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Create ResumeSmart questions to ask in a job interview are questions that help you understand the actual role, not just impress the interviewer. In the Australian job market, good candidates are expected to ask thoughtful questions about expectations, team structure, success measures, management style, workload, and the interview process. The best questions do two things at once: they show you are commercially aware, and they help you decide whether the job is genuinely right for you.
I always tell candidates this: an interview is not a performance where the employer judges you from a throne. It is a two way assessment. You are being evaluated, yes, but you should also be gathering evidence. A vague answer from an employer can tell you just as much as a polished one.
Most candidates prepare answers. Fewer prepare questions properly.
That is a mistake, because the questions you ask at the end of an interview often shape the interviewer’s final impression of you. Not because one magical question will get you hired. That is not how hiring works. But smart questions show the interviewer how you think, what you prioritise, and whether you understand the role beyond the job ad.
In recruitment, I notice three types of candidates at this stage.
Some ask nothing. That can make them look passive, underprepared, or not especially interested.
Some ask generic questions they found online, such as “What is the company culture like?” The question is not terrible, but it is so broad that it usually gets a brochure answer.
Then there are candidates who ask specific, grounded questions that make the interviewer think, “This person understands what the job actually involves.”
That is the level you want.
A strong question does not need to sound clever. It needs to reveal something useful. The goal is not to show off. The goal is to understand the role, the manager, the expectations, the risks, and the reality behind the polished interview language.
A smart interview question is specific, relevant, and connected to the hiring decision. It helps you understand what success looks like, what problems the role needs to solve, and how the employer will judge the person they hire.
Good interview questions usually do at least one of these things:
Clarify what the role actually involves day to day
Reveal what the hiring manager really needs from the successful candidate
Show how performance will be measured
Expose possible pressure points, gaps, or challenges in the team
Help you understand management style and team dynamics
Confirm whether the opportunity matches your priorities
Move the conversation from generic interview talk into real work discussion
The best questions feel natural because they come from curiosity, not scripting.
For example, instead of asking “What does success look like in this role?”, which is fine but overused, you might ask:
Good Example: “If I was successful in this role, what would you want to see me improve, fix, or take ownership of in the first three to six months?”
That is a better question because it pushes the hiring manager to talk about real expectations. It also quietly shows that you are thinking about contribution, not just job title, salary, or benefits.
This is where I would start in most Australian interviews. Before you ask about culture, flexibility, progression, or perks, you need to understand the actual job.
Job ads are often polished versions of reality. They list responsibilities, but they rarely explain the pressure behind the role. They might say “stakeholder management”, but they do not tell you whether that means smooth collaboration or constant chasing of people who ignore your emails until something is on fire.
Smart role questions help you uncover what the job really needs.
You can ask:
“What are the most important priorities for this role in the first three months?”
“What would you need the successful candidate to take ownership of quite quickly?”
“Which parts of the role tend to take up the most time week to week?”
“Is this role more focused on maintaining existing processes, improving them, or building something new?”
“What are the biggest challenges someone would need to be ready for in this position?”
“How has the role changed since it was first created?”
“What would separate a good performer from an excellent performer in this role?”
The question I especially like is:
Good Example: “What problem is this hire really being brought in to solve?”
That question cuts through a lot of fluff. If the manager can answer it clearly, you learn the real reason behind the vacancy. If they struggle, that tells you something too.
Sometimes a role exists because someone left. Sometimes it exists because the team is growing. Sometimes it exists because the workload has become unmanageable and the employer is finally admitting it. Those are very different situations, even if the job title looks the same.
Candidates often misunderstand expectations. They assume that if they can do the duties listed in the job ad, they can do the job. But hiring managers do not only assess task capability. They assess judgement, pace, ownership, stakeholder handling, reliability, and whether they can trust you without constant supervision.
That is why performance questions are powerful.
You can ask:
“How will success be measured in this role?”
“What would you want the successful candidate to achieve by the end of probation?”
“Are there specific targets, deliverables, or outcomes attached to the role?”
“What would make you feel confident that you hired the right person?”
“What does a high performer in this team do differently?”
“Where do people usually struggle when stepping into this role?”
“What feedback would you hope not to have to give the person you hire?”
That last question is a little sharper, so use it only when the conversation already feels comfortable. But it can reveal a lot. Some managers will say they do not want to chase someone for updates. Others will say they need someone who communicates early when there is a problem. Others will mention attention to detail, pace, or stakeholder confidence.
That tells you what they have been burnt by before.
