59 Best Questions to Ask a Hiring Manager

Learn just what to say when a hiring manager asks “Do you have any questions?” by preparing thoughtful and engaging questions to impress hiring managers and demonstrate your preparation.

Landing an interview is exciting—and a little nerve-wracking. With 93% of job candidates experiencing anxiety during interviews, you’re not alone in feeling the pressure. And when only 20% of applicants advance to the interview stage out of an average 118 applications per job opening, every interview moment counts.

That’s why the question “Do you have any questions for me?” isn’t just polite small talk—it’s your golden opportunity to stand out, gather critical information, and prove you’re serious about the role.

Let’s talk about how to prepare smart questions to ask a hiring manager that demonstrate your preparation, curiosity, and fit for the team.

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Quick Wins: Prep Like a Pro for Your Interview

Ready for a quick list of ideas to prepare for your interview?

To naturally relax, practice smiling + breathing = smeathing
Make a great first impression within the first second (research shows impressions form in 100 milliseconds)
Connect to your interviewer by speaking like a friend
Write out talking points
Take notes

You can find more tips in How to Make One-on-one Meetings Impactful and 6 Tricks to Prepare For a Meeting (& Conquer Glossophobia).

Phone or video? See our 12 phone-interview tips for quick tweaks like mirroring and voice variety.

During the interview, actively listen to the hiring manager’s responses and use their answers to ask follow-up questions or dive deeper into specific topics. This demonstrates your attentiveness and genuine curiosity.

How can you show you’re listening? We’re so glad you asked! Check out The 7 Most Charismatic Cues to Use While Listening, like nodding yes, leaning in, and making eye contact.

Your Fast-Track List: 10 Must-Ask Questions

If you’re on your way out the door and need ideas FAST, here are some of our favorite questions to ask a hiring manager:

“Can you tell me what a typical day looks like in this role?”
“What needs to be done in this role that’s not being done?”
“Can you describe the typical career progression for someone in this position?”
“Who will I report to, and how often will I interact with them?”
“How does the team typically collaborate and communicate on projects or tasks?”
“Does the work environment promote collaboration and teamwork, or does everyone keep to themselves?”
“What is the value of this role on your team? How does it contribute to the company’s bottom line?”
“What has been your biggest professional growth opportunity since joining the company?”
“Can you tell me more about the company’s approach to work-life balance and employee well-being?”
“What does success look like for this person on this team?”

Why Asking Questions is Your Secret Weapon

Asking questions during an interview is a valuable tool in your communication kit. Here’s what it can do for you:

Allow you to get to know your potential employer better. An interview is a two-way process. While the hiring manager determines if you’re the best for their team’s current needs, it’s also your chance to get to know the people you’ll spend most of your waking time with. According to estimates, the average person spends around 90,000 hours—or about 10 years—at work over their lifetime. That’s a significant investment!

Show you’ve done your research on the company. Asking questions demonstrates that you researched the company before applying. This signals both intelligence and preparation for future roles within the organization.

As career expert Alison Green, author of Ask a Manager, explains: “If you just ask about salary and benefits, you signal that you’re only interested in what they can do for you. But if you ask about the details of the work, the department you’ll be working in, your prospective supervisor’s management style, and the culture of the organization, you demonstrate a different set of priorities.”

Offer you insight into the company’s culture and values. Many companies have official mission statements that don’t necessarily reflect how employees actually behave day-to-day in their jobs. Your questions can reveal the real culture.

Demonstrate your interest and enthusiasm for the job. Thoughtful questions signal genuine engagement—not just desperation for any job.

Help you decide if this job fits your career goals well. Managers want long-term hires. Replacing one worker can cost double their yearly pay once you add recruiting, onboarding, and lost output. Your questions help both of you avoid a costly mismatch.

Trigger pleasure in your interviewer’s brain. According to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, talking about oneself activates the same brain reward regions as food and money. When you ask your interviewer about their experience, you’re literally making them feel good!

That’s why presenting yourself well in conversation is such a crucial skill.

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Thoughtfully considering questions is integral to your pre-interview preparation.

Craft Questions That Wow: Your Prep Blueprint

Before you ask any questions, know what research you can do on your own.

Research the company’s industry, values, recent news, and current projects. Use this knowledge to craft questions that show your genuine interest in their work.

If a company has a website, read through their About page and any other information posted there.

Also, check out Glassdoor (source) reviews by current employees (or even former ones) to get an idea of what working at that company is like.

Google the company to see if it’s been in the news—good or bad—lately. Imagine you’re interviewing at an oil company recently in the news for a spill. Or at a biotech firm that just announced a big trial. Use those facts to prep.

Once you’ve researched the company, create a list of open-ended questions specific to the company and the role you’re applying for.

For example:

“I noticed that your company recently launched a [new product]. Can you tell me more about the development process and where it fits in the company’s overall strategy?”
“I read about your company’s commitment to sustainability. How does this commitment translate into day-to-day operations and decision-making?”

Prepare a list of five to seven questions in order of priority. You likely won’t get through them all. Some may be answered during the interview; if so, you’ll still want two or three questions ready at the end of the conversation.

Try framing your questions as though you expect to get the job. The goal isn’t to sound arrogant but excited and engaged.

For example:

“Who will I be working with on a day-to-day basis?”
“How will I get feedback on my projects?”

It’s acceptable to bring your written list of questions with you—in fact, it can signal to the hiring manager that you came prepared. That said, focus on actively listening during the interview, staying engaged, and adapting to the conversation’s flow. Your notes should be a reference rather than dictating your side of the conversation.

