You know that exact moment. The interview’s going fine — you’ve survived the “strengths and weaknesses” bit — and then the interviewer smiles: “So, do you have any questions for us?”
Your mind goes completely blank.
You mumble something about working hours, or say “no, I think you’ve covered everything,” and you can see their interest drop. It’s not your imagination: your questions tell them whether you’ve done your homework, whether you want this job, and whether you’d be interesting to work with.
So here’s a proper toolkit — 30 smart questions to ask the interviewer, grouped by role type and situation, plus the 7 questions that quietly kill your chances and what to say instead. Pick a few favourites, practise saying them out loud, and you’ll never freeze at that moment again.
Why interviewers judge you on your questions
Most candidates treat the questions bit as a polite formality. Big mistake — experienced interviewers use it to read things a CV can’t show: curiosity, preparation, and whether you’ve thought about what the job involves.
A graduate who asks, “How is success measured in the first six months?” sounds like someone who wants to perform. A candidate who asks “so how much holiday do I get?” sounds like someone who wants a payslip. Same qualifications — guess who gets the offer.
Questions about the role itself
These are your safest, strongest questions — they work for almost any job and show you’re thinking like someone already doing the work:
“What would a typical week look like in this role?”
“How is success measured in the first three to six months?”
“What are the biggest challenges someone in this role usually faces?”
“Is this a new position, or am I replacing someone?”
“What does the onboarding process look like for the first month?”
“What would you say is the most rewarding part of this role?”
“Are there any projects coming up that this role will be involved in straight away?”
“What skills matter most day to day — and which of those could I keep developing here?”
That last one is a personal favourite. It shows humility without underselling yourself — you’re confident enough to ask what you’d still need to learn. If you’re also working on the classic opener, our tell me about yourself sample answer guide pairs well with this: nail the intro, then ask sharp questions, and you’ve controlled both ends of the conversation.
Questions about the team and your manager
People don’t leave jobs, they leave managers — so use your questions to find out what yours is actually like before you sign anything:
“Could you describe the team’s working style? Structured or more independent?”
“How would you describe your management style?”
“How does the team usually communicate day to day?”
“What do you enjoy most about working with this team?”
“How are disagreements handled within the team?”
“What’s the mix of experience levels on the team?”
Watch their face when you ask about management style — a specific answer (“I check in weekly but leave you to it”) is a green flag; a vague laugh with no detail is a warning. And when they throw a curveball back at you, the behavioural interview questions guide will help you answer like a person, not a script.
Questions about growth and the company
Employers love candidates who think beyond the job advert. These signal ambition without sounding entitled:
“What does career progression typically look like from this position?”
“Are there opportunities for training or professional development?”
“Where do people who start in this role usually end up in a few years?”
“What are the company’s main priorities for the next year?”
“What do you think sets this company apart from its competitors?”
“How does the company support work-life balance in practice, not just on paper?”
That last one is deliberately worded — “in practice, not just on paper” forces a real answer instead of a brochure line.
Questions for your specific situation
Now match your questions to where you actually are:
If you’re a graduate or this is your first proper job
“What support is there for someone early in their career — mentoring, training, that sort of thing?”
“What would you expect me to have learned by the end of my first year?”
If you’re changing careers
“Are there others on the team who joined from a different industry? How did they find the transition?”
“Which parts of my background do you think would transfer best here?”
If the role is remote or hybrid
“How does the team stay connected when people aren’t in the same place?”
“What’s the rhythm of a normal remote week — meetings, check-ins, async work?”
If you’re applying for part-time work
“How are part-time hours usually structured — fixed days, or is there some flexibility?”
“Are part-timers included in team meetings and training in the same way?”
If you’re applying after redundancy
“How stable is the team right now — is the company growing this area?”
“What’s the long-term plan for this role?”
The 7 questions that kill your chances
Some questions are worse than asking nothing — here’s what the interviewer hears, and what to say instead:
1. “So, how much does it pay?”
Why it backfires: Asked too early, it says the money is all you care about. Salary talk belongs at offer stage.
