HIIRD/Interview guides/Questions to ask the interviewer

"Do you have any questions for me?" Still the interview.

The notepad is closed, the tone is friendly, and it feels like the scored part ended. It did not. What you ask, and whether you ask at all, is the last data point they write down.

This is a motivation and fit question. Read the full motivation and fit interview guide for how the whole format is scored.

What is actually being scored

Three signals. Research: does the question prove you learned something specific about this team? Judgment: is it the kind of question a good hire would ask, about success, expectations, and reality? And interest: asking nothing, or asking only about vacation policy, answers a question they did not ask out loud. This is also your only chance to interview them, and candidates forget they are allowed to.

Questions that earn points

• "What does the first ninety days look like for whoever gets this role?" Signals you are already planning to succeed in it.
• "What separates the people who are good at this job from the people who are great at it?" Gets you real information and shows you aim at great.
• "You mentioned [specific thing from earlier in the interview]. How does that affect this role day to day?" The callback question: proof you listened.
• "What is the hardest part of this job that does not show up in the posting?" Shows you want the truth, not the brochure.
• One researched question specific to the company: a program, a change, a way they operate. This is where homework becomes visible.

Questions that cost points, and when they stop costing

Salary, vacation, remote days, and perks are legitimate questions with bad timing. In a first interview they read as buying before being sold. Once an offer is close or on the table, they become exactly the right questions. One exception: if the posting lists a salary range, confirming you are in the same range during the recruiter screen is fair and saves everyone time. Also skip anything answered on the first page of the website, and anything that sounds like a consultant auditing them ("what are your competitive weaknesses?") unless the role genuinely calls for it.

How many, and how to end

Bring five, ask two or three; some will get answered during the interview. When your questions are done, close cleanly: thank them, one sentence of genuine interest, done. If you have no questions left because everything got covered, say exactly that and reference one thing that was covered, which proves the listening either way.