59 Game-Changing Questions by Category

Nail the Role: What to Ask About Your Day-to-Day

Tailor your questions to the specific position you are interviewing for. Ask about the key responsibilities, challenges, and expectations to better understand what will be expected of you.

For instance:

“What are this role’s main objectives and goals within the first three to six months?”
“What opportunities are available for professional development?”
“Can you describe some current projects and how I’d fit into them?”

You can also take this time to learn about the people you’d be working with regularly:

“What’s the management style of the person who would be my direct supervisor?”
“What role does each team member play in his or her day-to-day work life?”

The goal here is to understand the relationships between yourself and others within this new organization as clearly as possible.

20. Pro Question: “What was it about my experience and skills that made you interested to meet with me?”

This question encourages the hiring manager to actively think about why you’re a qualified candidate. It’s important to know how your skills and experience will be used; this is a way to understand what the interviewer values about you.

Similarly, you’ll want to clearly understand how this role fits into the team and adds value to the company. You want to understand what contribution you’ll be making and if it’s worth your time and effort.

Here are some sample questions:

“What are the key responsibilities of this position? And how would they change over time as I grow into my new role at [company]?”
“What are some examples of projects or challenges that demonstrate success in this field or industry sector?”
“What’s the history of this position?”
“How has this role changed since it was created?”

Understanding the history of your potential new job helps you learn if this position is brand new (requiring you to develop policies and procedures) or if you’re stepping into a role with a lot of structure in place that you’ll need to learn.

Build Rapport: Questions About Their Journey

Showing interest in the interviewer’s perspective can help establish rapport and create a more engaging conversation. Ask your interviewer about their personal experience working for the company or in their specific role.

For instance:

“What do you enjoy most about working for this company?”
“How have you overcome challenges that come up at work?”
“What gets you the most excited about the future of this company?”

This is a great way to get a feel for working in this company and give you a sense of the hiring manager’s personality.

Feel the Vibe: Uncover Team and Culture Secrets

Understanding company culture is essential when deciding if a job is right for you. With the average person spending roughly 90,000 hours at work, you’ll want to ensure the environment suits your working style and values.

Asking about company culture gauges whether or not the job is right for you. It’s also a great way to learn more about who works there and what they enjoy doing when they’re not at work.

Some questions to ask:

“How would you describe this company’s culture?”
“How does this compare with other companies’ cultures?”
“How would you describe the team dynamic and how individuals collaborate to achieve goals?”
“With such a creative role, I get a lot of value from interacting with others regularly. What kind of interactions are normal on a day-to-day basis?”
“Are employees expected to interact with coworkers regularly, or is it more of a ‘do your own thing’ kind of place?”
“Can you provide an example of a recent challenge the company encountered and how the team collaborated to find a creative solution?”
“How does the company foster a culture of learning from failures and turning challenges into opportunities?”
“What are some of your team’s greatest strengths?”

If there aren’t clear answers here, consider whether or not this position aligns with your professional goals—you might find yourself unhappy later if this isn’t an area where there’s overlap between what you want out of life and what they expect from their employees at work!

Know What Wins: Questions on Success Metrics

Asking questions about what the hiring manager expects will give you a sense of the company’s priorities and if the role will be a good fit.

Alison Green, career advice expert, recommends: “How will you measure the success of the person in this position?” This gets right to the crux of what you need to know about the job: What does good performance look like?

Think Long-Term: Growth and Vision Questions

Managers want long-term hires. Replacing one worker can cost double their yearly pay once you add recruiting, onboarding, and lost output.

Ask about the company’s plans for growth and how you can move up later. This shows your desire to contribute and grow within the organization.

Alison Green calls this her “magic” question that blows managers away: “Thinking back to people who have been in this position previously, what differentiated the ones who were good from the ones who were really great?”

As Green explains, “This question blows managers away because first of all, no one asks it. And secondly, it signals that you care about being not just good, but truly great.”

Uncovering Challenges: The “Real” Talk

You want to know the good, the bad, and the ugly before you sign a contract. These questions help you spot red flags and understand the reality of the role.

“What is the biggest challenge the team has faced in the past year, and how was it handled?”
“What is the most common reason people leave this team or company?”
“Is there anything about this role that you find people are often surprised by after they start?”
“How does the company handle conflicts or disagreements between departments?”
“How does the company support employees during high-stress periods or tight deadlines?”
“What is the turnover rate for this team compared to the rest of the company?”
“If you could change one thing about the company culture, what would it be?”

Logistics and Closing: End Strong

Never leave an interview without knowing what comes next. These questions show you are organized and eager to move forward.

“What does the onboarding process look like for this role?”
“Who else will I need to meet with during the interview process?”
“What is your timeline for making a final decision on this position?”
“Are there any internal candidates being considered for this role?”
“How soon are you looking for someone to start?”
“Is there anything else I can provide to help you make your decision?”
The Gutsy Ask: “Based on our conversation today, do you have any hesitations about my qualifications that I can address right now?” (This gives you a chance to fix any doubts immediately!)
“What are the next steps?”

Key Takeaways: Your Interview Game Plan

Walking into an interview with prepared questions changes the dynamic completely. It shifts you from a passive candidate hoping to be picked to an active professional evaluating a partnership.

Remember these 3 rules when asking your questions:

Prioritize: You likely won’t get to ask all 59. Pick your top 3-5 that matter most to you and have them ready.
Be Flexible: Listen during the interview. If they answer your “culture” question in the first 10 minutes, skip it and ask about “challenges” instead.
Take Notes: Write down their answers! It shows you value their input and helps you write a killer thank-you note later.

You have the tools. You have the scripts. Now go land that job.

Ready to master your interview skills? Check out our deep dive on Body Language in Interviews to ensure your nonverbal cues match your confident questions.