Flip the Script: How to Interview the Company

You've spent hours preparing for job interviews. You've rehearsed your answers to "Tell me about yourself" and "What's your greatest weakness." You've ironed your shirt, researched the company's mission statement, and practiced your handshake.

But here's what most candidates miss: the interview is a two-way street.

While you're busy trying to impress them, you should also be evaluating whether this company deserves you. The best candidates don't just answer questions—they ask them. And the questions you ask send a powerful signal about who you are.

Why This Matters

According to Harvard Business Review, the "Do you have any questions for me?" moment isn't just a formality—it's your opportunity to demonstrate that you're the right fit while simultaneously determining if they're the right fit for you.

Here's the reality: accepting the wrong job is costly. You'll invest months or years of your career, your energy, and your professional reputation. A bad fit means you're back on the job market sooner than you'd like, potentially with a short stint on your resume that raises eyebrows.

Gorick Ng, Harvard career adviser and author of The Unspoken Rules, frames it this way: every employer is asking three questions about you—Are you competent? Are you committed? Are you compatible? You should be asking those same three questions about them.

The Mindset Shift

Most students approach interviews in "recipient mode"—waiting to be chosen, hoping to be accepted, grateful for any opportunity. This is understandable. You need a job. They have one.

But consider this perspective shift: you are also interviewing them for the privilege of employing you.

Your skills, education, energy, and potential have value. A company that hires you is making an investment, yes—but so are you. You're investing 40+ hours a week, your professional development years, and your personal brand.

When you approach an interview as a mutual evaluation, three things happen:

1. You project confidence. Employers notice when candidates take the selection process seriously.

2. You gather real information. Instead of accepting marketing spin, you learn what it's actually like to work there.

3. You make better decisions. And that benefits everyone—including the employer who doesn't want a mismatched hire.

Before the Interview: Do Your Due Diligence

Great questions don't come from nowhere. They come from research. Here's your pre-interview checklist:

1. Mine Their Digital Footprint.

   Start with the company website, but don't stop there. Look at their LinkedIn page, recent press releases, and news articles. What have they announced in the last six months? Are they growing, restructuring, launching new products?

   
   

   Pro tip: Use Glassdoor strategically. Filter reviews by job function and location—a software engineer's experience in San Francisco may be completely different from a marketing coordinator's experience in Charlotte. Look for patterns in recent reviews (within the last six months), not isolated complaints.

   
   

2. Research the People

   Look up your interviewers on LinkedIn. What's their background? How long have they been at the company? What path led them to their current role? This gives you context for your questions and often reveals common ground.

   
   

3. Understand the Role's Context

   Is this a new position or a backfill? If someone left, why? Is this role central to the company's core business, or is it a supporting function? As one career adviser put it: "Companies play favorites. You're either one of the favored few, or you're an orphan stepchild, depending on where in the company you work."

   
   

4. Identify Your Non-Negotiables

   Before you can evaluate a company, you need to know what you're evaluating for. What matters most to you? Growth opportunities? Work-life balance? Mission alignment? Management style? Remote flexibility? Write down your top three priorities.

   
   

During the Interview: Questions That Reveal the Truth

The questions you ask should accomplish two things: gather genuine information and demonstrate your seriousness as a candidate. Here are categories of questions that do both.

Questions About the Role

These help you understand what success looks like and whether you can deliver it.

• "What would you want me to accomplish in the first 90 days? The first year?"

• "What are the biggest challenges someone in this role will face?"

• "How is success measured in this position?"

• "Can you walk me through what a typical week looks like?"

Why these work: They show you're already thinking about contributing, not just collecting a paycheck. They also reveal whether the company has clear expectations—vague answers here are a yellow flag.

Questions About the Team and Manager

Your direct manager will have more impact on your daily experience than the CEO ever will.

• "Can you tell me about the team I'd be working with?"

• "How would you describe your management style?"

• "What do your most successful team members have in common?"

• "How does the team handle disagreements or competing priorities?"

Why these work: According to research, people don't leave companies—they leave managers. These questions help you evaluate the human dynamics you'll navigate every day.

Questions About Culture and Growth

Culture is often invisible until you're living it. These questions help make it visible.

• "How does the company support professional development?"

• "What do people who were previously in this role go on to do?"

• "What's something new employees are usually surprised by after they start?"

• "How would you describe the culture here compared to other places you've worked?"

Why these work: The last two questions are particularly powerful because they invite candor. They're harder to answer with corporate talking points.

