When interviews wrap up, there’s that familiar moment when the interviewer asks, “Do you have any questions for us?”

Most candidates would simply ask… - “What are the benefits like?” - “How would you describe the company culture?” - “Is the team working hybrid or fully remote?”These questions are fine, polite, and even expected. But they often lead to surface-level or even prepared answers that sound good in every company, which are nice to hear, but not particularly useful for helping you decide if you’ll actually fit in.

The risk of asking surface questions

When you don’t delve deeper, you risk joining a company whose culture sounds right on the surface. Many candidates accept offers because of a brand name or a good interview vibe, and only to realize months later that the way the team communicates, makes decisions, or handles conflict doesn’t match their own values.

This mismatch can lead to early turnover, disengagement, and frustration for both the employee and the employer. And it’s not because the company is bad, it’s because the fit wasn’t truly understood from the beginning.

Better way: How can behavioral-based questions help?

If you aim to unveil what the culture is like inside a company, instead of asking what the culture is, explore how people in the company behave in real situations. Behavioral-based questions invite interviewers to share real experiences, not purely slogans. And if your interviewers can’t answer deeply or try to drift off the topic, then that should be kept in mind. 

Try these examples:

 - Can you tell me about a time when you first joined this company and had to adjust to the team’s way of working? What was that adjustment like, and how did you manage it?

 - Can you share an example of a time when there was a disagreement or conflict within the team? How was it handled, and what was the outcome?

 - Please tell me about a time when a project or initiative didn’t go as expected. How did the team and leadership respond to that situation?

- Can you give me an example of how important information is shared across the company? Who led that, and how was it done?

- Can you tell me about a time when your team member’s performance wasn’t up to your expectations? What were your approaches to the situation?

These kinds of questions reveal far more about what the cultures truly value: collaboration or hierarchy, learning or perfection, trust or control.

Benefits: What will you gain by asking better questions?

By embracing behavior-based questions, you’ll walk away with a clearer, more realistic picture of the company you’re considering. You’ll notice subtle cues in how interviewers respond, such as their tone, examples, and consistency, all of which help you decide whether this is an environment where you can (and want to) thrive.

Eventually, the goal isn’t just to get hired. It’s to find a company whose culture, beliefs, and ways of working align with who you are and what you aim for, so you can build a career that lasts, not one you’ll want to leave after a few months.The greatest candidates don’t just prepare the right answers; they ask the right questions.

Contact Sertis here: https://www.sertiscorp.com/contact-us