And honestly, that is useful. Hiring managers often interview with the previous problem still sitting in the back of their mind. If the last person lacked initiative, they will overvalue initiative. If the team has been dealing with poor communication, they will listen closely for communication maturity. Smart candidates pick up those signals.
A job is rarely just a job. It is also a manager, a team, a workload rhythm, a communication style, and a set of unwritten expectations.
This matters in Australia because many workplaces describe themselves as “collaborative”, “fast paced”, or “supportive”. Lovely words. Very reusable. Also quite vague.
You need to translate those words into actual working conditions.
Ask questions like:
“How is the team structured, and where would this role fit?”
“Who would I work with most closely day to day?”
“How would you describe your management style?”
“How does the team usually communicate when priorities change?”
“What does support look like during busy periods?”
“How are decisions usually made in the team?”
“What kind of person tends to do well under your leadership?”
“What do you value most in the people you manage?”
One question I like because it feels human but still practical is:
Good Example: “When someone joins your team and performs well, what are they usually doing that makes your life easier?”
That question makes the manager think practically. It moves them away from abstract qualities like “proactive” and “team player” and towards observable behaviours.
You might hear:
They keep me updated before I have to ask
They flag issues early
They can handle competing priorities without creating drama
They build trust with stakeholders
They do not need every tiny thing explained twice
That is gold. That tells you how to position yourself in the rest of the process.
“Can you tell me about the company culture?” is one of the most common interview questions candidates ask. It is also one of the easiest for employers to answer badly.
Most interviewers will say some version of:
Collaborative
Supportive
Busy
Friendly
Fast paced
Growing
Flexible
None of those words are useless, but they need evidence.
A better approach is to ask culture questions that require examples.
Try:
“How would you describe the team culture in practice, not just on paper?”
“What behaviours are genuinely valued here?”
“Can you give me an example of how the team handles pressure or competing priorities?”
“How does the business support people when workloads increase?”
“What kind of communication style works best in this organisation?”
“What is something new starters usually need to adjust to?”
“What does flexibility look like in practice for this team?”
That last one is especially important in the Australian market, where flexible work can mean very different things depending on the employer. Some companies mean genuine hybrid work. Some mean flexible as long as you are flexible in their favour. Very generous of them.
Weak Example: “Do you have good work life balance?”
The problem with this question is that almost nobody says, “No, we are chaotic and everyone is exhausted.” You will usually get a polished answer.
Good Example: “What does work life balance usually look like in this team during normal periods, and what changes during peak periods?”
That question gives the interviewer room to be honest. It also helps you distinguish between a role that has occasional busy seasons and a role where “busy period” is basically the whole calendar wearing a disguise.
Many candidates are nervous to ask workload questions because they do not want to seem unwilling to work hard. I understand that fear, but avoiding the topic completely is not wise.
You are not asking because you are lazy. You are asking because workload affects performance, wellbeing, and whether expectations are realistic.
The key is how you frame it.
Instead of asking, “Will I have to work overtime?”, ask:
“What does a typical week look like in this role?”
“Are there predictable peak periods I should be aware of?”
“How are priorities managed when everything feels urgent?”
“How does the team decide what gets deprioritised when capacity is tight?”
“What are the biggest pressure points in the role at the moment?”
“Is the workload fairly steady, or does it come in waves?”
“How does the business handle resourcing when demand increases?”
The strongest workload question is often:
Good Example: “When priorities compete, how does the team decide what matters most?”
That question tells you whether the workplace has actual prioritisation or just a culture of calling everything urgent. In hiring, “fast paced” can mean energising, commercial, and dynamic. It can also mean under resourced, reactive, and allergic to planning. You need to know which version you are walking into.
Career growth questions are useful, but they need to be asked carefully. If you ask about promotion too early or too aggressively, you can accidentally signal that you are already trying to leave the role before you have even started.
That does not mean you should avoid the topic. It means you should frame growth around performance, contribution, and realistic pathways.
Good questions include:
“What development opportunities are available once someone is performing well in this role?”
“How have people in similar roles grown within the business?”
“What skills would someone need to build to progress from this position?”
“How does the company approach internal mobility?”
“Are career pathways structured, or do they depend more on business needs and performance?”
“What would I need to demonstrate before being considered for broader responsibilities?”
The most realistic question is:
Good Example: “What have previous high performers in this role gone on to do?”
This tells you whether growth is real or theoretical. Many companies say there is room to grow. Fewer can give clear examples. If they can name actual pathways, that is a better sign.
