Questions for an interview - from the candidate to the employer

We are all used to asking a lot of questions during interviews. Usually employers are candidates. One of these questions is “Do you have questions for us?” Quite often, candidates are not ready for this. And in vain. To ask questions to the employer is completely normal and even necessary. It’s better to immediately clarify all aspects of work that are important to you than to be disappointed later. Moreover, the questions asked by the candidate are sometimes even taken into account as one of the characteristics of the candidate. What did the candidate ask about technology, product, or processes?

In this article, I will review the questions frequently asked by software developers. I believe that this article will be useful both to the candidates themselves and to recruiters in order to prepare for the interview.

General recommendations

I recommend that recruiters ask the candidate about his questions in the first part of the interview after the presentation of the company and position and before the main block of questions for the candidate. So the recruiter shows respect for the candidate and readiness to clarify all questions about the company before the test of the candidate's knowledge and skills begins. This usually impresses candidates as a polite and “caring” employer.



I recommend candidates to immediately ask questions about what remained incomprehensible after the presentation of the company and position. Perhaps you will find out something important for you that the recruiter kept silent about during the presentation. And this will affect your desire to apply for a position. If you refuse the employer before the main interview block, you will save time for yourself and people.



Quite often, this is the position of the employer - “why will we answer detailed questions from the candidate, if we still do not know whether he is suitable for us”. In this case, it is appropriate for the recruiter to avoid answering some questions with the wording - “we will answer these questions after deciding on your candidacy”.



I believe that the following questions of candidates to the representative of the employer are quite appropriate if the answers to them are not understood from the job description, company presentation and position. The honesty of the employer and the transparency of the conditions contribute to a good reputation. On the other hand, candidates may have a principled position on a number of issues and there is no point in conducting further interviews if the candidate does not meet the conditions.

Questions about the position and team

• What typical tasks will I have to solve every day?
• What tasks will I have to solve occasionally (sometimes)?
• To whom will I obey and who will obey me?
• What is the size and composition of the team in which I have to work?
• Is this a new position or did I have a predecessor? Why did he leave the post? What claims did the company have against its predecessor?
• What success criteria (KPI) are used in the company to evaluate specialists in this position?
• What results are expected from me in 3 months, half a year, a year? By what criteria will they evaluate me?
• What does the process of hiring and immersing in the work processes (adaptation) of a new employee look like?
• What is the work schedule? Are there refineries or scheduled shifts?
• Will there be business trips? Where and how often?
• Is there a job description that clearly defines the powers and responsibilities?
• How are team conflicts resolved?
• Does the team have problems that have not yet been resolved and that have yet to be solved?
• How are priorities set and tasks distributed in the team?
• What scheduled meetings and meetings are required to be held and attended for this position?
• If the work is remote, then what equipment does the company provide? Does the company compensate for the cost of independent purchase of additional equipment, accessories, furniture, etc.?

Questions about the company

• Is the financial position of the company stable? How is the company financed? How does the company earn?
• Are you planning business development? What prevents a company from developing?

Such questions may seem inappropriate to the representative of the employer. However, the candidate’s interest is to clearly see the prospects. If the young food company is still funded by investment, then this is completely normal. However, the candidate should take into account the risk of a sudden termination of funding and not take risky financial decisions for himself, for example, such as a large loan.

Questions about the products (projects) of the company to be worked on

• What is the purpose and specifics of the products (projects)? What target audience of users is the product focused on?
• Will I have to sign and execute any non-disclosure or competition agreements?
• What is the stage of development of the project? Will I be able to influence the choice of technologies, solutions?
• Can I choose the projects that I will work on?
• What are the usual timelines for working on projects? How often do projects change? How often can they transfer me to another project?
• What is the release schedule?
• What happens if an emergency occurs in production? How are such incidents analyzed?

Questions about working conditions

• Is remote or partially remote work possible? How many days a week can I work outside the office?
• Where is the office located, is there parking?
• What are the company rules for clothes (dress code)?
• What is the configuration of the office (classrooms, open space, etc.)?
• What is the additional equipment of the office (kitchen, recreation area, communication area, meeting rooms)?
• What is the noise level in the office? Are there any services that constantly talk?

Questions about pay, development and career growth

• What are the conditions for registering labor relations and the amount of remuneration (at least the range and what the concrete proposal will depend on me)?
• What is the structure of remuneration (salary, bonuses, bonuses)? What are the conditions for the appointment of bonuses and bonuses?
• Is a trial period expected and what are the conditions for the trial period?
• How are sick leave and vacation pay?
• Does the company provide VHI (supplementary health insurance) and what does it cover?
• What is the policy for planned paid holidays?
• What is the policy for unplanned and unpaid leave?
• What is the policy regarding sudden force majeure circumstances that impede timely performance of duties?
• What is the policy of remuneration? How often? What factors are taken into account?
• What career opportunities are there within the company?
• What training and continuing education opportunities does the company provide?
• Does the company help attend industry and technology conferences, meetings with its employees and how?

Instead of a conclusion

I have given the most general list of possible questions that should be clarified by the employer before agreeing to work with him. If you have ideas - what other questions are appropriate to ask the employer - I suggest indicating them in the comments.