Being able to ask questions at the end of your tech job interview shows interest and confidence, which might just give you an edge over the competition. 😉
Your tech job interview is coming to an end, and you know what that means. Sooner or later the interviewer will leave you with that dreadful, awkward-silence-provoking question: "Do you have any questions for me?". You always remember to prepare for the questions you might have to answer, but you never think about some to ask yourself.
Asking some interesting questions might be key to a successful interview. Not only will you seem interested in the position and the company, but taking control and challenging the interviewer will make you seem confident and a strong candidate. Plus, while the interviewer is trying to determine if you’re right for the job, you also need to determine if the job is right for you.
Here are 8 tech job interview questions to have in your back pocket for the next time you find yourself in this position.
1. How has this position evolved, and how might the responsibilities change in the future?
Due to the constant evolution of technology, specific roles in a company are always coming and going. The role you’re applying to might be new or very different from what it was a few years ago, the same way it could be different from what it will be down the road.
Understanding the "history" of a position will let you have an insight into the possible future for the role itself. Are there larger, long-term goals associated with this position? What are the prospects for its future?
Asking this question will let you have a feel for the vision and expectations the company has for this specific role. Plus, you’ll be letting the interviewer know that you’re interested in growing in your role and with the company, which may weigh in your favor.
2. What soft skills would make someone successful in this position?
To fill a tech position in a company, you’ll need to meet the technical knowledge criteria. But what soft skills would be beneficial for the role? For tech and IT workers, the right soft skills can be just as important as tech knowledge, and help them excel at their jobs.
Communication skills, time management, networking abilities, and critical thinking are only a few things that might be helpful, or even required, for the available position in the company. By asking this tech job interview question you’ll quickly recognize what’s necessary to be successful and if the open position would be the right one for you.
3. What does the company do to stay on the cutting edge of innovation?
Tech is an ever-evolving area, so if you work in tech you’re probably interested in the evolution and innovation aspects of the field. So, working for a company that offers you the chance to challenge yourself, learn new things, and try things out would be the dream.
Ask your interviewer about what they do to stay at the forefront of the industry. Do they partake in conferences, offer courses, and participate in different tech events? Do they try to get their teams involved in hackathons, or encourage them to pursue different projects?
All of these incentives can be transformative for a team and for the company itself, by promoting an environment where it is great to try solving a problem in different ways, inspiring and motivating the teams, allowing them to test their skills, and ultimately working on the company’s image and brand.
This question will also let your interviewer know that you are interested in being a part of the development and progress of the field and that you're also prepared for challenges and looking for ways to overcome them.
4. What do people love about working here?
By asking this question, you’re bound to get a multitude of different answers depending on what the main focuses of the company are. Maybe they value team development, have a great cultural environment, or pride themselves on providing their tech teams with autonomy and flexibility.
This tech job interview question will allow you to find out more about the values and benefits of the company and understand if (and how) they align with your own preferences.
At KWAN we make sure our IT professionals are matched with a project according to their preferences, skills, expectations and favourite stack. And if later they realize they would be happier doing something else, we’re happy to find them another project.
Remember that tech jobs are in demand everywhere and so you don’t need to settle for less - as there are so many companies trying to hire the most talented developers - and that’s why asking this question is so important!
5. How’s the company culture here different from other tech companies?
Lots of tech companies can provide good benefits, nice offices, and teams filled with smart people, so it's important that you can figure out what sets the company you’re interviewing for from the others.
Nowadays companies are less interested in having a group of people who think, act, and know the same, and more focused on hiring for cultural fit, based on values and full candidate profile. They want to build cohesive teams of different people who can collaborate effectively.
Feel free to ask about the ratio between experienced hires and new grad hires, how much people hang out outside of work, how flexible work locations and hours are, and how much the company values diversity.
Asking your interviewer about the culture of the company shows that you are interested in integrating the tech team, and it’s also the best way for you to understand if you’d be comfortable and productive in the workplace.
6. Does the company offer employees the opportunity to learn new things? And How?
Learning is important for everyone in tech! As a software engineer, a developer or an architect, you know there’s always new coding languages, frameworks, processes… and ways to improve those processes. And although you also know it’s impossible to keep up with every single novelty in the tech world, you know that learning is how you move forward!
By asking the recruiter how the company provides learning opportunities to their employees, you will first get an insight into the company's view on the importance of learning, and second, how are they applying it in practice.
Depending on the answer, you might even ask some follow-up questions, like:
- Is it easy for people to move to different teams and try out new roles?
- Are there any opportunities to learn about a different technical area?
- How does the company promote the sharing of knowledge between colleagues?
7. What does the onboarding process look like?
Starting any new job comes with an adaptation phase, and that onboarding process is always different in each company and might not always be easy.
If it’s a fully remote onboarding process, then it can be even more challenging - but don’t worry, we just published an article with six testimonials from IT professionals who’ve been through it and have a lot of insights and tips to share. 💪
A good tech company should always have a solid onboarding process plan in place!
Getting to know your colleagues and their work dynamics is important for you to start feeling part of the team - before the actual work starts.
Moreover, the onboarding is also a great time to get familiarized with all the documentation and the technologies the company's website is built on.
By asking this tech job interview question, you’ll be showing that you are aware there will be an onboarding phase and that you’re motivated to get through it and start working to your full potential on the project.
8. How does your team approach problems?
Regardless of your role in a company, all tech workers are obligated to constantly find solutions for (some more, some less) complex problems. Each company and sometimes each team is bound to have different strategies that lead to the resolution of the issues at hand.
Some will prefer to quickly tackle the problem and figure it out as they go, through trial and error, while others will prefer to sit down, analyze the circumstances, brainstorm solutions and come up with a full plan before trying anything.
By asking this question you’ll understand what kind of methods the teams are more likely to use, and have a better understanding of how your own ideas for problem-solving will fit in with the rest.
8 tech job interview questions: final thoughts
Not asking any questions to the recruiter is a very common mistake people make in tech job interviews.
If a lack of ideas was your main issue, now you have 8 tech job interview questions that will not only make you seem more interested and confident but also help you understand how the company works, what they value, and what benefits they provide.
Next time you’re preparing for an interview, try to remember some of these questions (or write them down and have them with you by the time of the interview!) and impress the recruiters - not only with your amazing tech skills but also with your very relevant questions!
If KWAN recruiters are the ones you would like to impress, start by introducing yourself, here.