Do You Have Any Questions for Us? What To Ask at Your Social Work Job Interview

by Jennifer Luna, MSSW

     In job interviews, there are two questions you can almost always count on: “So, tell us a little about yourself,” at the beginning of an interview and, “Do you have any questions for us?” toward the end of the interview. Although these questions are generally used as cues to open and close the interview, they can also be strategic on the employer’s part. Oftentimes, job seekers become so caught up in wondering what questions will be asked that they don’t prepare for the questions that they will ask of the interviewer.  

    Additionally, it cannot be over emphasized that the interview is a two-way street. While the employer is leading the interview, you should also be gathering information to determine whether the job is a good fit for you. Use questions that will go beyond the posted job description and will get to the crux of what you need to know about the position. Many organizations will use the same job description from year to year, or may use boilerplate language that has been written by HR, not a social worker. You can learn a lot by the way the interviewer responds to your questions. If they seem disengaged or unknowledgeable about the answers, this could be a big red flag. On the flip side, if they are enthusiastic and engaging in their answers, you might be more persuaded to work for them.

    Strategically speaking, the interviewer may pay close attention to the questions that you ask. They may be assessing your knowledge of their organization coming into the interview and the amount of time you spent preparing for the interview. They may be assessing your communication skills and your ability to ask pointed questions to gather relative information. Additionally, they may gauge your interest in the position by the level of questions that you ask. What if you were in an interview and the interviewer did not ask you many questions, or asked questions that were not relevant to the job? You might leave feeling as though they were not interested in you.

    There are generally four categories that can be used to develop your questions in a social work job interview. If you dedicate time for these as you are preparing for your job search, and tailor them for each position, you will be able to prepare a list of questions that can easily be tweaked for each interview. You can use the following categories to create your questions:

• the position you are applying for
• the organization you are interviewing with
• the supervisor or supervision you would be receiving
• the team/colleagues you would be working with

    Consider the following questions in each category.

The Position

• What does a typical day look like in this position?
• What are the biggest challenges/opportunities of this position?
• What would be consider a “success” in this position?
• What is a typical caseload?
• How would you describe the key characteristics of a person in this position?
• What knowledge areas would be most important for someone in this position to possess from Day One?
• Where do you see this position headed in the next two years?
• What is the typical career path for this position?
• What opportunities are there for professional development?
• Do you have a policy for helping new employees get on board?
• Are there any certifications or trainings that would be helpful for this position?
• Are there opportunities to supervise social work students?

The Organization

• What are the organization’s plans for future growth?
• How many employees work for this organization?
• Where does this position fit within the organization?
• What are the organization’s primary funding streams?
• Who would you like to see this organization develop strategic partnerships with in the future?
• What are the organization’s diversity and inclusion efforts in this current climate?
• What is the greatest challenge of this organization at this time?
• What is the greatest strength of the organization?
• Could you tell me a little more about the history of this organization? How did it come to be?
• What are the organization’s core values?
• If nonprofit or private for-profit, what is the role of the board of directors?
• If large organization (municipal/state/federal), who does this organization report to? What is the governance structure?
• Do you promote from within?

  The Supervisor or Type of Supervision

• What is your supervision style?
• How many staff do you supervise?
• What is your preferred method of communicating with your staff (email vs. in-person)?
• Can you describe your typical day?
• How long have you worked here? What do you enjoy about working for this organization?
• How often are performance evaluations conducted?
• What organizations do you network with?
• What professional memberships would you recommend to be helpful in this position?
• Which universities have you primarily hired from?
• What are the next steps in the application/hiring process?

The Team/Colleagues

• May I visit with other staff who work in this department or who currently hold this position?
• What does the organizational culture look like from a staff perspective?
• How does the team celebrate success?
• How does the team deal with challenges?
• What opportunities are there for team building?
• What is your favorite thing about working for this organization?
• Do you feel supported in reaching your career goals?
• Are there office traditions that stand out or future employees (company picnics, community service opportunities, annual retreats, donuts on Fridays, birthday buddies)?

What Not To Ask

    There are some questions that should never be asked in the interview and could hinder your chances of being hired. Remember, you do not want to be unprepared and ask questions off the cuff or as an afterthought. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your interest in and knowledge of the organization. As they will probably ask you about your questions toward the end of the interview, it is important that you use this time strategically.

    One of the most common mistakes is asking questions about something that should be deferred until the job offer is made—for example, “What is the salary?” or “When can one ask for vacation time?” These questions should be addressed, but not until the time is right.

    Next, be cautious about the way you phrase your question. It is best to refrain from “I” questions, as it may sound presumptuous to the interviewer, as if you already consider yourself to be hired. An example of this might be, “How many clients will I be assigned?” A better way to phrase this would be, “What is the typical caseload for this position?”

    Another common mistake is asking questions that could (and should) have easily been answered during your research before the job interview. Many times, these types of questions are due to lack of preparation and/or nervousness. Examples include: “What population does this agency serve?” or “What are the services provided at this organization?” Although these are good things to know when considering the position, it is imperative that you know this before you go to your interview so you can tailor your answers appropriately.

    Preparing for the interview can be stressful. It is also an exciting time, as you may be learning about your next career opportunity! Preparation is key. The more time and effort you spend preparing for your interview, the more confident you will feel in your decision to accept or decline the position.

    Remember, this is your time to shine, and asking thoughtful questions will definitely make you stand out from the other applicants!

Jennifer Luna, MSSW, writes about social work career development. Jennifer is a social worker, career coach, keynote speaker, and trainer. She serves as Director of the DiNitto Center for Career Services at the University of Texas at Austin, Steve Hicks School of Social Work. Jennifer utilizes a collaborative yet strategic coaching approach to assist social workers in identifying their strongest skills, areas of knowledge, key strengths, and leadership characteristics.