Changing jobs
Prepare your questions for them
A simple exercise to interview them too, and find out what the job would really be like
Write five questions about the team, the manager and what success looks like, and bring the best of them to each interview.
- 15 minutes
- Just you
- Before each interview
- Worksheet
Why this can work
An interview is a decision on both sides, and your questions are how you make yours. Asking about the team, the manager and what success looks like tells you what the job would really be like, and what it would take to do well. It also shows them the kind of colleague you'd be.
Read moreHow to prepare questions to ask in an interview
You’ll come away with five questions that help you decide, not just impress.
- Start with what you need to know.
Before writing any questions, jot down what would make this a great job for you, and what would make it a bad one. Your questions are there to test those.
Tip: Be honest with yourself here. If flexibility or a steady manager matters most, ask about that.
- Write one question about success.
This tells you what you'd actually be judged on.
You“What would you want to see from the person in this role in the first six months?” - Write one about the manager.
If you're meeting the manager, ask them directly. If not, ask the people who work with them.
You“How do you like to work with the people on your team, and how do you usually share feedback?” - Write one about the team.You“What's the team working on this year that you're most excited about, and what's making it hard?”
- Add two of your own, then choose for each conversation.
Draw on what you need to know and what you learned about the company. Match questions to who you're meeting: a peer, the manager, a recruiter. Two or three good ones per conversation is plenty.
Tip: Pay and benefits are fair questions. The recruiter is usually the easiest person to ask.
Good times to repeat it: before each interviewadjusted for who you're meetingagain before a final round or an offer
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
A manager who can describe success plainly probably knows what they need. If the answer is vague, that's worth knowing too.
What might make this harder
Say so and go one level deeper, such as asking how something they mentioned plays out week to week.
Questions people ask
What questions should I ask at the end of an interview?
Ask what success looks like in the role, how the manager works with their team, and what the team is focused on and finding hard. Pick the ones that matter most to your decision.
Is it bad to have no questions at the end of an interview?
It can come across as low interest. A couple of thoughtful questions, even ones that build on what was said, show you're taking the decision seriously too.
What should I ask the hiring manager?
What they'd want to see in your first few months, how they like to work with and give feedback to their team, and what's hardest about the work right now.
Can I ask about salary in an interview?
Yes, it's a fair question, and the recruiter is usually the easiest person to ask. Knowing the range early can save everyone time.
Why this works, and where it comes from
It's easy to treat an interview as a test you're trying to pass. It's really a decision being made on both sides. They're finding out whether you'd do well there; you're finding out whether you'd want to. Your questions are the only part of the conversation built for your half of that decision, and many people spend them on something safe.
Three topics carry most of the weight. What success looks like tells you what you'd be judged on, which is exactly what you'd need to know to start well. How the manager works tells you a lot about your day to day, because for many people the manager shapes the job as much as the role does. And what the team is working on, and finding hard, tells you what you'd be walking into.
The answers matter as much as the questions. A manager who describes success in plain, specific terms usually knows what they need. One who can't may be under pressures you'd want to understand before you join. A vague answer isn't necessarily bad news, but it's worth a follow-up. Ask for an example, or what happened the last time.
There's a side benefit. Good questions change how you come across. Someone asking what would make the role a success already sounds like they're thinking about doing it well. It's the same instinct that helps once you're in a job: understand what the people around you are trying to achieve, and you'll know how to help them get there.
Other simple things to consider
What to do next
More in Changing jobs
Know what you actually want
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An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.