9 questions that will make you stand out to tech employers

by Justine Hofherr
October 20, 2016

At the end of nearly every job interview, candidates are asked, “Do you have any questions for us?” Though often met with dread, this question can actually be used to showcase your personality and knowledge about a company, thus increasing your chances of getting a call back.

This point in an interview is also a good opportunity to learn more about whether the company at which you’re interviewing is really a good fit for you. To make things easier, we caught up with some Boston career experts and tech startups about what they think are some of the best questions to ask at the end of a job interview. Check them out, then go land your dream job.

 

1. “Where do you see the company a year from now?” I always recommend that candidates get a sense of the company itself with this question.  Sean McLoughlin, Head of the Technical Recruiting Practice at HireMinds

2.What is success going to look like in my position when I’ve been here for a year?” The hiring manager has to stop and think about the candidate in the role and what he or she would look like in that position. It’s a way to have them map out the candidate’s skills and experience.

3. “Why do you like working here?” Generally, people love to talk about themselves, so ask hiring managers or interviewers how they came to the company.

4. “How would we interact on a day-to-day basis?” This question is a good way to find out if the hiring manager is hands on or whether you’ll be talking to them once a month. 

 

5. "Can you tell me more about the work environment?”  When focused on inquiries about the work environment, I'm a fan of asking more open-ended questions as it tends to be safer. For instance, I prefer, "Can you tell me more about the work environment" over "How many hours a week am I expected to work?" The latter can send up a red flag, whereas the more open-ended question will get the hiring manager talking and likely provide a more detailed picture of the workplace environment and culture for you anyway. - Mark Stagno, Partner and Team Leader in WinterWyman Software Technology Search division

 

6. "Tell me about the most exciting opportunity the company is facing right now.”  It's a great question that can start a conversation around the skills we are looking for and initiatives the candidate will be tasked with. It's also my chance to find out if he or she is as excited as I am about the work we do and the problems we are solving around shopping experiences and product content. - Jason Purcell, CEO of Salsify

7. 'What do you love most about your role?" It gives me a chance to talk about why I'm passionate about the company, our vision and values. But it also tells me that the candidate is interested in the stories and career paths that are available to them here and that they are thinking about the team beyond their own job description. - Allison Churilla, Head of Talent of Salsify

8. "What are the attributes of the most successful people on this team?" It shows that they are ambitious and also team-oriented. Plus it gives us a chance to have a really important conversation about the current dynamics on the team they are hoping to work. 

 

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9. “What’s your appetite to change _____ technology or ______ process?” I often get this from engineers, usually the really passionate ones … which we really try to recruit here at True Fit. It shows a level of interest, knowledge and opinions in how things can and should work. It can often lead to a good conversation about tradeoffs and the level of innovation that’s really key to our culture. The way the question is asked and how the conversation progresses informs both sides of the candidate-company dance. - Jeff Putz, True Fit Vice President of Engineering and Chris Moore, Chief Analytics Officer

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