“Is there anything we covered or didn’t cover that would make you hesitant about me in this role?”

I’ve started asking that question at the end of every interview and it’s been a revelation. It took a leap of courage to ask it the first time, but I’m so glad I did. There are three main reasons I think it’s a total game changer:

  1. It gives immediate feedback on how the interview went. The most nerve-wracking part of nearly every interview is wondering how it went and playing it back in your end. By asking this question, you can at least get a bit of a sense of what the interviewer is thinking. Their response and — especially — body language can often give an indication of whether they think it went reasonably well, pretty poorly, or just kind of meh. Don’t take it as confirmation, but as a potential signal.

  2. It gives an opportunity to correct a potential shortcoming. If the interviewer answers truthfully, this question provides a valuable opportunity to address some reservations they might have about you. Maybe they would have liked you to go deeper on how you use data or how you manage stakeholders. That information gives you the chance to fill that gap. If you have time during the interview sharing an example where you showcase those skills can be a good idea. If not — or if you have other questions you may want to get through — use your follow-up email to share a brief example that might demonstrate those abilities.

  3. It demonstrates proactivity and interest in the role. Every company wants proactive employees with high agency and that are deeply connected to the work. Asking a question like this is another data point that signals you’re playing an active role in the hiring process rather than sitting back and waiting for the interviews to pass. While it won’t save a bad interview, soliciting this kind of tough feedback directly on the call might help an interviewer that was on the fence about you that you’re worth a chance.

Shoutout to the inimitable Claire Vo for this question in her fantastic interview with Alisa Haman on ChatPRDs YouTube channel.