In the Australian job market, career progression often depends on business size, structure, budget, manager advocacy, and whether there is somewhere to move. A small business might offer broader exposure but limited formal promotion. A larger organisation might offer structured pathways but slower movement. Neither is automatically better. You just need to understand the trade off.
Candidates often ask the same questions to everyone in the process. That is not always the best strategy.
A recruiter and a hiring manager usually see the role from different angles. A recruiter may understand the hiring process, salary range, market positioning, candidate concerns, and why the role is open. The hiring manager understands the work, team expectations, daily challenges, and performance standards.
Ask the recruiter questions like:
“What has the hiring manager prioritised most for this role?”
“What have they liked or not liked in candidates so far?”
“Is there anything about the role or process that candidates have misunderstood?”
“What is the salary range or package expectation for this position?”
“What are the next steps and likely timing from here?”
“Is there anything you think I should clarify with the hiring manager?”
Ask the hiring manager questions like:
“What would you need from this person in the first three months?”
“Where does the team need the most support right now?”
“What does great performance look like in this role?”
“How do you prefer to work with your direct reports?”
“What are the biggest challenges the successful candidate should expect?”
A recruiter can often tell you what is happening around the process. A hiring manager can tell you what is happening inside the role. Both matter.
A good recruiter will also notice the quality of your questions. When I speak with candidates after interviews, I am listening for whether they understood the opportunity or just attended the meeting. There is a difference.
Not every red flag is obvious. Some are wrapped in pleasant language.
Employers rarely say, “This role is a mess.” They say, “We need someone resilient.” They do not say, “The manager is hard to work with.” They say, “This role needs someone who can manage up.” They do not say, “The workload is unrealistic.” They say, “It is a very fast paced environment.”
This is why your questions need to test the language.
Useful red flag questions include:
“Why is the role currently available?”
“What happened with the previous person in the role?”
“What are the biggest challenges facing the team right now?”
“What would make this role difficult for someone?”
“What support is available during the onboarding period?”
“How clear are the priorities for this role at the moment?”
“What would you say is still being worked out or improved within the team?”
“Is there anything about the role that tends to surprise new starters?”
Pay attention not only to the answer, but how the answer is delivered.
A thoughtful, honest answer is usually a good sign, even if the challenge is real. Every role has challenges. I trust employers more when they can explain them clearly.
What concerns me is vagueness, defensiveness, contradiction, or over selling. If a manager cannot explain why the role is open, what success looks like, or how workload is managed, that is not automatically a deal breaker, but it is information.
And information is exactly what you are there to collect.
Some questions are not wrong because the topic is wrong. They are wrong because the timing, wording, or implication works against you.
Avoid leading with questions like:
“How soon can I get promoted?”
“How much leave do I get?”
“Do you monitor employees?”
“Can I work from home whenever I want?”
“Is the job stressful?”
“How strict are you about start and finish times?”
“Will I have to do tasks outside my job description?”
These questions might come from reasonable concerns, but they can sound self interested too early in the process.
That does not mean you should avoid salary, flexibility, leave, workload, or boundaries. Those are legitimate topics. You just need to ask them with more maturity.
Instead of asking:
Weak Example: “Can I work from home whenever I want?”
Ask:
Good Example: “What does the hybrid or flexible work arrangement look like for this team in practice?”
Instead of asking:
Weak Example: “Is this job stressful?”
Ask:
Good Example: “What are the busiest periods in the role, and how does the team manage pressure during those times?”
Instead of asking:
Weak Example: “Will I have to do things outside my job description?”
Ask:
Good Example: “How broad is the role in practice, and are there areas where the successful candidate may need to support outside the core responsibilities?”
The difference is not politeness for the sake of it. The difference is professional framing. Mature candidates ask direct questions in a way that shows judgement.
In most interviews, prepare six to eight questions and expect to ask three to five. You may not need all of them because some will be answered during the conversation.
Do not fire questions at the interviewer like you are conducting an audit. Choose the strongest questions based on what has already been discussed.
A good approach is to prioritise:
One question about role priorities
One question about success measures
One question about team or manager expectations
One question about challenges or workload
One question about next steps
For example, if you only have time for three questions, ask:
“What would you want the successful candidate to achieve in the first three months?”
“What are the biggest challenges someone should be ready for in this role?”
“What are the next steps in the interview process from here?”
That combination gives you practical information and leaves a strong impression.
Also, listen properly to the answers. Candidates sometimes ask a question and then mentally move to the next one. Do not do that. The follow up is often where the useful information appears.
If the interviewer says, “The role is fast paced,” ask:
That is how you get past vague language.
The best interview questions come from the gap between what you already know and what you still need to decide.
