What questions should I ask the interviewer at the end of an interview?

Twelve years of running and listening to interviews — the questions a candidate asks at the end matter more than most candidates think. They're the last thing the interviewer remembers. They're often what gets discussed in the calibration call afterwards. They're sometimes the deciding factor when two candidates are close.

What works: questions tied to specific things mentioned in the interview. 'You mentioned the platform team is going through a re-architecture — what's driving that, and where does this role fit in?' That question signals you've been listening, you've been thinking about the actual context of the role, and you're already engaging like someone in the position.

Five categories of strong questions, in rough priority order. First, role-and-success: 'What does excellent look like in this role at the 6-month and 12-month mark?' or 'What's a recent project this team did that went really well, and one that was harder than expected?' Second, team: 'How is the team organised, and how does this role fit in?' or 'Who are the most senior people I'd be working with day to day?' Third, business: 'What's the biggest priority for the function this year that this role will be involved in?' Fourth, the manager: 'How would you describe your management style?' or 'What would you want me to push back on you about?' Fifth, process and next steps: 'What does the rest of the process look like, and what's the timeline?'

What doesn't work: generic questions ('what's the culture like?'), questions you should already know the answer to from research ('what does the company do?'), questions about benefits or salary in early rounds ('what's the holiday allowance?' — save these for offer-stage), and the 'do you have any concerns about my candidacy?' question. The last one was popular in 2010s career advice but reads as desperate to most modern UK interviewers.

The closer that flips borderline decisions: 'If I'm offered this role and accept, what would make me successful in the first 90 days?' That single question signals you're already thinking about delivery, not interview performance. It also tells you exactly what to focus on if you join.

Aim for 3-5 questions max. More than that and you're filling time. Less than 2 and you look uninterested. The interviewer almost always asks 'do you have any questions for us?' as the closer; come with a list and pick the ones you didn't already get answers to during the interview.