Interview 101: How To Answer ‘Do You have Questions For Us?’

By Tabitha Makumi,
You have been grilled in an interview for maybe 30 minutes, you probably broke a sweat during the interview but now it’s coming to an end…
The interviewer looks at you you feel your heart race.
Do you have any questions for us? He asks.
If you are prepared enough and you should be, then you knew this had to come. You were expecting this kind of question. If on the other hand you had no clue that this was coming, it will catch you off guard.
You’ve got to say something other than replying that you’ve got nothing to ask.
Doing otherwise might leave the impression to the interviewer that you are not exactly keen to get the job.
If you must ask, do make sure that they aren’t those with obvious answers that you can get if you have done the research thoroughly.
Try to incorporate your knowledge of the industry and the company into a question that will address a genuine concern of yours.
Candidates are judged by the quality of the questions they ask during an interview. Candidates who have no questions at all might be perceived as having no interest in the position.

Learn how to ask questions in an interview

Even worse than that, inappropriate or off-track questions can be viewed as a huge red flag by any interviewer. Asking the wrong questions can easily sink an otherwise successful interview.
Here are some of the questions you can ask…
How do you expect the new hire to change or improve this position?
This is the kind of question which will let you know why the last person who held that job you are interviewing for lost the gig.  What didn’t he do enough? It’s the kind of question which will you the bigger picture of what your potential employer counts as success. (Then, when (if) you get the job, make those goals happen.)
Why would I not be a fit for this job?
This kind of question invites critique and shows you can handle feedback. It also lets the interviewer give voice to any worries they might have about you and this way you can know where you stand.
Ask open-ended questions, as opposed to yes-no questions.
Remember that the idea is to get the interviewer to talk more. You ask questions that start with “Can you tell me more about …” “What is your opinion of …”  This way the interviewer gets to reveal more information about the company, about the position, about themself and about their expectations.
Ask question related to the interview
This is a good thing because it will show that you have been paying attention.  Expand on topics already covered, and ask for more details. It shows you are curious, interested and eager to learn more about the position.
While there may be tons of questions to ask, there are some you should never be caught asking. Things like:
a)what does this company do? (you should already know)
b)Is it possible for me to get a small loan
c)How many warnings does one get before one is fired?
d)Would anyone notice if I came in late and left early?
e)You can also not ask the interviewer point blank if you are going to get the job. That tends to put the interviewer on the spot, and makes people feel very uncomfortable.