The best questions you'll ask your next boss at a job interview will be the questions that spring directly from the conversation. Here's an example:
MANAGER: So, you've done some online catalog development before, I see. Tell me about your experience.
YOU: Sure. I worked on the online catalog for Underwater Sleepwear, where I worked for the Merchandising Manager. Once I was comfortable updating the catalog I developed a new catalog for a new line of pajamas. Then I was off and rolling!
MANAGER: Did you do the art design yourself?
YOU: Me and my Creative Director did the design. Can I ask you a question about that?
MANAGER: Sure.
YOU: Here you use a catalog template, right?
MANAGER: Yes. It's just easier that way. Well, there are pluses and minuses. What advantages and disadvantages have you found to using a catalog template?
YOU: One of the advantages I've found to using a template is speed to make changes, but the flip side is that often you can't customize a template as much as you would like to. How have you looked at usability for your online catalog?
MANAGER: Did you spot some usability issues with our catalog?
YOU: Well, every website could be more usable -
MANAGER: If you have ideas for us I'd love to hear them.
YOU: Just a couple. On your homepage, it's not obvious how to browse your catalog.
MANAGER: Everyone tells us that. Okay, good catch. Have you worked on usability before?
YOU: Oh yeah! Shall I tell you a story about that?
A good interview is a conversation. If someone has a script in his or her hand, it's not going to be a vibrant and useful interview.
Your best interview questions will emerge from the conversation, but it's still a good idea to bring some interview questions with you.
Here are ten of them that you can ask your hiring manager -- the person who will be your boss if you end up taking the job.
You probably won't have time to ask all ten questions. That's okay! Pick the questions you like best and ask those.
Ten Interview Questions for Your Next Boss
1. What are your biggest goals for the department between now and the end of the year?
2. How will the person in this role (the one we're talking about) help you reach those goals?
3. Who are the internal and external customers for the person in this position, and what do those customers need from him or her?
4. How do you like to communicate with your team members -- via email, or face to face or in another way?
5. What do you expect to be the biggest challenges or learning curves for your new hire as he or she steps into the job?
6. What are the most important metrics or yardsticks that you use to run your department?
7. What's your career story? How did you begin your career, and how did you wend your way to this job?
8. What is the history of this open position? Is this a new position, or was someone in this job before? Where did that person go next?
9. How will hiring this new person make your life easier?
10. What is the set of goals your new person will reach (problems solved or projects started, moved ahead or completed) at the 90-day mark that will make you very happy you hired him or her?
