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Smart Questions List

This document provides sample questions for a new employee to ask during their first days on the job in order to get up to speed quickly. The questions are organized into categories for the employee's manager, direct reports, and colleagues/other stakeholders. The questions focus on getting acquainted, understanding expectations and priorities, and learning about processes, culture and key relationships.

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Finn Childress
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86 views4 pages

Smart Questions List

This document provides sample questions for a new employee to ask during their first days on the job in order to get up to speed quickly. The questions are organized into categories for the employee's manager, direct reports, and colleagues/other stakeholders. The questions focus on getting acquainted, understanding expectations and priorities, and learning about processes, culture and key relationships.

Uploaded by

Finn Childress
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Smart Questions List

This list includes sample questions to help you get up to speed quickly
during your first days on the job. We have organized the questions by
category.

For more advice on how to approach your initial learning curve, please
review our Detective and Smart Questions video lessons.

I. Questions for Your Manager

Getting Acquainted
Can you tell me more about your background?
How long have you been in your current role?
What do you like most about working here?
Can you tell me more about your typical day here?
What are your top priorities right now?
What are some of the big opportunities for the team/company over the
next 6 months?
What do you like to do outside of work?
What are the best places around here for lunch/coffee/bagels/CrossFit?

Settling in
What should I know about how the team works together?
What are the best ways to learn more about Process X or Project Y?
What can you tell me about the overall culture here?
Who else should I seek out during my first week to connect with?
Who is the internal expert on Topic X?
Do you have any advice on getting acclimated?
Is there anything else I should know about my predecessor and how
he/she approached things?

biginterview 1
Understanding expectations
What do you recommend that I focus on during my first week here?
Tell me more about how I can exceed your expectations in this role.
How do you prefer to communicate?
How often would you like me to give you updates and progress reports?
Are there any important deadlines/meetings/projects that I should be
aware of?
Can you tell me more about how decisions typically get made?
Are there any challenging situations that I should be aware of?
Can you tell me more about Stakeholder X and his/her working style?

Establishing priorities
What is the top priority project that I will be working on?
What other projects are important?
How will success be measured for the team and for me personally?
What are the key relationships for getting things done in this role?
How can I make your job easier?
Are there any major new initiatives/changes coming up?

II. Questions for Direct Reports

First Meetings (Focus on positive and learning)


Tell me more about you and your background.
Walk me through your typical day.
What are processes/approaches that work really well on the team?
What do you like most about your job?
Can you share a bit about your goals for the year?

biginterview 2
What do you think should be the team’s biggest priorities going
forward?
What advice do you have for me as someone new to the company?

Later Questions (Focus on tactical and problem solving)


What are your biggest challenges?
What is the hardest part of your job?
What would you change about your job or current processes?
Do you have any ideas for improving productivity on the team?
Tell me about your proudest accomplishments this year.
What works well with the current team dynamic and what could
improve?
Where could you use more support or feedback?

III. Questions for Colleagues and Other Stakeholders

Getting Acquainted
Tell me about yourself (or your background or what you do).
How long have you been with the firm?
What projects are you working on right now?
What advice do you have for me as someone new to the company
getting up to speed?
What advice do you have for me stepping into this particular role?

Getting to Know the Organization


How would you describe the culture here?

biginterview 3
What are some of the most interesting things you’ve worked on?
What are some of the biggest priorities in your role?
What can you tell me about how things get done?
Do you have any tips for me to get up to speed quickly?
What are some of the interesting developments in your team recently?
Do you have any tips on how [My Manager] likes to work?
What can you tell me about Topic X?
Who else do you think I should connect with to learn more about
project/topic X?

Understanding Expectations (for internal clients, stakeholders, and


other close colleagues)
Tell me more about your role and how we will be working together.
How do you prefer to communicate?
What do you see as the key priorities for my role/team?
Can you share more about your current initiatives?
What works well with the current dynamic and what could be
improved?

biginterview 4

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