When an interviewer asks, “Do you have any questions for us?” — that moment can make or break your impression. Most candidates ask about salary, perks, or start dates. But as a top candidate, you need to know what you're getting into, set expectations, and find out if this is the right place for you or a hell-ish stop gap to avoid.
1. “What makes me a successful hire to you?”
This helps you understand exactly what success looks like from your manager’s point of view.
It’s about clarity — what kind of person thrives here, what skills matter most, and what they’ll value in your work. You’ll know whether what they describe feels natural to you, or like an uphill push for you, and it also gives you a clear idea of what they’ll be looking for once you start — which can save you from mismatched expectations later.
2. “What would you expect or hope for me to have achieved in a year?”
You’re setting expectations before you even start. Their answer tells you what’s realistic, what their priorities are, and how success will be measured.
If they can’t define that clearly, it may mean the role isn’t well structured yet — which could be fine, even a great opportunity for collaboration, but it’s good to know upfront.
Worst case scenario, you don't ask this question and find your self having increasingly tense meetings and always feeling like they are moving the goal posts, nothings ever good enough, and ultimately being let go.
3. “How successful are people in their first year?”
You’re not fishing for compliments — you’re testing how the company supports new hires.
If most people struggle to meet expectations or leave early, that’s worth noting. But if they talk about mentoring, clear goals, and strong onboarding, it’s a sign they invest in helping people grow into the role.
If they hesitate or mention that people often struggle, it’s fair to ask why.
4. “How many people have been hired or lost in the last year?”
Turnover tells a story. Maybe the team’s expanding (a good sign of growth), or maybe people keep leaving (a sign of deeper issues).
This isn’t a “gotcha” question — it’s about context. Understanding team stability helps you see what kind of environment you’re walking into. Ask in a softer way than this for more telling responses, “I’d love to get a sense of how the team’s grown or shrunk recently, what's your view on the staff turnover.” Then you can follow up with the more direct title question if they side step this one.
5. “What are the biggest problems or challenges facing the team or this role?”
Every job comes with obstacles. By asking this, you get an honest picture of what you’ll be walking into.
It also shows you’re thinking realistically about how to contribute — not just what you’ll get out of the job. It also helps you gauge whether those challenges are things you’re comfortable tackling — or red flags that signal misalignment with your skills or interests.
6. “What’s the value of solving those problems or succeeding in this role?”
This helps determine how impactful your effect could be and gives you salary negotiation leverage later - Go and check out our article on the 3 toughest interview questions and how to answer them for salary negotiation tips - Try to get them to quantify it monetarily if you can.
Also, If you can see how your work connects to the company’s bigger goals, it’s easier to know whether it will feel meaningful to you.
It also reveals how important the role is internally — whether it’s seen as a core function or just a support piece. which gives you a lot of insight into them and the company depending on which way the answer goes.
8. “How would you describe your management style?”
This is about compatibility. Some people thrive under hands-off leadership; others need more structure and feedback.
Understanding how your future manager operates helps you decide if their style aligns with how you do your best work.
Knowing how your future boss communicates and leads can save a lot of frustration down the line. Here, try to get them to quantify interaction time. Cues to pay attention to are how many meetings a week, reports, "which activities do you like to approve of and supervise?", will help you avoid a micro manager.
The Bottom Line
You’re not trying to “ace” the interview - or at least after you've done that - you’re trying to build a clear, honest picture of what life would look like in that role.
These questions help you do that. They spark open, real conversations that reveal what the company values, how it operates, and whether it’s the kind of place where you can actually thrive.
Because the goal isn’t just to get hired — it’s to choose a job that fits you.