It’s a terrible feeling—your stomach tied in knots as you start the day at a job that isn’t what you expected. The work is far from what you understood when you accepted the position, and you’re wondering where things went wrong. The standard advice to avoid this scenario is to ask better questions during the interview. But how do you know which questions to ask? And how can you get the information you need without coming across as skeptical?

Every job is designed to solve a business problem, and both the position description and the interviewer’s questions will reveal what that business problem is. Here’s how to read between the lines to tease it out.

Analyze the Job Description

Many job descriptions include a laundry list of responsibilities, making it difficult to discern where you’ll spend the most effort and the results they will expect you to deliver. There are several cues that point to key priorities:

  • Look for repeated ideas presented in different ways. Repetition suggests importance.
  • Look for anything that shows up in both the job responsibilities and the qualifications. This will be a major part of the job.
  • Look for any metrics or defined performance expectations. If they are measuring it, they care about it.

Pay attention to the action in each sentence. A few examples:

  • Oversee a team vs. build a team. In the former, you’re likely leading staff who already work well together. In the latter, you are hiring the team, building the team’s skills, or both. Supervise vs. mentor work in the same way.
  • Execute or implement vs. develop or create a strategy. One signals carrying out strategic work that’s already been conceptualized, while the other signals formulating the strategy yourself.
  • Support or coordinate vs. drive or lead. The first set indicates facilitating the work of others, while the second points to leading the work that others will help put into action.

Reread the job description through this lens several times. Make a list of the most important aspects of the role, note any areas that need clarification, and get ready to listen for more cues during the interview.

Analyze the Interview

During the interview, listen for repeated themes. The hiring manager will bring up the business problem they need solved from multiple angles. Are several questions about establishing structure and processes? Building relationships? Empowering and mentoring the team or staff? Whatever they emphasize in their questions indicates key priorities for the position.

Ask clarifying questions. Ask about expectations, resources you’ll have management over or access to, and who you’ll work with on what. As much as possible, include context from the interviewer in your questions. Even better if you can reference relevant industry or sector trends. A few examples:

  • “You mentioned making progress on [aspect(s) of the job]. What does success look like for in the first 60 days, 90 days, and 12-18 months?”
  • “You mentioned that collaboration is important for [program]. Who will I be working most with? What does collaboration typically look like on the team?”
  • “I’m hearing that [issue] may have been a challenge in this role before. What do you think is causing that and are there any other sticky spots that need attention?”
  • “I’m hearing that this [project] has a diverse group of stakeholders involved. Who owns the decision-making? How has the team handled competing priorities or interests in the past?”

These types of questions will also show your understanding of the job function—you know how the job works, and you’re digging into the specifics for this particular organization. For CEO or top-level positions, we recommend a similar approach, with an emphasis on offering a deeper strategic perspective.

Use the Right Tone

Frame your questions as coming from a place of curiosity rather than judgment. Be precise to get the information you need, but soften your approach to avoid putting the hiring manager on the defensive. Begin your questions with phrases like, “Can you help me understand ____?” or “I’m curious about this aspect of the role, can you share more about____.”

A Few Things to Avoid

Avoid asking questions about the organization that can be easily answered through an online search. Do your research and ask questions that show you can synthesize information and relate it to the role. You have limited time with the interviewer, don’t waste it.

Don’t ask questions just to pivot back to your experience. If you’ve answered the interviewer’s questions well, they will understand what you’ve done and the impact you’ve made.

Don’t ask one-size-fits-all questions. Recruiters and hiring managers often hear generic questions repeatedly and can spot when a candidate is genuinely curious versus asking just to fill the time.

Don’t make the mistake of ending the interview by asking what’s most important in the role. Listen well so you don’t have to ask.

When You Know the Role, It Shows

Using this approach, you’ll be better able to avoid roles that don’t fit and have fewer surprises in the ones that do. And you’ll also present well in interviews with hiring teams. Every hiring manager wants a candidate who is curious, who “gets the job,” who is eager to understand the goals of the organization and position, and who can solve the business problem at hand. Asking the right questions means you won’t have to tell them you are that person—they’ll see it on their own.