prepare-an-interview-question-list

name	prepare-an-interview-question-list
category	get-hired
description	Prepare interview questions that reveal role expectations, decision authority, working conditions, and hiring-process next steps. Use when a candidate needs to evaluate an opportunity as well as demonstrate informed interest.

prepare-an-interview-question-list

Ask questions whose answers can change a decision.

When to use

• Use before recruiter, manager, peer, panel, executive, or final interviews.
• Do not ask only questions already answered clearly in the role description or public materials.

Procedure

1. Note the interviewer's role, stage, available time, and what remains unknown.
2. Review the job description and prior conversations; mark contradictions and assumptions.
3. Draft questions across success measures, first priorities, decision rights, dependencies, team practices, constraints, feedback, and hiring timeline.
4. Add role-relevant questions about on-call, travel, location, accessibility, safety, regulated work, or customer exposure where applicable.
5. Phrase questions neutrally and ask for concrete recent examples rather than inviting slogans.
6. Rank five essential questions and five backups by who can answer them.
7. Avoid fishing for confidential information or asking questions that expose protected personal information.
8. Record the answer, evidence, uncertainty, and follow-up rather than relying on memory.

Done

• A prioritized list assigns specific, decision-relevant questions to the appropriate interviewer
• Interview notes distinguish confirmed answers, examples, contradictions, unanswered items, and follow-ups