Questions to ask at the end of an interview

Ask one or two questions you actually want answered, ones the panel can deal with in a minute or so. The useful topics are the team, the first few months in post, training and how success will be judged. In most public sector interviews this part is not scored, so it rarely wins you the job. It does tell you whether you want it, and it leaves the panel with a sensible last impression.

Is this part scored?

Usually not. Panels score set questions against agreed criteria, and “Do you have any questions for us?” comes after the scored part has finished. Panel members are people, though, and a thoughtful question sticks in the memory when scores are close.

If everything was covered and you have nothing left to ask, say so: “You have answered the questions I had about the induction and the team, thank you.” That is a perfectly good answer.

Questions about the team and the work

• What does a typical week look like in this post?
• How is the team made up, and who would I work with most closely?
• What are the main pressures on the service at the moment?
• What would you want the person in this post to have achieved after six months?
• How does this team work with other departments or services?

They show interest in the work itself and give you real information about workload and priorities.

Questions about support and training

• What induction is there for new starters?
• How is supervision or line management arranged?
• What training is available, and is time given to do it?
• Are there opportunities to move into higher-graded posts, and how have people in the team progressed?

For NHS roles, asking about preceptorship (for newly registered nurses and allied health professionals), clinical supervision and study leave is normal. Early career teachers can ask about mentoring and how the school runs induction, which lasts the equivalent of two school years in England.

Sector-specific questions that work well

In schools, ask how behaviour is managed across the school, how much planning is shared within the department, and how support staff are deployed in the classroom. The guide to teaching interview days covers the rest of the day.

In the NHS, ask about the shift pattern and how far ahead rotas are published, how the ward or team handles staffing gaps, and what the trust does to support staff wellbeing. The nursing interview questions guide covers the scored questions you are likely to face first.

In the Civil Service, ask whether the role is hybrid and how often people are expected in the office, what the department’s priorities are this year, and how the team measures its performance.

In councils, ask how the team works with elected members, how caseloads are allocated, and what changes are planned for the service.

Questions to leave for later

Salary, annual leave, pension and flexible working matter, and you have every right to ask. But national pay scales and terms and conditions fix most of those answers, and they are already in the advert or job pack. Raising them at interview rarely helps and can sound as if you have not read the pack.

Wait until you have an offer, then talk to HR or the hiring manager about starting pay, pay point and working pattern. The guide on negotiating starting salary in the public sector covers what can move. Flexible working is a day-one right to request, so you can raise it after the offer even if the advert does not mention it.

A dealbreaker, such as only being able to work certain days, belongs at application stage or with the recruitment contact before the interview, so no one’s time is wasted.

Questions to avoid

Skip anything already answered in the advert, the job description or the interview. Skip questions that ask the panel to judge you on the spot (“Do you have any concerns about my application?”). Some candidates use this to tackle doubts, but it puts panel members in an awkward position, and many are told not to give feedback during interviews. Ask about timescales instead: “When are you hoping to let candidates know?”

Questions about other candidates, internal politics or rumours about the organisation go down badly too, and so does using the time to restate your strengths at length. If there is something important you did not get to say, ask the chair whether you can add it briefly. Most panels allow this.

How many to ask

One or two is plenty. Panels run to a tight schedule, especially on interview days with several candidates. Write three or four on your notepad in case some get answered during the interview, then pick the ones still open.