Top 16 Questions to Ask Before An Interview Starts in 2023

Before you get into the interview room, there are certain questions you need to ask before an interview starts. By asking these questions, you can improve your confidence before it’s your turn to get into the interview room.

Statistically, companies have an average of 9 interview stages. Another research showed that on a scale of 1-5, 4 was the highest when it comes to employee satisfaction after a challenging interview.

Hence, this proves that interviews can be truly challenging, and you need every form of preparation possible. This is why you will need to learn the top 16 questions you can ask before an interview.

Are Interview Questions Tough?

Job interviews are difficult for the job applicant. If you’re not well-prepared, some questions can leave you frantically searching for an answer, says Barry Drexler, an expert interview coach who has completed more than 10,000 interview sessions and different candidates.

Since interviews are interpreted as “high stakes” environments, they cause people to experience nerves and anxiety before or during their interviews. Sweaty palms, elevated heart rate, racing thoughts, and the inability to focus are some of the symptoms people can experience during an interview.

Many times, people feeling pressure to say “yes” to every question or act like they know everything is a common reason why people fail to get hired in their job interviews. Hiring managers NEVER expect you to answer that you understand all the questions that have been asked. They intentionally ask some questions you don’t know.

Depending on the industry, a lot of interviews last between 45 minutes and one hour. This should provide sufficient time and flexibility for both sides to get to know one another.

Top 16 Questions to Ask Before An Interview Starts

Before you start an interview, you need to ensure you ask the right questions to avoid confusion as you go. While there are many questions you can ask before an interview, it’s wiser to stick only to the questions that their answers can influence the outcome of your interview.

These questions include:

1. What is the interview process like?

A lot of job applicants rush into the interview room with no basic idea of the questions they would need to answer, which is the primary cause of level and a reflection of unpreparedness.

In preparing for an interview, getting knowledge of the questions you will get to answer places you in a position of advantage. In such a case, you are not taken aback by any of the questions, and neither will you get confused, as you will get to answer all the questions with confidence.

2. How long have you worked with the company?

Interviews are usually about the applicant, and less about the interviewer. However, when you turn an interview into a conversation, it gets very interesting for both parties.

As an applicant rooting for a position, getting to know the time required to invest in the company to attain a certain position is deemed an intelligent question. It reflects an interest and desire to attain a higher level of leadership, wherein more service is required.

3. What created the need for the position?

It totally makes sense that you’re applying for a position and would need to resume work immediately. However, getting a good history of events that transpired in that office that leads to the position becoming vacant is a great way to register your interest.

In a case where it is a startup and there are new offices opening up to help build organizational structure, you also need to inquire about it to learn its relevance to the growth and success of the business.

4. How long has the position been open?

Learning how long the job position has been open is one of the questions you need to ask before an interview.

By learning the duration for which the vacancy has stood, you would know how valuable the office is to the organization and how much workload you need to clear to get rolling.

5. How quickly does the position need to be filled?

Many times, qualified applicants can decide to deter interviews or rush in for positions that don’t need someone to fill in immediately. In a case where they rush in and there is a very slow onboarding process because of the irrelevance of the position, it’s usually frustrating.

Learning the necessity required to fill that position is one of the great ways to learn about the importance and value of a position in a company.

6. What is the salary range for the position?

Pay is important to keep the work moving. However, salary is always an issue for a lot of professionals who don’t want measly pay. Hence, it’s always great to get the question of salary off the way so you don’t get to see your employment letter with your salary details and you reject it.

Ensure that you always know how much will be on the table for you when you get your job done. This is one of the core questions you must ask before an interview.

7. What is your company culture like?

Building a strong company culture will help recruiters entice elite candidates and retain top talent. Not only that, but it has shown a winning corporate culture to improve levels of employee engagement, productivity, and performance.

In creating a great culture, you must employ transparency, competence, excellence, and a lot of other positive traits.

8. Who will be my interviewer?

Knowing your interviewer will give you a great edge before you get into the interview room. When you know the person, you’re able to accurately gauge their responses, questions, and reactions to any answers you will bring up.

As a job applicant, this is one of the questions you must ask before an interview starts to help maintain calm.

9. What type of interview questions can I expect?

This might sound like a hard question, but it is important to learn the type of questions you must expect in an interview. This way, you can tailor your preparation to attack those questions alone. Preparing for questions that you may never get to hear is truly frustrating.

10. What attire should I wear for my interview?

If you’re dressed poorly for an interview, it can greatly limit your chances of getting into the position. However, when you wear the correct costume for your big interview, it boosts your confidence and gives you the drive you need to achieve success.

Ensure you’re always in the right attire that will send a powerful message of competence when you step into the room.

Further Reading: What to Wear to an Interview as a Man 

11. What skills should I highlight from my experience?

You can have many skills, but the skills needed to perform the job you desire are the only necessary skills you need to bring to the table.

Before you get into your interview session, you must ensure you always put out the skills listed in the job opening publication.

12. Is there any type of test I should prepare for?

A lot of interviews come with different tests and sessions. Hence, you must ensure you always learn if you would need to take a test so you could get prepared.

In getting to know about the tests, you must try to discover the type of tests that you need to take when preparing.

13. How many candidates are showing up for the role?

It’s possible you might think this is not a vital question, but it is important to measure your chances when you apply for a position.

As a candidate interested in your role, try to learn about the number of people interested in the role you seek so you can know what to do.

14. What qualities are they looking for in an employee?

Many job publications state the majority of the requirements are vital for applicants to meet when they desire to take up the opportunity.

However, it’s an added benefit to know first-hand other skills that can boost your credibility when you enter the interview room. Although many candidates ignore this, it remains one of the most important questions to ask before an interview starts.

15. What are the next steps?

For many job applications, the interview is not usually the last stage you must go through. Hence, after every interview, you need to know the next step so you can plan your move.

Conclusion

There are many questions you need to ask before an interview starts in order to craft the right answers that portray you as the best professional worthy of fitting such a position.

Although you might not have an answer to these questions, ensure you can correctly answer them on the go.