Good Questions to Ask an Interviewer: What 192 Real Interviews Reveal

The most-asked question in every interview isn't what you think

Most candidates assume "Tell me about yourself" is the question they'll face most often. It isn't. In our anonymized analysis of real interviews recorded with MeetAssist, the single most common thing an interviewer says is some version of "Do you have any questions for me?" — and it beat every technical prompt, every behavioral setup, and every icebreaker.

This is why it is important: because this is the only question that you can fully prepare for, and yet, it is the question that most people waste. It tends to come up at the end of the call after the interviewer has been assessing your knowledge and begins to evaluate your judgment. If taken lightly, it signals to the interviewer that you’re disengaged; if treated as a genuine dialogue, it is the difference between a yes and a no. In that sense, it can change your status from qualified to “we want this person.” And having a bank of great questions to ask the interviewer is what determines the difference.

What the data says: how often "Do you have any questions for me?" actually comes up

Here are the exact numbers. In our dataset of 2,390 questions analyzed across 192 interviews by 120 candidates in July 2026, "Do you have any questions for me?" was asked 19 times by 13 distinct candidates — the single most-asked question of the month. A near-identical variant, "Do you have any additional questions?", was asked another 4 times by 3 candidates. Those two phrasings occupy positions #1 and #9 on the top-25 list.

For reference, questions like “tell me about yourself” showed up 12 times, and “what is your expected salary?” 7 times; the closing question appeared more frequently than either. In real life, you will likely encounter this question in almost every interview you do. Yet this question has the biggest leverage to practice, and the question you will likely fumble most often.

The worst answers: 3 gaps that quietly sink candidates

Looking at how candidates responded, we identified three specific mistakes in their answers. None of these is mentioned explicitly but each will cost you points.

1. Vague or generic questions

"What's the culture like?" or "What does a typical day look like?" aren't wrong, but they reveal nothing about your judgment. Career centers warn against a related version of this: asking anything answerable by a quick look at the company website makes you look underprepared rather than curious, as Colorado State's career team points out. Generic questions signal that you're going through the motions.

2. Asking nothing at all

The most disastrous thing you can do is say nothing. You're giving up your only opportunity to prove that you're interested, because when interviewers ask you if you have any questions and you have none, they take it as a sign you aren't interested. So, if you think you've already discussed everything, have something in your back pocket, as we'll see below.

3. Skipping success metrics and next steps

Some consistent mistakes we saw in the responses was not asking about how your performance will be evaluated, what your growth opportunities could look like or what's the next step in the process. These are just a few examples of questions you can ask to come across as already envisioning yourself in the role. Stronger candidates won't make this oversight.

What strong answers share: turning the close into a two-way conversation

Successful candidates turned the interview into a conversation, instead of an ordeal. They asked good questions about the job and the organization and asked enough questions that the interviewer could see their thinking about what's most important.

That’s what the hiring manager is hearing. Asking, operationally, how success is defined in this role says you’re ready to execute. Asking, thoughtfully, what’s the biggest challenge your team is facing says you’re solving problems right now. That’s what the interview advice is telling you: The best close questions are always about prioritization, metrics, and roadblocks. Not what we call “curiosity” questions.

A bank of good questions to ask an interviewer (organized by goal)

You don't need to remember a whole list of them. Just have two or three that best fit the job and the individual you're interviewing. Here's the top picks based on the information you're trying to get.

The role and success metrics

• What does success look like in the first 90 days?
• What does success in this role entail, and what defines those metrics for you?
• What are the biggest problems this role needs to solve in the first few months?
• What’s the very first thing that you’d hope the person hired for this role will get done?

Questions about how success is measured are among the most evidence-backed you can ask — multiple career sources, including CareerVillage, explicitly recommend them because they reframe you as a future contributor rather than a candidate.

The team and priorities

• What are some key priorities for the team on the horizon?
• What does the team look like and who would I be primarily working alongside?
• What's changed of late to make this a role worth creating at this particular moment?

