Many job applicants believe that the most important part of a job interview ends once they finish answering the recruiter's questions. However, the reality is that the final minutes of the interview can be among the most influential in the hiring decision, especially when the interviewer asks the traditional question: "Do you have any questions?" At this moment, recruiters are not looking for routine inquiries as much as they are trying to discover the candidate's way of thinking, their understanding of the role, and their ability to view the job from a problem-solving, value-adding perspective. According to CNBC, asking the right question at this stage can set you apart from other applicants and give you a real advantage in the competition for the job.

Over the past ten years, Farah Sharqi has worked in recruitment at major companies such as Google and Uber. She explains that by the time she asks the candidate, "What questions do you have?" she has already formed a clear impression of their skills and experience, but what she seeks to discover at this stage is their way of thinking.

Sharqi points out that most candidates waste this opportunity, as they settle for asking traditional, safe questions about growth opportunities, company culture, or daily tasks. The candidates who leave the strongest impression are those who ask about the problem the company aims to solve by filling this position.

She affirms that companies do not create jobs without reason; every job is created to solve a problem or meet a specific need, so they look for someone capable of addressing that challenge and achieving the required results with as little supervision as possible.

Farah Sharqi, a recruiter in HR and tech, career coach, public speaker, and content creator, says: "If you show me that you think this way, I will see you as someone who goes beyond being a regular applicant to a candidate I want to hire immediately."

She adds: "If you enter the interview and ask with genuine curiosity: 'What problem are you trying to solve?' with a real willingness to contribute to solving it, that alone can make you stand out from other candidates."

Four ways to ask the question smartly

1- "What current problem do you want the person who fills this position to solve?"

Sharqi confirms that this question prompts the recruiter to pause and think, but it should be asked with humility and genuine curiosity, not in a way that seems provocative or challenging to the interviewer.

She suggests that the candidate preface their question with a phrase like: "To make sure I focus my efforts on the right priorities..." then ask the question.

This approach reflects that you are not just looking to get a job title or new position, but care about understanding the real challenges associated with the role and are excited to contribute to solving them.

This question also gives you an advantage that is hard to get through prior research on the company; once you learn directly from the hiring manager the real reason for this position, you can steer your conversation toward the core problem and explain how your experience and skills can help address it.

2- "A year from now, what will make you say that this hire was successful?"

Sharqi notes that many applicants fall into the mistake of focusing on proving they deserve the job, while neglecting the more important question: how will their success be measured after hiring?

This question shows that you have already started imagining yourself in the role and are thinking about the results the employer expects, not just how to get the job.

3- "Who on your team do you wish you had another copy of?"

This question aims to understand the model the company considers a success example within the team, not just to learn about ideal qualities theoretically.

Sharqi explains that people who ask this question quickly form a clear picture of the behaviors and skills the company values, because they study what has already proven successful in the work environment.

And if you leave the interview knowing who the most outstanding employee is, and what made them achieve that success, it will be easier for you to highlight similarities between your experience and what the company is looking for, which boosts your chances of advancing to the next stage of the hiring process.

4- "What aspect do people usually underestimate in this job?"

Sharqi describes this question as one of the most that opens the door to an honest dialogue with the recruiter, because it gives them a chance to talk about the real challenges that may not appear in the job description.

This question also gives you an opportunity to clarify how your experience can help face those challenges or mitigate their impact.

Asking this question also reflects a degree of maturity and realism, as it indicates that you are not looking for an idealized picture of the job, but want to understand its reality with all its responsibilities and challenges, and that you are ready to deal with complex issues rather than settling for superficial impressions."); googletag.cmd.push(function() { onDvtagReady(function () { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-3341368-4'); }); }); }