Motivation & fit
How to answer: “Do you have any questions for me?”
An engagement test, not a formality. Bring specific, thoughtful questions that show you are evaluating them too.
Why it is asked
What this question is really testing
This always comes at the end, and many candidates treat it as a formality and waste it. It is not. Having no questions signals low interest; generic questions you could have googled signal low effort. Strong, specific questions signal that you are seriously evaluating whether this is the right place for you, which paradoxically makes you more attractive.
Prepare more questions than you will need, because some get answered during the interview. Aim for questions that only this person, in this role, can answer: how the team makes technical decisions, what the biggest current challenge is, how success is measured in the first six months, what the interviewer wishes they had known before joining. Tailor them to who is in the room; ask the engineer about the codebase and the manager about growth and team health.
Avoid questions that are really just about what you get (time off, when can I work from home) in a first round, and avoid anything you could have learned from a thirty-second search. The goal is a real two-way conversation.
The signal
What interviewers listen for
- You came prepared and treat this as a real evaluation, not a formality.
- Questions tailored to the interviewer's role and to this company.
- Genuine curiosity about the work, the team, and how success is judged.
- Engagement that turns the close into a two-way conversation.
Worked example
A STAR answer you can adapt
Scenario: Engineer closing with the hiring manager. Read it for the shape, then swap in your own story.
Situation
At the end the manager asked what questions I had.
Task
I wanted to learn something real and show I was evaluating the role seriously.
Action
I asked what the team's biggest technical challenge is right now, how decisions on architecture actually get made, and what success looks like for this role in the first six months. Then I asked the manager what they wish they had known before joining.
Result
That last one opened up an honest, useful conversation about the team's growth pains, which told me more than any pitch could. It also clearly landed well, because we ran over time talking.
Answer skeleton
Fill-in-the-blank template
I do. What is the team's biggest [technical/product] challenge right now? How do [key decisions] actually get made here? What does success look like in the first six months? And what do you wish you had known before you joined?
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Saying you have no questions.
- Asking things you could have learned from a quick search.
- Leading in a first round with perks, pay, or time off.
- Asking generic questions not tailored to the person in front of you.
By role
How the answer shifts by role
Engineering
Ask the engineer about the codebase, testing culture, and how technical decisions are made.
Product management
Ask about how the roadmap is set, how product and engineering partner, and how success is measured.
Engineering management
Ask about team health, growth paths, and the biggest people or delivery challenge the org faces.
Be ready for
Likely follow-up questions
- Why is that important to you?
- What would your ideal answer to that be?
- Is there anything that would make you hesitant to join?
Last reviewed by the site editor: June 2026
More practice
Other questions worth a rehearsal
If this question is on your list, these usually belong there too.
Turn prep into an offer
Behavioral rounds are only half the loop. See the technical and behavioral questions for your exact role, and when an offer lands, check it is competitive with the salary comparison tool.