How to ask your interviewer questions that make you stand out
If you don't normally prepare questions for your interviewer, read this guide
tldr: Don’t ask lazy questions, always prepare questions for your interviews.
Asking your interviewer questions at the end of the interview is a great way to leave them with a memorable impression of who you are. Most people waste this opportunity by asking basic, uninteresting questions. When you are trying to get a job at a competitive workplace you need to stand out as much as possible.
I can’t tell you how many interviews I’ve conducted at Facebook where the question portion interview goes like this:
Interviewer(Me): “We are almost out of time, do you have any questions for me?”
Interviewee: “How do you like working at FB?”
Interviewer(Me): «Regurgitates the same response I’ve given during 5 other interviews that week about how the money, food, and culture are great.»
How to ask good questions
Luckily there is a simple formula for asking great questions that leave your interviewer with a positive view of who you are. It requires a little preparation before the interview, but it’s 100% worth it.
Humanize - Introduce some humanizing quality about yourself (Be careful not to sound braggy here!)
Connect - Connect your humanizing quality to the company
Ask - Ask a relevant question that forces the interviewer to think
Example:
Humanize - I love working on projects that help combat climate change.
Connect - I know Google has committed to be “24-7 carbon-free” as a company
Ask - Have you been a part of, or seen any, initiatives at Google that have had a positive impact on the planet?
Follow this simple formula and your interviewer will walk away with a lasting impression of who you are. Don’t ask lazy questions.
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