When you’re interviewing for a job, “asking great questions is such an underrated way to differentiate yourself from everyone else,” says Nolan Church, former Google recruiter and current CEO of salary data company FairComp. Good questions can help make the case for why you’re a rockstar at work.
But asking great questions can serve other purposes, too. Specifically, Church would recommend asking ones that do two things: help you suss out your level of interest in the role and set you up for success on day one if you get an offer and decide you do want the job.
Here are four questions Church recommends asking.
‘What is the company’s north star for the next 12 months?’
A company’s north star sums up its goals and mission.
The question gives you a sense of whether or not the people interviewing you “actually have clarity on what matters,” he says. Do they know what they want or are they just aimlessly working toward some nebulous idea of success? The latter would make it tough to know what to prioritize yourself.
It also gives you a sense of how aligned the various people interviewing you are. “If everyone can’t tell me the same answer here,” he says, “red flag.” It means your priorities could differ depending on the stakeholder, and it will be very hard to satisfy people across the board.
If the company is clear on where it’s going and everyone agrees, the question helps you figure out if you’re “actually excited about solving the problems associated with that north star,” he says. If not, maybe the job isn’t for you.
‘What is the common trait of your top performers?’
This kind of question “gives you insight to what the company values,” says Church.
You know your own strengths and values as a worker. If the common trait of top performers is their ability to work fast, and you’re a person who prefers to have a bit more time with your assignments to ensure you nail every detail, maybe this company’s not a great fit for you.
If, however, it’s a trait you possess, it’s a sign that the company could be right for you. Asking this question also gives the interviewer a signal that you’d like to learn how to be a top performer.
‘What’s the one thing you love most about the culture?’
Questions like, “what’s the company culture?” can be vague, says Church. These questions likely won’t give you a detailed sense of what the vibe is like on the inside.
But if you ask about the one thing people love most, “you will get a very specific answer,” he says. “And that specificity will lead to insights.” Most importantly, if you connect with what people say they love about the company, it could very well be a place you, too, would enjoy working.
‘What problem do you want me to solve in the first 30 days?’
Finally, getting a very clear idea of what matters in your day-to-day can really help set you up for success.
Asking about the one problem you can solve immediately can help you orient yourself even before you step into the role. You can spend a little time considering different ways to tackle it so that, “day one, we’re hitting the ground running,” says Church.
It also gives you a sense of what their priorities are for you. If those aren’t of interest, you can take the time to decide if you want the job.
The other benefit with all of these questions is they make it easy to ask follow ups. Even if right off the bat you don’t get the information you need, you can always prod further to get more insights. Ultimately, “all of these questions give you the opportunity to really get to the lowest level of detail and to what’s going on inside the company,” says Church.
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