Questions to ask at the end of an interview in English

What is the interviewer checking when they ask “Do you have any questions?”

This is still part of the interview. The interviewer is checking whether you are curious about the actual work, whether you listened during the conversation, and whether you are deciding about them as well. “No, I think you covered everything” is a missed chance and often reads as low interest.

For a non-native speaker, this is also the easiest part to prepare. You choose the words in advance, you control the topic, and you can show your English at its most relaxed. A good question followed by a short follow-up often leaves a stronger impression than a perfect answer earlier.

Prepare five or six, and ask two or three. Some will be answered during the interview, so you need spares. Use this order:

1. A question about the work itself: success, priorities, challenges.
2. A question about the team or the person interviewing you.
3. A question about next steps, always last.

Link at least one question to something they said earlier: “You mentioned the team is moving to a new CRM. How far along is that?” This proves you were listening, and no candidate can copy it from a list.

What are good questions about the role and success?

• “What would success look like in this role after six months?”
• “What are the most important priorities for the first 90 days?”
• “What is the biggest challenge the person in this role will face?”
• “Why is this position open? Is it new or a replacement?”
• “How do you measure performance for this role?”
• “What does a typical week look like?”

What are good questions about the team and the company?

• “How is the team organised, and who would I work with most closely?”
• “How does the team make decisions when people disagree?”
• “What do you enjoy most about working here?”
• “How has the team changed in the last year?”
• “What is the company focused on this year, and how does this team contribute?”
• “How do people here usually grow? Could you give an example of someone who moved up?”

The question “What do you enjoy most about working here?” works well with a future colleague. With a senior executive, a question about strategy fits better.

What are good questions about the process and closing?

• “What are the next steps in the process?”
• “When can I expect to hear back?”
• “Is there anything in my background you’d like me to clarify?”
• “Is there anything else I can send you that would help?”
• “Who else will I meet if I move forward?”
• “Based on our conversation, do you have any concerns about my fit for the role?”

The last two questions take some courage. They give you a chance to answer a doubt before the interviewer leaves the room with it. Ask them in a calm, neutral tone, and thank them for any honest answer.

What does a strong end-of-interview exchange sound like?

Software engineer, after a technical interview: “You mentioned the team is moving the search service to a new database. What’s the biggest risk you see in that move? … That makes sense. And how would the person in this role be involved in it?”

Project manager, with the hiring manager: “What would success look like for this role after six months? … That’s helpful. Is there anything in my background you’d like me to clarify before we finish?”

Sales candidate, with a future colleague: “What do you enjoy most about working on this team? … Interesting, so the clients stay for years. How does the team divide new accounts and existing ones? Thanks, and what are the next steps in the process?”

Each exchange has the same shape: a question linked to the role, a short reaction, a follow-up, and a close.

Which questions should you avoid?

Also avoid yes/no questions that end the conversation (“Is the role remote?”), questions with three parts, and questions about the interviewer’s personal life. Pay, benefits and remote policy are fair topics, but raise them with the recruiter or later in the process.

How do you ask these questions naturally in English?

Read questions from a list and you sound like a survey. Use a short lead-in, ask one question, and listen to the answer. Then react before you ask the next one: “That makes sense,” or “That’s helpful, thank you.”

• Lead-ins: “I’d like to ask about…”, “One thing I was curious about…”, “Going back to something you said…”.
• Follow-ups: “Could you give me an example?”, “How does that affect the day-to-day work?”.
• Do not apologise before asking: “Sorry, can I ask a stupid question?” Just ask it.
• Do not stack questions. One question, one answer.
• Do not over-soften: “I was maybe wondering if perhaps I could possibly ask…” One softener is enough.

Be careful with speed. At the end of an interview, relief makes people talk faster. Slow down for your questions. They are short, so speed is not needed.

How should you practise your questions?

Choose your five or six questions and say each one out loud. Each should pass the one-breath test: if you need a second breath, cut it. Record yourself asking the questions and listen for flat or rushed delivery.

Then practise the harder part: reacting to the answer. In an Eloquent custom roleplay, you can describe the role and the interviewer, reach the end of the interview, and ask your questions out loud. The interviewer answers, you follow up, and the debrief quotes your exact words with a better line where one was needed.

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