Asking thoughtful questions in an interview is one of the most powerful ways to demonstrate curiosity, preparation, and strategic thinking. It’s your opportunity to signal how you think and whether you’ve truly done your homework.
In fact, some CEOs are now evaluating candidates as much by the questions they ask as by the answers they give. In a recent interview with Yahoo! Finance, Denny’s CEO Kelli Valade shared that her favorite interview question is the one a candidate asks her. “It tells you everything,” she said. “It tells you what they’re curious about, what they care about, what they value.”
So if you’ve ever wrapped up an interview with, “No, I think you covered everything,” you may have missed a big opportunity.
Why Asking Great Questions Matters
Smart, relevant questions do more than fill time at the end of an interview. They show that you’ve:
- Done your research
- Thought critically about how you’d contribute
- Engaged meaningfully in the conversation
And here’s the bonus: great questions often create opportunities for you to reinforce your value. They spark real dialogue, not just Q&A.
What Makes a Great Interview Question?
- Specific – rooted in what you’ve learned about the company, role, or interviewer
- Open-ended – designed to invite insight, not yes/no answers
- Strategic – shows you’re thinking about how to make an impact, not just what you’ll get
Questions Specific to the Role
These questions help you understand what success looks like—and how to connect your skills to real business needs:
- What are the highest-priority challenges this role needs to tackle in the first 6 months?
- How do you define success for this role? What would make you say, “This hire was a home run”?
- How does this role interact with the company’s strategic priorities for the year?
- Is this a new role or a backfill? What led to its creation or opening?
- What feedback have you received from previous people in this role that’s influenced how you think about the ideal candidate?
- Are there specific tools, systems, or platforms you expect this person to already be proficient in or will there be onboarding support?
- Can you walk me through a typical week in this role? What’s predictable vs. variable?
Questions Specific to the Team
These questions show you’re thinking about collaboration, leadership, and how to thrive within a group dynamic:
- What are the team’s current goals or OKRs, and how does this role support them?
- How would you describe the team’s working style – more heads-down and independent, or collaborative and cross-functional?
- What’s something the team is proud of that they’ve accomplished recently?
- If I were to ask the team what they love (and don’t love) about working here, what do you think they’d say?
- For leadership roles: How would you describe the current skill mix on the team, and where is there room to grow or upskill?
- What are the opportunities for mentorship or peer learning within the team?
- What does your team meeting cadence look like—daily standups, weekly check-ins, etc.?
Questions Specific to the Company
These questions demonstrate genuine curiosity about how the company operates, evolves, and supports its people:
- I saw that your company recently [launched a new product / expanded into a new market / announced a partnership] – how is that influencing your priorities?
- What are you most optimistic about when you think about the company’s next 1–2 years?
- How does leadership communicate goals and priorities across departments?
- Can you share how performance reviews are structured? How do employees know they’re doing well—or when to course-correct?
- What kinds of internal mobility or stretch opportunities exist for someone who exceeds expectations in their role?
- Can you share a story about how the company has supported someone’s growth and development -either laterally or through promotion?
- How has the company evolved since you joined? What’s stayed the same?
The best interview questions aren’t about impressing the interviewer, they’re about understanding the opportunity. They help you figure out whether this is a place where you’ll thrive and make an impact.
So next time you prep for an interview, spend as much time crafting your questions as you do rehearsing your answers. The right question might just be what lands you the job – and leaves a lasting impression.