Before the interview, read the job ad and identify what is unclear. Do not just memorise questions. Build them from the role.
Use this simple framework:
Role clarity: What will I actually be doing?
Success measures: How will they judge whether I am doing well?
Manager expectations: What does this manager value?
Team reality: How does the team operate day to day?
Workload: What pressure points should I understand?
Growth: Where could this role lead if I perform well?
Process: What happens next?
This framework keeps your questions focused. It also prevents you from asking questions just because someone on the internet told you they sound impressive.
A smart question should help you make a decision. If the answer would not change your understanding of the role, the company, or the hiring process, it is probably not worth asking.
Here are strong questions you can adapt for most Australian job interviews.
“What problem is this role really being hired to solve?”
“What would you want the successful candidate to achieve in the first three to six months?”
“What separates someone who is good in this role from someone who is excellent?”
“Where do people usually struggle when stepping into this position?”
“What are the most important priorities for the team right now?”
“How would you describe the team culture in practice?”
“What does support look like during onboarding?”
“How does the team manage competing priorities?”
“What kind of communication style works best with this manager or team?”
“What are the biggest challenges facing the role at the moment?”
“How has this role changed over time?”
“What feedback have you received from people who have previously worked in this team?”
“What does flexibility look like in practice for this role?”
“What have previous high performers in this role gone on to do?”
“Is there anything about my background that you would like me to clarify before we finish?”
“What are the next steps in the process, and is there anything else you need from me?”
That second last question can be powerful, but use it carefully. It gives the interviewer a chance to raise concerns while you still have time to respond. If they say, “I was wondering about your experience with X,” you can address it immediately rather than finding out later that it became a reason for rejection.
One of the most underrated interview questions is:
Good Example: “Is there anything about my experience or background that gives you hesitation for this role?”
Not every interviewer will answer openly. Some will keep it polite. But when they do answer, it gives you a rare opportunity to handle an objection in the room.
This question works best near the end of the interview, after you have built rapport and discussed the role properly.
Why does it work?
Because hiring decisions often come down to perceived risk. The hiring manager may like you but still wonder whether you have enough industry exposure, enough stakeholder experience, enough technical depth, or enough leadership maturity. If you do not ask, that concern may sit quietly in their mind until the debrief.
When you ask directly, you show confidence and openness. More importantly, you may get the chance to reframe your experience.
For example:
Weak Response: “No, I can definitely do that.”
That is not enough. It sounds defensive and thin.
Good Response: “That makes sense. While I have not used that exact system, I have worked with similar platforms where the learning curve was mainly around reporting workflows and data accuracy. In my last role, I became confident within the first month because I documented the process, asked early questions, and used the system daily. I would take the same approach here.”
That is how you reduce hiring risk. Not by insisting you are perfect, but by showing the interviewer how you learn, adapt, and close gaps.
The strongest candidates do not sound like they are reading from a list. They connect their questions to the conversation.
Instead of suddenly switching into script mode, use natural transitions.
You can say:
“You mentioned the team is going through change. Can I ask what that means in practice for this role?”
“Earlier you spoke about stakeholder management. Who would be the key stakeholders day to day?”
“You mentioned growth. What would someone need to demonstrate before taking on broader responsibility?”
“You described the environment as fast paced. What does that usually look like during a typical week?”
“Based on what we have discussed, it sounds like prioritisation is important. How does the team manage competing deadlines?”
This is how you make your questions feel thoughtful rather than copied.
Interviewers can tell when a candidate has prepared. That is good. But they can also tell when a candidate is not really listening and is just waiting to ask the next question. That is less good.
Smart questioning is not about sounding impressive. It is about being present, curious, and commercially aware.
The best interview questions help you understand the job behind the job ad.
In Australia, where many employers use similar language around culture, flexibility, pace, and growth, your job is to ask questions that turn vague claims into practical reality. Do not just ask whether the workplace is supportive. Ask what support looks like. Do not just ask whether there is growth. Ask where high performers have actually gone. Do not just accept “fast paced”. Ask what happens when priorities compete.
That is how you interview like someone who understands hiring, not someone trying to survive the final five minutes.
A smart candidate does not ask questions only to impress the employer. A smart candidate asks questions to make a better decision.
And that is the part many people forget. Getting the offer is not the only goal. Getting the right offer matters too.
Written by Simar Malhi, a recruiter and headhunter with international recruitment experience. I write about CVs, job applications, hiring decisions, and the reality behind recruitment processes. My goal is to help candidates understand more honestly how employers, recruiters, and hiring managers actually select candidates.
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