Basic Interview Questions to Ask (Scripts by Level)

The Hook (pain)

You’re doing fine in the interview… until the interviewer says, “Any questions for us?” Then you panic, ask something vague like “What’s the culture like?”, and the conversation ends on a flat note. It’s frustrating because you know you had one last chance to stand out—but you didn’t know what to ask.

The right basic interview questions to ask are not filler. They can increase your odds of moving forward because they show judgment, maturity, and how you’ll operate on the team.

The "Why" (deep reason)

Interviewers don’t treat your questions as optional. They use them to evaluate:

• How you think: Do you ask about outcomes, constraints, and trade-offs—or only generic topics?
• How you work: Do you care about feedback loops, priorities, and collaboration?
• How senior you are: Do your questions sound like someone who has shipped real work and learned from it?
• How risky you are to hire: Do you understand what success looks like, or will you need constant direction?

In other words, your questions are a preview of your decision-making. Great questions also protect you: they reveal messy expectations, unclear scope, or poor management before you accept an offer.

The "How" (step-by-step + scripts)

Step-by-step: pick the right questions in 10 minutes

Use this system before every interview so you never scramble again.

Step 1: Identify the interview type (who you’re talking to).

• Recruiter: process, leveling, role clarity, timeline
• Hiring manager: success metrics, priorities, trade-offs, team needs
• Team member: collaboration, tools, day-to-day execution

Step 2: Choose 4 questions from 4 different categories. Don’t stack four “culture” questions. Mix categories for signal and coverage.

Step 3: Customize one question using their words. Example: “You mentioned X—what does that look like in practice?”

Step 4: Ask 1–2 questions during the conversation, not only at the end. This turns the interview into a working discussion, not a Q&A quiz.

Step 5: Close with a conversion question. This surfaces objections and clarifies next steps.

The 6 categories of basic interview questions to ask

Pick based on the role and interviewer. Keep questions short.

1) Success metrics (what “good” looks like)

• “What does success look like in the first 30/60/90 days?”
• “What outcomes would make you say this hire was a great decision?”
• “How is performance evaluated on this team?”

2) Priorities (what matters most right now)

• “What are the top priorities for this role in the next quarter?”
• “What problem are you most urgently hiring this role to solve?”
• “If I join, what would you want me to focus on first?”

3) Scope + ownership (what you truly own)

• “What does this role own end-to-end versus partner with others on?”
• “What decisions can this role make independently?”
• “What responsibilities are often misunderstood about this position?”

4) Collaboration + decision-making (how work really happens)

• “Who are the key stakeholders, and how are decisions made?”
• “When priorities conflict, how do you resolve trade-offs?”
• “What does great collaboration look like on this team?”

5) Execution + quality (process, tooling, reality)

• “What does planning look like here—weekly, biweekly, quarterly?”
• “How do you measure quality in practice?”
• “What slows delivery most today: dependencies, tooling, unclear requirements, or resourcing?”

6) Growth + feedback (how you’ll level up)

• “What separates top performers in this role?”
• “What feedback cadence do you use—1:1s, reviews, retros?”
• “What growth path does this role typically follow?”

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Scripts by Level (copy-paste)

These are ready to use. Swap in role-specific details when needed.

Junior / New Grad scripts

Script 1 (shows clarity + coachability)

“What would success look like in the first 30/60/90 days, and what does onboarding look like for someone ramping into this role?”

Script 2 (shows you care about priorities)

“What are the top two problems you want this role to solve in the first few months?”

Script 3 (conversion question)

“Is there anything you’ve heard today that makes you unsure I’m a fit? I’d love to address it.”

Senior IC scripts

Script 1 (signals ownership + impact)

“What outcomes matter most this quarter for this role, and what constraints typically block progress—dependencies, data, tooling, or process?”

Script 2 (signals mature collaboration)

“When priorities conflict across stakeholders, who makes the final call and how are trade-offs communicated?”

Script 3 (signals quality mindset)

“How do you measure quality in practice—testing, monitoring, incident reviews—and what’s the biggest pain point today?”

Manager / Lead scripts

Script 1 (signals alignment + leadership)

“How do you define success for this role across leadership, peers, and the team—and where do expectations typically diverge?”

Script 2 (signals operating system)

“What is your performance and feedback system—goals, calibration, growth plans—and how do you develop underperformers?”

Script 3 (signals strategy-to-execution)

“How does the team translate strategy into execution—roadmaps, resourcing, and trade-offs—and what usually derails plans?”

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FAQ: basic interview questions to ask

1) How many basic interview questions to ask should I prepare?
Prepare 6–8 total, then ask 3–5 depending on time. Pick from different categories (success, priorities, scope, collaboration). If time is short, ask one “success” question and one “next steps/concerns” question to maximize signal and clarity.

2) What are the best basic interview questions to ask in any interview?
A universal set is: 30/60/90-day success, top priorities for the role, how performance is evaluated, how decisions are made, and next steps/timeline. These questions work across most jobs because they reveal expectations, structure, and whether the team operates with clarity.

3) Should I ask salary questions as part of basic interview questions to ask?
Usually not in the first conversation with a hiring manager. Salary is often best handled with the recruiter or later rounds after mutual fit is established. If you do ask, keep it neutral and tied to level and scope, not demands or ultimatums.

Want to practice asking basic interview questions to ask and sounding confident under pressure? Try ManyOffer Interview Practice to rehearse realistic interview conversations and tighten your delivery. Want your questions to match your experience and positioning perfectly? Try ManyOffer Resume to sharpen your narrative so your interview Q&A lands with more credibility.