Questions not to ask in an interview (and what to say instead)

Questions about salary and benefits too early

Asking about pay, vacation days, or remote-work allowances in a first-round interview signals that you are more interested in the package than the role. Hiring managers notice this, and it can push you to the bottom of a shortlist even if your skills are a strong match.

Wait until the employer raises compensation, or until you are in a final-round or offer conversation. If you are in a market where salary transparency laws apply, such as Colorado, New York, California, or British Columbia, the range is often posted in the job listing anyway, so asking adds nothing.

• Avoid: 'What does this role pay?' in a first interview
• Avoid: 'How many vacation days do I get?'
• Avoid: 'Is there a signing bonus?'
• Better: 'Can you walk me through how performance is evaluated and how that connects to growth in the role?'
• Better: 'What does career progression typically look like for someone in this position?'

Questions that show you did not research the company

Asking 'What does your company do?' or 'What products do you sell?' tells the interviewer you did not spend ten minutes on their website. This is one of the fastest ways to end your candidacy. Every interviewer expects basic preparation.

Read the company's about page, recent press releases, and LinkedIn updates before the interview. Then ask questions that build on what you already know, which shows genuine interest and saves the interviewer from explaining basics.

• Avoid: 'What does this company do exactly?'
• Avoid: 'Who are your main competitors?'
• Avoid: 'What industry are you in?'
• Better: 'I saw you launched a new product line in Q2. How is this team involved in supporting that growth?'
• Better: 'Your recent expansion into the UK market caught my attention. What challenges has the team been navigating there?'

Questions that put the interviewer on the spot

Some questions feel clever but actually make the interviewer uncomfortable or defensive. Asking 'What do you dislike about working here?' forces them into an awkward position. They cannot answer honestly without risking their own standing, so they give a vague non-answer and remember you as the candidate who asked it.

Similarly, asking 'Why did the last person leave this role?' can come across as suspicious or confrontational in a first conversation. If turnover is a genuine concern, there are softer ways to surface it.

• Avoid: 'What do you hate about working here?'
• Avoid: 'Why did the last person quit?'
• Avoid: 'Is this company financially stable?'
• Better: 'What do people on this team tend to find most energising about the work?'
• Better: 'How long have most people on the team been in their current roles?'
• Better: 'What has kept you at the company?'

Questions with yes or no answers

Closed questions waste your limited time at the end of an interview. Asking 'Do you have a good team culture?' gets you a yes every time, regardless of reality. You learn nothing, and you signal that you did not think carefully about what to ask.

Open questions invite the interviewer to share specifics. Specifics help you evaluate the role honestly, and they give the interviewer something interesting to say, which makes the conversation more memorable for both of you.

• Avoid: 'Is the team collaborative?'
• Avoid: 'Do you enjoy working here?'
• Avoid: 'Is there room to grow?'
• Better: 'How does the team typically handle disagreements about direction or priorities?'
• Better: 'Can you give me an example of how someone in this role has grown over the past two years?'

Questions that reveal illegal or inappropriate curiosity

In the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia, employers cannot legally ask candidates about age, religion, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, or disability. Candidates should not ask interviewers about these topics either, even casually. Asking 'Is this a young team?' or 'Do most people here have families?' can read as discriminatory intent or poor judgment.

Keep questions focused on the work, the team's ways of working, and the company's direction. If you are curious about culture, ask about how the team collaborates or how decisions get made.

• Avoid: 'Is this a young team?'
• Avoid: 'Do most people here have families?'
• Avoid: 'What is the religious or political makeup of the office?'
• Better: 'How does the team typically communicate day to day, and how often does the group meet together?'
• Better: 'What does a typical week look like for someone in this role?'

How to prepare questions that actually help you

Prepare at least five questions before every interview and expect to use two or three. Some of your questions will be answered during the conversation, so having extras means you are never caught with nothing to ask when the interviewer says 'What questions do you have for me?'

Group your questions into three categories: the role itself, the team, and the company's direction. This structure ensures you cover what matters and shows that you are thinking about the job from multiple angles.

Write your questions down and bring them. Referring to a notepad or phone during an interview is normal and professional. It signals preparation, not weakness.

1. Role: 'What does success look like in the first 90 days?'
2. Role: 'What are the biggest challenges someone stepping into this position will face?'
3. Team: 'How does this team make decisions when there is no clear consensus?'
4. Team: 'How does this role interact with other departments day to day?'
5. Company: 'Where is the company focusing its energy over the next 12 months?'
6. Company: 'How has the team's priorities shifted in the past year?'