Tough Interview Questions - What questions do you have for me?
Following is a tough interview question:
What questions do you have for me?
Similar interview questions:
Would you like to ask me about anything? What can I answer for you?
Why the interviewer is asking this question:
This is the standard closing question at the end of the interview. While the interview has been primarily one-sided with you answering questions posed by the interviewer, this is the prompting to ask a question or two of your own. The level of enthusiasm the interviewer has in answering your question is a good indicator of the level of interest in you as a candidate. If you are given a facility tour, introduced to others and/or asked to meet with additional individuals, these are all good signs that there is strong interest on the part of the interviewer.
The best approach to answering this question:
Have an interview question prepared for each person with whom you will be interviewing. The interview question should show preparation on your part that you have done your research and know the basics of the organization. So the question will take you to a next level of depth in understanding the organization from an insider perspective. Do not ask any questions about salary or benefits, these questions are best reserved for the Recruiter/HR person and/or the manager when making an offer.
An example of how to best answer this question:
"Thanks. What do you consider to be the critical success factors for this role in the first 12 months? What are the key deliverables?"
An example of how you should not answer this question:
"Yeah, taking time off is pretty important to me. How much vacation time would I get in this role?"
Remember that you typically should strive to answer each interview question behaviorally, whether it is a behavioral question or not. However, since this is the one question that is not a question about you, this is the one exception. Yet if you would like some practice being the interviewer, now is a great time to make sure the person interviewing you gives you a full behavioral response. Don't be afraid to drill into the details!