3 Questions to answer in a job interview.

The single most important part of any job interview is when you ask the candidate if they have any questions for you. I’m regularly disappointed by applicants claiming to know all they need to, or asking something inane just to avoid asking nothing.

Being asked if you have questions makes it sound optional, but this is the opportunity for a great candidate to stand out from the merely good.

I regularly coach people to ask three specific questions that will make a difference to their job hunt.

If you're planning to hire someone, you need solid answers to these questions. If you don't have them, I suggest you're not ready to bring someone new onto your team. Let me explain why each question matters and what your ability (or inability) to answer it reveals about your organization.

Question 1: Who did this job before, and where are they now?

Your answer to this question tells potential hires—and should tell you—a lot about your organization's ability to develop talent. If your previous employee was promoted internally, you have a great story about career progression. If they moved to a significantly better position elsewhere, you can demonstrate how your role provides valuable experience.

But what if you've burned through three people in eighteen months? Or if the last person left abruptly and you're not sure why? These situations should give you pause. They're often symptoms of deeper organizational issues that need addressing before you bring someone else into the role.

I recently spoke with a CEO who couldn't articulate what happened to their previous head of technology. After some probing, it became clear they hadn't defined the role properly, leading to misaligned expectations and inevitable turnover. They weren't ready to hire—they should have stepped back and properly scope the position first.

Question 2: What does success look like after 3 months and after 12 months?

If you can't define what success looks like for a new hire, you're setting them up for failure. I've seen too many companies bring people on board without clear objectives, leading to frustrated employees and wasted resources.

The 3-month horizon should focus on concrete, achievable goals that indicate successful onboarding and early integration. This might include understanding key systems, establishing important relationships within the team, and beginning to contribute to ongoing work with appropriate support.

The 12-month view reveals whether you've thought about long-term development and how this role fits into your organization's strategy. Vague answers like "they should be fully up to speed" aren't good enough. You need specific, measurable objectives that align with both the employee's growth and your business needs.

Question 3: Who will they learn from, and how much time will that person have?

This question often exposes a critical gap in hiring plans. It's not enough to have great talent in your organization—you need to ensure that talent has the capacity to mentor and develop new team members.

I recently consulted with a company eager to hire junior developers. They had senior engineers on staff but hadn't considered that these engineers were already overworked. When we calculated the time needed for proper mentorship, it became clear they needed to either hold off on hiring or bring in additional senior support first.

Your answer here needs to include specific details about mentorship structure and time allocation. "They'll learn from the team" isn't sufficient. Who specifically will be responsible for their development? How many hours per week can that person realistically dedicate to mentoring?

And here's the crucial part—be prepared to honour this commitment. The mentorship time you promise in the interview should be treated as a core part of the role, not an optional extra that gets dropped when things get busy. Your new hire should absolutely hold you accountable to this commitment, and it should be a topic of discussion in their performance reviews. If you're consistently failing to provide the promised mentorship time, that's a legitimate grievance they should raise with you.

Remember, you're not just making a casual promise in the interview – you're setting expectations for a key aspect of their role and development.

Are You Really Ready to Hire?

These questions serve as a reality check for your hiring plans. They force you to think beyond just filling a position and consider the broader context of how a new hire will succeed in your organization.

If you're struggling to answer any of these questions, that's valuable information. It might mean you need to better define the role and its objectives, and build stronger mentorship structures.

The strongest candidates will ask these questions. Having clear, thoughtful answers ready demonstrates that you've created an environment where people can thrive and grow. More importantly, working through these questions before you start interviewing ensures you're truly prepared to bring someone new onto your team.