As a professional recruiter, I know first hand that the questions you ask throughout an interview can help you stand out from a crowd of other candidates. Asking meaningful and unique questions reflect just how engaged and interested you are in a position, signaling to recruiters that you mean business and are a good fit for the role.
From my experience interviewing hundreds of candidates, I always make sure to point out to the hiring manager when a candidate asked thoughtful and unique interview questions. Asking well-thought out questions shows that you’ve done your research and are looking to dig a bit more into the company culture or how the company functions beyond what may already be obvious. On the other hand, if candidates ask questions that can easily be found on our company website or by doing research beforehand, that signals to me that the candidate may be disengaged or simply asking questions just for the sake of asking questions. Asking questions at the end of an interview is important, but the type of questions you ask are just as if not more important in my opinion!
So with that, here are unique interview questions to ask an employer that may help you stand out from the pack and secure that job or opportunity.
What is a major challenge your company is facing currently?
As a recruiter, I love when candidates ask me this question because it shows that they are trying to get insight into how the company functions and how recent challenges might affect their success in a new role. For example, if a current organization mentions employee retention or client retention as a major challenge, this provides some perspective into their culture and business model which in return might negatively affect your ability to do your job and deliver results at the company. Fully listen and assess the information an interviewer is telling you after asking this question to determine if the major challenges are solvable or if they reveal deeper, systematic problems that will prove to be a constant uphill battle after joining the team.
How does your company support a healthy work-life balance for its employees?
If you’re looking to get more clarity on how employers respect your personal time and life outside of work, asking this question is a great way to do so. Understanding the company’s expectations regarding communication outside of working hours, expected amount of PTO, and working schedule is super important to determine if a job will be a good fit and support your mental health and wellbeing throughout your entire tenure at the organization. Also, instead of outwardly asking “how much PTO would I be receiving” in the first interview, asking “how does your company support a healthy work-life balance” presents it in a more professional manner and may also give you more helpful information. For example, a company might have an unlimited PTO policy, but if managers consistently cancel PTO requests and don’t fully allow employees to take advantage of this benefit, then there’s a good chance that they aren’t actually committed to supporting employees life outside of work. Asking this interview question instead will give you better insight into the employer’s true thoughts and feelings around work-life balance.
What is your company working on currently to improve employee engagement and the employee experience?
A company that really values their employees will always keep the employee experience front of mind. High-value employers want to make sure you’re engaged and appreciative of the work you do so that you can show up as your best self and deliver the best results on the job. Asking a company what steps they’re taking to improve employee experience and engagement is a unique interview question that can help gauge how serious an employer is about prioritizing and retaining their employees. If a company can’t think of any ways they’re working on improving the employee experience, that should be a red flag that you might not have a positive work experience after joining the team.
How do employees within your company interact with different departments?
Many employees don’t want to feel siloed at their organization, especially if they work at a remote company and have minimal day-to-day interactions. As an employee, it’s only natural to be curious about different departments and build relationships with other employees across the business, especially if you’re interested in growing within the company. As an interviewer, I believe this is a unique question to ask because it shows your interest in professional development and your desire to grow by working cross-functionally within the business. It also shows that you’re thinking about the company more holistically and are interested in how all the moving parts of the company come together to achieve their goals.
What are the company’s main goals within the next 1 to 2 years?
Asking this question shows to employers that you’re forward thinking and are interested in staying with them for a longer period of time. In my opinion, organizations should always be thinking about the future and anticipating new updates or changes within their industry. They should have a general idea of what they’d like to accomplish or where they will be within the next 1 to 2 years, whether that includes company growth, adapting to industry changes, expanding on a new area of the business, etc. If you ask this question to an employer and they give a vague response along the lines of “we don’t know”, this should signal to you that they are more reactive than proactive, and may not be able to adapt to withstand any unforeseen challenges that might arise.
How does senior leadership respond to feedback and new ideas?
Personally, I love when receiving this question because it shows to me that you’re an innovative and proactive employee who has high-standards and takes initiative. If creating impact at a company and improving company processes is important to you as an employee, this is a great, unique interview question to ask an employer. The answer to this question will give greater insight into how receptive senior leadership is to feedback and how willing they are to change the status quo. There are many organizations who are set in their ways and have “tried and true” practices that almost seem impossible to change or improve. If this isn’t what you’re looking for in a future employer, this question will help you receive the information you’re looking for on how easy or not so easy it might be to introduce new ideas to a company.
What is the last example of an employee being promoted at your company, and how long did it take them to get there?
This is a fantastic, unique question to ask an employer because it showcases your interest in growing with the company as well as your long term goals from a recruiter’s perspective. Asking an employer to provide a real, tangible example of how someone was promoted is also a great way to understand how serious a company is about employees’ development and career progression. If employers preach that they care about career development and growth but are unable to highlight at least one or two examples of promoting talent from within the company, this tells you all you need to know about your potential opportunity for growth.
Closing Thoughts…
As an interviewee, please know that there are a multitude of other unique questions to ask an employer in order to stand out from a crowd of candidates and receive very valuable feedback on how a company is ran and what their culture is like. Many questions might arise on the spot as a result of active listening and curiosity, which is a really good sign that you’ve been paying attention and have interest in the company. No matter what, just know that an interview is a two way street, and you should be fully assessing the interviewer’s responses just as much as they are assessing your own.