Good, Better, and Best Questions to Ask in an Interview

If you are interviewing, you must have questions ready for the interviewer. (If you don’t, you will likely be dinged because it shows lack of interest, preparation, and respect.) I’ve covered basic questions to ask in the past here (“Who are the people I’d work most closely to in this position? What skill will I need to use the most in this role? What continues to be the biggest challenge in this position?”) and more advanced questions here (“Ask positive questions that incorporate your deep research about the company and show your interest in the company, e.g., ‘I see from [your SEC filing, WSJ or NYT article] that [you are launching ABC product or you grew X%]. That’s great! Do you think [insert question relating to the interviewer/the position/related business]?’”).

And if you are a lawyer who likes to overprepare (and good for you because that’s essential for interviews!), check out these atypical questions suggested by a LinkedIn senior manager to help you stand out. Of the list, I can see these working in a legal interview (maybe after you’ve established rapport and can make it a conversation):

1. What has surprised you the most about this business in the past 12-24 months?
2. What do you wish you’d known when you took this role that would have made your job easier this month/year/etc.?
3. What’s the most fun experience you’ve had with your team or colleagues this year?

The LinkedIn manager says, “Don’t phone it in and ask some templated question from an interview guide; flex those critical thinking skills and formulate questions that will give you insight into how they value people, how they make decisions, and how they determine priorities.” She makes an excellent point that this is a great opportunity to meet and impress execs, plus learn whether the culture/thinking is the right fit for you.