What questions do you have for us?

Break down this behavioral question with a model STAR answer, the pitfalls that cost candidates points, and the follow-up questions worth rehearsing next.

A strong STAR example answer

Yes — a few, and they matter to me.

First, about the role itself. You mentioned the team owns retention: what would a great first year look like? Concretely, what would the person in this seat need to deliver for you to call the hire a clear success? I ask because in my current role the answer to that question became the defining project of my year, and I want to know early what the equivalent win is here.

Second, about the team. I read your engineering blog post on the infrastructure migration, and it mentioned the analytics stack was consolidated mid-migration. How settled is the tooling now? Would my first quarter be building on stable ground or helping finish that transition? Both are fine — but they are different jobs.

And last, a personal one: you have been here a while. What has kept you? The honest version. Every company has a pitch; the reasons people stay tell me more than the reasons they joined.

I would rather spend this time learning something real than asking about vacation policy, so thank you in advance for the candor.

How to structure your own answer

• Situation: Treat it as a real interview segment, not a formality.
• Task: Ask about success in the role, not perks or logistics.
• Action: Show research by referencing something specific about the team.
• Result: End with a question about the interviewer's own experience.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Never answer "no, you covered everything" — it reads as disinterest or poor preparation.
• Salary, benefits, and vacation are fair questions, just not for a first-round interview.
• Anything answerable by thirty seconds on the company website wastes your best moment.
• Did you listen to the answer? Asking a rehearsed question and ignoring the reply proves it was theater.

Follow-up questions to prepare for

Expect the interviewer to dig past your first answer. Common follow-ups for this question include:

• (This question usually ends the interview — the follow-ups come from your questions.)
• What did you think of the answers you received?

Related practice questions

Keep drilling with these, or browse the complete question bank.

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