Growth and development

• For one who does the job well, what does growth look like?
• How do the strongest members of your team continue to improve?

Next steps

• What happens next, and when should I expect to hear from you?
• Given my background, is there any reason that you would think I would not fit?

That last question is bold, but it lets you address doubts before you leave the room. And asking about next steps is not a weak filler — Indeed's career coaches specifically recommend keeping one such question in reserve for when your other questions get answered mid-conversation.

You'll notice public lists cover similar ground. A popular r/jobhunting thread leads with "What does success look like in this role in the first 90 days?" and "What are the biggest challenges someone in this role would face?" — the same questions our data flags as high-signal. When the crowd and the numbers agree, use them.

Questions to avoid (and how to read the room)

Some kinds of questions tend to backfire. Anything that can be answered by reading the job posting or taking a quick trip to the company's website suggests insufficient preparation. A yes/no question that doesn't add substance to the conversation should be avoided. Similarly, asking a question that was already answered during the interview can come off as though you weren't paying attention. That's why you should always have a couple of back-up questions.

Compensation timing deserves a note. Our data shows that salary, start dates, and notice periods overwhelmingly come from the interviewer's side: "What is your expected salary?" (7 times), "When would you be able to start?" (5 times), and "What is your notice period?" (5 times) all rank in the top eight most-asked questions. In other words, you rarely need to raise money first — they'll bring it up. When they do, having a plan matters more than being the one to open it; our guide on how to answer salary expectations covers the scripts.

How to prepare 2-3 targeted questions before the call

That’s the basic idea. Jot down two or three questions related to the team's priorities, goals for success, and immediate next steps. (Indeed advises bringing at least three, including follow-up inquiries for each one to avoid the scenario where you ask a single, blunt question and then draw a blank.) Anchor each question to a specific detail: a product they shipped, a detail from the job description, or a detail from the recruiter screen.

Then adapt live. If the interviewer already covered your first question, drop it and move to the next — this is exactly why you prepared more than one. The same story-bank discipline that works for behavioral prompts applies here; our breakdowns of "Tell me about yourself" and "Tell me about a time..." questions use the same principle: prepare raw material, not a memorized script.

If you tend to freeze at the close of a call, this is one place a live assist genuinely helps. MeetAssist surfaces real-time suggestions during your actual Zoom, Meet, or Teams interview, so when the interviewer asks "Do you have any questions for me?" you have a sharp, role-specific question ready instead of a blank stare.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 5 best questions to ask an interviewer?

I think there are the following five questions that I think are great for assessing judgment: What does success look like in the first 90 days? What will be success metrics for this position and how are those success metrics determined? What would be some challenges a person in this role would face? What are some top priority items for the team? And what are your next steps? You definitely don’t want to ask the five; you want to choose two or three based on the conversation.

What are the top 10 questions to ask an interviewer at the end?

Consider inquiring about expectations for your first 90 days, the metrics used to define success, the primary obstacles associated with the position, immediate team objectives, your likely primary collaborators, the rationale behind the current vacancy, prospects for professional development, methods used by top performers to maintain excellence, the hiring timeline, and whether the hiring manager has any remaining reservations about you.

How do you answer "Do you have any questions for me?"

Don't treat your question as a checkbox. Pose one or two specific, well-thought-out questions regarding the role's priorities, how your success will be gauged, or what comes next, and then listen carefully while seeking clarification or follow-ups. You want to use the closing as an opportunity to demonstrate your dedication and your thoughtfulness, which are the hallmarks, according to our data, of high-quality candidates.

Is it bad to have no questions for the interviewer?

Yes. Not asking anything at all is the most damaging option, since it comes across as low interest and misses the golden opportunity to show you care. Even if you've already covered everything, have a backup question prepared, like asking about timeline or next steps. Those questions never come across as phony.