Questions to Ask at the End of an Interview (Ex-Recruiter)

The best questions to ask at the end of an interview do three things: show you're already thinking about the job, bring any concerns about you into the open while you can still answer them, and lock in exactly what happens next. Ask two or three, tailored to the person in front of you, and never leave without a date.

That moment at the end of an interview sounds like a polite wrap-up. It's a test.

I've sat on every side of the hiring table: internal recruiter, agency recruiter, hiring decision-maker and business owner. And here's what most candidates don't realise: the interviewer has usually formed an opinion of you within the first three minutes. Everything after that is mostly confirmation bias.

So your questions aren't there to make a first impression. They're there to confirm a good one, or to fix a doubt before you walk out of the door.

Most candidates waste it. They say "No, I think you've covered everything", or they ask something they could have found on the website.

The best candidates don't just give great answers. They ask great questions, and they fall into two types.

These show you're already thinking like the person in the job. You're working out what they need from this hire, and how you'd deliver it.

That last one feels bold, but it tells you who you're up against. If the answer is yes, follow up with: "What do you think an external candidate could bring that an internal one couldn't?" And if they brush it off or struggle to answer, take note. It can be a sign they're wasting your time.

Interviews are a two-way street. These questions help you decide whether this is the right place for you.

The first one gets you a far more honest picture than "What's the culture like?" The second and third tell you exactly which parts of your experience to talk about next.

I walk through all six examples in this video:

This is the question most candidates are too nervous to ask:

"Before we finish, do you have any concerns about my experience for this role?"

Some people argue it plants doubts in the interviewer's mind. I disagree. By that stage they've already made up their mind about your strengths and your gaps. Asking doesn't create a concern. It just tells you what it is.

And this is your only real chance to hear it. After the interview, employers rarely give honest feedback, because they worry about legal risk. So if there's a reservation, bring it out while you're still in the room and can actually answer it.

If you want more on what else costs people offers in the room, I've covered it in getting interviews but no job offers.

One of my clients was going for an international contract role. Everyone else was asking for around $10,000 a month plus expenses. He was asking for $20,000.

The employer raised it directly: "You do realise your expectations are twice as much as anyone else's?"

Instead of backing down, he asked a question:

"I understand. You still invited me in for the interview, though. What is it about my skills and experience that made you want to meet me, and what do you think I have that the others don't?"

They told him. Then, at the end of the interview, he came back to it: "And do you still feel I have those skills?"

They said yes.

He'd made them say out loud why he was worth more. He got the contract, at twice what everyone else was asking.

That's the kind of positioning we work on inside my Career Growth Accelerator.

This is the advice I feel most strongly about.

Never end an interview with "Great, I look forward to hearing about the next steps", and never just accept "We'll be in touch shortly." There's no definition of "shortly." Hiring timelines slip, decision-makers get busy, and you get forgotten.

Take ownership instead. Before you leave, get what I call a commitment lock:

Here's how that sounds in practice:

"Brilliant, so you'll let me know by the end of the week. Perfect. Just out of interest, is there anything that might stop that from happening?"

If they say no:

"Great. And in the unlikely event I haven't heard from you by then, would you mind if I dropped you a quick line on Monday to see where things are?"

Now you have a date, permission to follow up, and a reason to call that doesn't look like chasing.

With an agency recruiter, yes. They've been given a brief, so ask openly about the range. The same goes for an internal recruiter: ask, and they'll usually tell you.

Just don't tell them what you're currently earning. It can still be used against you.

Honestly, you shouldn't be in a process without some idea of the pay and benefits in the first place. I've never known a mid to senior-level executive go into a process without one. Otherwise it's a waste of everyone's time. If they're shady or reluctant to share it, treat that as a red flag. It's usually a sign you're about to be lowballed.

If you're at director or VP level and want support with this, that's part of my executive career coaching. And when the money question comes your way, here's how I'd answer "What are your salary expectations?"

"Do you have any questions?" is your last chance to shape the decision.

So, what's the one question you'll ask at the end of your next interview?

If you want help preparing for interviews like this, that's exactly what we work on together.

Explore the Career Growth Accelerator →