with a job offer.
[Read: 9 Practical Ways To Find Employers That Truly Prioritize DEI]
Is It Okay To Not Have Questions For The Hiring Manager?
Although you may not have any burning questions for your potential boss, particularly if your conversation with them is near the end of the interview process, it’s still good to come equipped with questions.
Asking a hiring manager questions during the interview shows that you’ve conducted your research on the company and position, are still interested in the role, and want to glean their insights.
Even if you don’t have a burning question, you can still ask a question or two to show your interest in what they have to say, as well as reinforce your fabulousness.
How Many Questions Should I Be Prepared To Ask The Hiring Manager?
While it’s going to depend on the complexity of the question, how verbose your potential boss is, and the length of your interview, you’ll typically have time to ask 2 to 3 questions.
That said, some hiring managers will allocate the entire appointment to you being able to ask questions, particularly if they were present in other interviews, so you always want to have backup questions ready.
If you have additional questions for the hiring manager that they didn’t get to, yet you really want them answered, you may wish to ask if you can follow up with a quick email or send your inquiries to the recruiter.
Final Thoughts On The Best Questions To Ask A Potential Boss
This list is merely a jumping-off point to develop questions for your meeting with a potential hiring manager. You’ll need to tailor your questions to fit your background and goals as well as the company and individual you’re interviewing with. Also, don’t forget to incorporate your unique value proposition (AKA your fabulousness) into the questions.
If you feel stuck as you prepare for your interview, or simply want an expert by your side to improve your storytelling skills and increase your confidence leading up to the big day, please don’t hesitate to contact me or schedule a consultation. I’m here for you! You’ve got this!