Ask instead: “What’s the salary band for this role?” — and ideally with the recruiter, not in a first interview.
2. “How many holidays do I get?”
Why it backfires: Before they’ve decided they want you, this reads as “how little can I work.”
Ask instead: “How does the company support work-life balance in practice?” — same information, no red flag.
3. “Can I work from home?”
Why it backfires: If the advert says hybrid or office-based, this suggests you didn’t read it.
Ask instead: “How does the team stay connected on remote days?” — shows you accept the setup and care about making it work.
4. “What does your company actually do?”
Why it backfires: The single most damaging question in UK interviews. It proves you did zero research, and nothing you say afterwards fully fixes it.
Ask instead: Research first, then get specific: “I saw you expanded into [area] last year — how has that affected this team?”
5. “How quickly can I get promoted?”
Why it backfires: It sounds like you’re already bored of a job you haven’t started.
Ask instead: “What does career progression typically look like from this position?” — same answer, totally different impression.
6. “Do you do background checks / monitor employees?”
Why it backfires: Even asked innocently, it plants suspicion. If checks are part of the process, they’ll tell you at offer stage.
7. “No, I don’t have any questions.”
Why it backfires: The silent killer. Hiring managers read it as disinterest or laziness, and in a close decision this is often what tips it.
Say instead: Even one question works: “Yes — what would success look like in the first three months?”
How to pick your 3–5 (the night before)
Don’t plan to ask all 30 — that’s an interrogation, not an interview. Here’s a simple method:
- Research first. Spend 20 minutes on the company website and job advert. Cross off anything already answered there — asking what’s on their homepage is worse than asking nothing.
- Pick one from each group. One about the role, one about the team, one about growth. That covers your bases and keeps it natural.
- Add one situation question. Whatever fits you — graduate, career changer, remote worker. This is what makes your questions feel personal instead of copied.
- Practise out loud. Say each question once, in your own voice — our AI mock-interview tools let you rehearse the whole exchange for free.
- Write them down. A small notebook with your questions in it looks prepared, not forgetful.
One more thing: listen to the answers — nothing undermines good questions faster than asking something they’ve just explained. And when they ask about your weaknesses, our strengths and weaknesses answer guide shows you how to handle it without sounding rehearsed.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions should you ask the interviewer?
Three to five is the sweet spot. Fewer than two looks disengaged; more than five feels like you’re interviewing them.
What are the best questions to ask at the end of an interview?
The strongest closers show you’re thinking about doing the job well: “How is success measured in the first six months?” and “What does the onboarding look like?” Avoid closing with pay, holidays, or hours.
What questions should I ask the interviewer in a UK job interview?
UK employers expect evidence of research, so reference something specific about the company. Safe bets: team structure, training and development, and how the role contributes to company goals. Hold salary questions until offer stage.
Is it bad to have no questions for the interviewer?
Yes — it’s one of the most common reasons good candidates lose out. “No questions” reads as disinterest, even when you’re just nervous. Prepare at least three in advance and bring them written down.
What should you never ask in a job interview?
Never lead with salary, holidays, sick pay, or work-from-home demands. Never ask anything the advert or website already answers — it proves you skipped basic research. Save practical questions for the offer stage, when the dynamic shifts in your favour.
Conclusion
The “any questions for us?” moment isn’t a formality — it’s where you stop sounding like a candidate and start sounding like a colleague. The 30 questions cover every situation; the 7 killers show what to avoid. Pick your 3–5 tonight, say them out loud once, and walk in ready.
Most candidates ask nothing, or ask something forgettable. Be the one who asks the question they remember on the drive home — that’s often the candidate who gets the call.
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The Candidate Who Always Has One More Question
Meet the beagle who treats every walk like a job interview. Head tilted, ears up, one more question always ready: “But why does the postman come twice? And what’s in that bag? And can I come too?” Interviewers love candidates who stay curious after the “official” questions end — and dogs, it turns out, never run out of questions either.
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