You’ve answered the tricky questions about what you would bring to the team and how you’d deal with competing deadlines, and then the interview panel asks, “Do you have any questions for us?”

Do you freeze up? Or feel unsure about what is – and what isn’t – a good subject to ask about? We spoke to career coach Alice Stapleton about what you should be asking at the end of a job interview.

“Asking questions in a job interview shows you are curious about the role and company,” Stapleton tells Stylist. “It can be an opportunity to show that you have prepared and done your research, that you’ve thought about the role beyond the interview, and that you’re motivated to find out more.”

Thoughtful questions are your chance to show you’re really interested in the job, and that you care about this opportunity.

“It’s also your chance to ‘interview’ the panel, and find out the answers to the questions that really matter to you,” adds Stapleton. “Asking questions gives you the opportunity to find out more about the culture of the organisation, the way it’s managed and led, the working environment and relationships, how it recognises and rewards its employees, and anything else you might want to better understand before accepting a job offer. You can learn more about what the panel like and dislike about their employer, offering a more personal perspective than what you can read on a website.”

It’s worth thinking beforehand about what you could potentially ask at the end of the interview, so you aren’t caught off guard or have to think on the spot. The research you do into the company can help with this. You might also find that topics that come up in the interview itself bring questions to mind.

“The questions you ask will depend on what’s most important to you in a role, so think about this first, and prepare your questions accordingly,” Stapleton says. “For example, if it’s important for you to develop friendships at work, ask whether colleagues socialise together outside of working hours. If the isolating nature of remote working is a concern, ask how the company is adapting and overcoming challenges in that space. If workload is important to understand, ask about a typical day in the role, performance expectations and what availability they expect of you out of hours.

“Remember that an interview is just a conversation, and a two-way one at that. They’re there to find out about you, and vice versa. You need to know if it’s the right job for you.”

“I don’t think it’s wise to ask about remuneration or workplace benefits in an interview,” says Stapleton. “Often, those interviewing you aren’t responsible for these, and it can get awkward when you haven’t even been offered the job yet. Save discussions about pay and benefits until after the job offer, and negotiate from there if you have to.”

Stapleton suggests the following as potential questions you could ask at the end of a job interview, and why they’re good ideas:

1. “What are the circumstances that have led up to this position becoming available?”

It can be helpful to understand if someone is leaving, and why. Or if it’s a new role, how has it come about?

2. “How do you see the person in this role progressing and growing over the next few years?”

This can give you a good insight into the company’s approach to the growth and development of its employees.

3. “How would you describe the culture and working environment in this team, and the company more widely?”

This is useful to ask to understand a bit more about the work/life balance you might expect from working there, and what the dynamics between colleagues are like.

4. “What do you enjoy and not enjoy about working here?”

This one is a great opportunity to get a personal perspective of what it’s like to work for the company… although they may not always be completely honest.

5. “What would I need to do in order to exceed your expectations in this role in the first three months?”

This shows you’re eager to contribute, and it can give you a good sense of what to focus on in the first few months of the role, and what they would expect of you in it. It may also set off alarm bells if the expectations sound completely unrealistic.

6. “Where do you see this company headed in the next five years?”

This is a pretty standard question, but helpful to know. You don’t want them going under soon after you start!

Images: Getty