Placement

37 Interview Questions to Ask a Recruiter

Updated Dec 21, 20222 min
37 Interview Questions to Ask a Recruiter

37 Interview Questions to Ask a Recruiter

Elise GelwicksUpdated Dec 21, 20222 min
37 Interview Questions to Ask a Recruiter

When you enter into a job interview process with a company for the first time, you'll most likely encounter a recruiter in your first conversation. The internal recruiter wants to be sure that you're worth the time and opportunity cost of someone closer to the role (the hiring manager or staffing manager). 

We know that the recruiter will ask you questions, but there's also time allotted for you to ask questions. Whether this is a phone interview or over Zoom, it's crucial to ask the right questions.

At the end of the interview, you're almost always asked if you have questions to ask. You don't want to say that you don't have any questions! You may think that you're just respectful of the interviewer's time, but companies often view it as a red flag to not come prepared with questions. 

You want these questions to signal that you've done your research and that you're ecstatic to work in this new role. Asking questions is also a fantastic opportunity to better understand the company, the hiring process, and your interviewer. 

Moreover, it's a pivotal moment to show you're thinking carefully and are enthusiastic. The questions you ask can make or break your shot at, causing it to the next round and ultimately getting a new job.

Don't worry, job seeker, we've got a great list of 37 high-quality, essential questions that will help you breeze past the first conversation with a recruiter and on to the next round of interviews for any job search. 

Pick 6-10 out of this list of questions to make a solid first impression in your following interview with a recruiter!

Interview Questions to Ask Recruiters

  1. What changes are happening now at {company} that you're excited about?

  2. How well do you think the organization adjusted to going fully remote for Covid? 

  3. What is the cadence for employment reviews?

  4. What is "keeping you awake at night" as it relates to this product/mission?

  5. What is another product or team that you admire?

  6. Are there any opportunities for education/continued learning?

  7. What are the goals for the business to achieve in the next few years?

  8. What tools would allow you to do your job daily better?

  9. If you could clone someone on the team, what projects would you now get to with the extra productivity?

  10. What is a way your experience here has positively impacted your personal life? 

  11. How does your company incorporate client feedback into the product?

  12. If you offered me this job opportunity today and I accepted, what would be the first act that I could take to make your life easier?

  13. Based on my skills and our conversation today, where do you think I'd be able to add the most value to the team?

  14. If you had a magic wand and could change one thing about your current role, what would it be?

  15. I noticed that your company values are " ______________________." What actions does the company take to uphold those values? 

  16. Thinking back to people that you've hired, what makes them so good at their job?

  17. What characteristics could the new hire bring to compliment the strengths of the team? 

  18. What are the specific success metrics for this role? & How well is the team currently meeting those metrics. 

  19. What's the biggest challenge the team is facing right now?

  20. What are the most important goals for the company this calendar year?

  21. What would it look like for someone in this role to exceed expectations?

  22. What would make you proud of a new hire a year from now?

  23. What are the biggest priorities for the person in this role in their first three months?

  24. {Job Title} means different things at different companies. How do you define the role here?

  25. From my research, it seems like a couple of competitors in the industry are {Competitor 1} and {Competitor 2}. How does your organization view its competitive position?

  26. It seems like the company culture here is {{what the website says the company culture is like}}. What kind of people do you see be most successful here?

  27. How would you define the work-life balance here at {company}?

  28. That project you mentioned about X sounds like a fascinating project to work on. How did your team decide to work on that?

  29. I love how you described the culture as being collaborative. How do you see that play out on a day-to-day basis?

  30. What is something unexpected you've learned while working here?

  31. From your Linkedin profile, it seemed like your background was actually in a different industry. What was the transition to this industry like for you?

  32. What do you enjoy most about working here?

  33. What is the long-term vision for the company?

  34. How does leadership set goals?

  35. What does your interview process look like from here?

  36. In terms of time frame, when might I expect to hear about any next steps?

  37. Are there any opportunities to demonstrate my work? Perhaps, a case study, take-home, or whiteboarding challenge?

Elise Gelwicks
Elise is a communications and emotional intelligence training consultant for companies and law firms

Grow your career with a coach

Find my coach