Questions About the Company's Direction

These demonstrate strategic thinking and help you assess stability.

• "What are the company's biggest priorities this year?"

• "What gets you most excited about the company's future?"

• "How has the company changed in the last few years?"

• "What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the industry right now?"

Why these work: A company's trajectory matters. Growth creates opportunity; stagnation limits it. Interviewers who light up when discussing the future are usually telling you something real.

Red Flags to Watch For

Just as employers look for warning signs in candidates, you should watch for warning signs in employers. Here are patterns that warrant caution:

• Vague answers about why the position is open. If they dodge or deflect when you ask about the previous person in the role, something may be off.

  
  

• Inconsistent stories. If different interviewers give you significantly different descriptions of the role, the culture, or the expectations, the company may not have its act together.

  
  

• Disrespect during the process. Repeatedly rescheduling, showing up late, or being unprepared for your interview tells you how they'll treat you as an employee.

  
  

• Badmouthing. If interviewers speak negatively about colleagues, other departments, or the previous person in your role, that toxicity will eventually be directed at you.

  
  

• Pressure to decide immediately. A company that offers you the job on the spot and pushes for an immediate answer may be desperate for a reason.

  
  

• High turnover patterns. If Glassdoor reviews or LinkedIn research reveal a revolving door, find out why before you walk through it.

After the Interview: Trust Your Gut—But Verify

You'll often have an instinctive reaction after an interview. Pay attention to it. Did the interviewers seem genuinely engaged? Did the office environment feel energizing or draining? Did people in the hallways seem happy?

But don't stop there. If you have the opportunity, take these additional steps:

1. Request to Meet the Team

If you're seriously considering an offer, ask if you can meet potential colleagues—not just interviewers. A company confident in its culture will say yes.

2. Use Your Network

Do you know anyone who works there, used to work there, or knows someone who does? A 15-minute conversation with a current or former employee will tell you more than hours of online research.

3. Ask for Specifics in Writing

Before accepting an offer, make sure you have clarity on compensation, benefits, start date, reporting structure, and any promises made during the interview process. As one expert noted: "If it's not in writing, it never happened."

The Questions Behind the Questions

Every question you ask reveals something about you. Choose wisely.

When You Ask...	They Hear...
"What's the salary?" (first question)	"I'm only here for the money"
"What does success look like in this role?"	"I'm thinking about how to contribute"
"How much vacation do I get?" (early in process)	"I'm already planning my time off"
"What development opportunities exist?"	"I'm committed to growing here"
"What time can I leave?"	"I'm watching the clock"
"What are the biggest challenges facing the team?"	"I want to help solve problems"

This doesn't mean compensation and benefits don't matter—they absolutely do. But save those questions for later in the process, after you've established your value and genuine interest.

A Final Word

The job market can feel overwhelming, especially when you're early in your career. It's tempting to take any offer, to feel grateful just to be considered, to forget that you have choices too.

But remember: this is a partnership you're evaluating, not a favor you're receiving.

The company that deserves your talent will appreciate that you're thorough. They'll welcome your questions. They'll be transparent about challenges. They'll treat the interview process as the mutual evaluation it's meant to be.

And if they don't? That tells you something important too.

Your Action Checklist

Before the interview:

• [ ] Research the company's recent news and announcements

• [ ] Review Glassdoor (filtered by role and location)

• [ ] Look up your interviewers on LinkedIn

• [ ] Write down your top three priorities in a job

• [ ] Prepare 5-7 questions tailored to this opportunity

During the interview:

• [ ] Ask about the role, the team, the culture, and the company's direction

• [ ] Listen for consistency across different interviewers

• [ ] Watch for red flags in how you're treated

• [ ] Take notes immediately after

After the interview:

• [ ] Debrief with your mentor

• [ ] Reach out to your network for insider perspectives

• [ ] Trust your instincts—but verify with facts

This post was created for students in the SetFire Foundation's Sparks Mentorship Program. For more career guidance, connect with your mentor or visit setfirefoundation.org.

Sources:

1. Gallo, Amy. "38 Smart Questions to Ask in a Job Interview." Harvard Business Review, May 2022.

2. "Three Great Questions to Ask in an Interview." Harvard Business School Online, October 2017.

3. Ng, Gorick. The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Starting Your Career Off Right. Harvard Business Review Press, 2021.

4. "5 Red Flags to Spot Before Taking the Job." Glassdoor Blog, June 2023.

5. "Tooling Up: Employment Due Diligence." Science Magazine (AAAS).