Questions to ask at the end of an interview

6 minute read · Updated 2026-08-22

Almost every UK interview ends the same way: do you have any questions for us. Saying no is a wasted opportunity, and asking something you could have found on the company's own website is worse. Good questions to ask at the end of an interview do two things at once. They tell you whether you actually want the job, and they show the panel that you have been thinking about the work rather than about getting through the hour.

Prepare six, ask three

Write six questions before you go in and take them on paper. Nobody minds a candidate glancing at notes, and it looks organised rather than unprepared. You will usually only get to ask two or three, because the interview will have answered some of them already, and saying I was going to ask about the induction but you covered that is itself a small point in your favour.

Aim for a mix: one about the work, one about the team or the manager, one about how you would be judged, and one practical question about the next stage. Keep them short. A question that takes forty seconds to ask is a speech.

The best questions to ask at the end of an interview

About the work itself

• What does a normal week look like in this role, as opposed to a busy one?
• What is the first thing you would want the person in this job to sort out?
• Is this a new post or a replacement, and what did the last person go on to do?
• Which part of this job do people find hardest in the first three months?

About the team and the manager

• Who would I report to day to day, and how do they like to keep in touch?
• How big is the team, and how is the work divided between you at the moment?
• How long have most of the team been here?

About success and progression

• How would you know, six months in, that this had gone well?
• Is there a probation review, and what is looked at in it?
• What training would you expect me to do in the first year, and is it funded?

About the process

• What are the next steps, and when do you expect to make a decision?
• Is there a further stage, a practical assessment or a trial shift involved?
• Is there anything about my experience you would like me to expand on before I go?

That last one is the most useful question in the list. It gives the panel permission to raise a doubt while you are still in the room and able to answer it.

Pay, hours and holiday: when to raise them

You are entitled to know what you are being offered, and asking is not rude. The timing is what matters. If the advert stated the salary or the hourly rate, you do not need to ask at all until an offer is on the table. If it said competitive, ask near the end and keep it neutral: Could you tell me the range for this role, so I know we are in the same area?

The same applies to shift patterns, weekend working, overtime rates, call out arrangements, notice periods and probation length. These are legitimate practical questions, and an employer who reacts badly to them has told you something useful. Every employee must receive a written statement of the main terms on or before their first day, so anything vague at interview should be nailed down in writing before you resign from your current job. Our guide to notice periods and references explains what to check before handing in your notice.

Questions that do you damage

• Anything answered on the first page of the company website. It reads as no preparation.
• How quickly can I be promoted, asked before you have been offered the job you applied for.
• How much sick leave do people take, or how closely is time off monitored. Both invite the wrong assumption.
• Do you check references or run background checks. Employers do, and asking suggests a reason.
• Long hypothetical questions about strategy in a role that is nothing to do with strategy.
• Anything aggressive about the interviewer's own record or the company's finances.

If you genuinely need to raise something sensitive, such as a fixed childcare commitment or a medical appointment during the notice period, do it plainly and briefly at the end. Most managers respect it, and it is far better than a surprise later.

Close properly

After your questions, take twenty seconds to confirm you want the job and why. Something like: Thank you. Having heard more about the role, I would like it, particularly the rota stability and the training on the new system. Is there anything else you need from me? Then ask when you can expect to hear, and stop talking.

A short thank you email the same day is worth sending, mentioning one specific thing from the conversation. Keep it to four lines. If you want to sharpen the earlier part of the interview as well, our guide to common interview questions covers the openings that decide most outcomes.

Next step: write your six questions the night before, then keep applying while you wait for the decision by checking our current vacancies.