‌Interviewing is about making a memorable impression on the hiring manager.‌ The questions they ask you are important, but ‌the reverse interview questions you ask them can give them even more insight into your character and personality.‌ Creating a list of questions before you walk into the interview helps you appear prepared, interested and thorough.

Company Culture

During a job interview, you are feeling out the company to see if it's a good fit, just as the recruiter is looking for clues about your work ethic and personality. ‌As an interviewee, ask questions about the company as a whole, such as the high points of the company's five-year strategic plan -- or its most important goals for the next five years -- and how the department you would be working in fits into that long-term plan.‌

Information on the company's values can help you decide whether it's the best place for you to work, so ask about what the company values most and how it helps employees further those values.

Specifics About the Job

When getting down to the nitty gritty about your job duties, the best questions will get you some details from the hiring manager about what's most important in the position and day-to day duties. For example, ‌a good question would be "What is the most important task for the person in this position to accomplish in the first 30, 60 or 90 days?"‌ Without inquiring about problems with the previous employee, ask what improvements the company is hoping the new employee can make in the available position or the biggest challenges they face.

‌Also, get a feel for the department's work environment by asking what two traits the company feels are most important for the new employee to have‌. If "team player" is one of the traits, you know you'll be working closely with other team members without much independent decision making or leadership roles, for example. "Self-motivated" might mean you will spend much of your time alone in your office. You can also ask about the expected working hours and growth potential.

Management Style

Since it's likely you'll be working closely with a new manager as you train in the new position, during the interview process, ‌ask about that prospective employer's management style and what kind of employees he works best with.‌ Inquire about the aspects of leadership he thinks are the most important, such as facilitating employee education, mentoring, fostering creative thinking or inspiring productivity. The answers can help you get a better feel for whether you and the manager can work well together.

Tips

‌As you prepare for your interview, good career advice is to spend some time researching the company and job description by reviewing its website or looking for relevant news articles.‌ Linkedin is a good resource for such information, not just for a job search.

When crafting your questions, make sure they aren't answers that are easily found on the website. Your questions should be more of the big-picture type, rather than the basics about the products the company offers, for example. ‌Also, phrase the questions so they can't be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." This makes your questions sound more intelligent, and it can give you more detailed answers.‌ Instead of asking if your direct manager handles your performance evaluations, ask "How will my performance be measured, and who typically conducts the evaluation?".

Make sure the company is a good fit for your career path. The questions you ask can help expose any red flags within the new job. You can also always email back with follow-up questions after the interview, that will show initiative in that you are a good job candidate for the new role.