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Questions to Ask a Hiring Manager in an Interview

The best questions to ask a hiring manager are ones only an insider could answer: what separates a top performer from an average one, why the role is actually open, and how targets get set. These questions show you are evaluating the job as carefully as they are evaluating you, which hiring managers notice and respect.

What should you ask about the role itself?

• "What does success look like in the first 90 days?" This gets you a concrete scorecard instead of a vague job description.
• "What separates your best performer in this role from an average one?" This is the single highest-leverage question you can ask. It tells you exactly what actually gets rewarded, which is rarely what the posting says.
• "Why is this role open, and why did the last person in it succeed or move on?" A clear, specific answer is a good sign. A vague or defensive one is worth noting.

What should you ask about quota, comp, or targets?

If you are interviewing for a sales, customer success, marketing, or RevOps role with a number attached to it, ask about the number behind the number.

• "What percentage of the team is hitting quota right now, and what are you doing to get the rest there?" A healthy, confident manager will have a real answer, not just the advertised OTE.
• "What does a top performer earn versus an average one, on top of the OTE in the posting?" The gap between those two numbers tells you how realistic the target actually is.
• "How has the comp plan changed in the last year, and could I see both versions?" A plan that cannot be explained simply, or has changed every few months, is worth asking more about before you accept.
• "Is the team's total quota realistic against the company's actual target?" If every rep hitting 100% would add up to well over 100% of the company's plan, the individual numbers are not real.

See Account Executive interview questions and strong answers for how to handle the questions coming back at you in the same conversation.

What should you ask about the team and the manager?

• "How do you run 1:1s, and what does coaching look like day to day?" This tells you whether you will actually get support or be left to figure it out alone.
• "What is one thing you would change about this team if you could?" Honest managers usually give you a real answer here.
• "How long have you been in this role, and what has kept you here?" Hesitation on this question is itself useful information.

Which questions should you avoid asking too early?

Save anything that sounds like you are negotiating before an offer exists: vacation policy, remote flexibility as your opening question, or how soon you could be promoted. Ask these once you are talking about an offer, not during the first screen. If the person interviewing you is a recruiter rather than the hiring manager, some of these questions land differently; see the difference between a recruiter and a hiring manager for which questions fit which conversation.

How many questions should you actually prepare?

Prepare five to seven questions so you always have two or three left after the conversation naturally answers some of them. Lead with the ones about success and the role, save quota and comp for when the conversation has earned that depth, and never end an interview with "no, I think you covered it."

After the interview, send a short note that references something specific from their answers. See how to follow up after an interview for templates that do this without sounding generic.

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