What Should You Ask?
The worst thing to say when asked if you have any questions is “No.” Instead, use this opportunity to demonstrate that you’ve conducted research and have been listening critically during the interview.
Though you never want to put an interviewer on the defensive (for example, by asking how the CEO’s tax fraud trial is going), you can ask about the business and the market. Here are some examples (to be used only if applicable):
- How have the recently announced government regulations affected your business?
- I see that your main competitor, X, just released a new version of its widget. What effect, if any, did this have on your sales strategy?
- I gather from your website that your manufacturing facilities are in Singapore, marketing is in Idaho, and the sales force is around the country. Have you found the decentralization to be a challenge?
- The article about your marketing strategy in Business Week was very informative. What was the internal response to the piece?