Questions for job offers, first days and new bosses

What you ask before saying yes sets the terms of a job, and what you ask in the first weeks shapes how it goes. These sets are for weighing an offer, a promotion, a contract role or a move for work, and for starting with a new manager or team. A few are for managers checking in on a new hire.

58 sets · 2,420 questions · each with a note on why

A few to start with

What is a piece of unwritten etiquette I would otherwise learn by getting it wrong?
Unwritten rules are the ones people get judged on: how much detail belongs in a status update, whether cameras go on, who chairs what. Most colleagues will happily say if asked directly.
From: Questions to Ask About Induction
Would exercising create a tax bill before I can sell anything?
In the United States, exercising non-qualified options is generally taxed on the paper gain, and incentive options can bring in the alternative minimum tax, all while the stock stays illiquid. The rules elsewhere are different again, so ask what the company tells employees in your country and confirm it with an adviser.
From: Questions to Ask About Equity
What does a normal week look like here, and what does a bad one look like?
The bad week is the honest description of the job: quarter end, an outage, a launch, an audit. If nobody can describe a bad week, either the team is unusually calm or you are being managed.
From: Questions to Ask When Transitioning Into a New Role
What kind of feedback has helped you improve most in the past?
They will describe a particular moment: a marked-up draft, one blunt sentence after a presentation, a senior colleague sitting beside them while they worked. Borrow the format as well as the content, since it has already worked once.
From: Questions to Ask a New Direct Report
What happens when one of my patients has a problem after hours?
Emergency cover arrangements vary from a rota to an expectation that you take your own calls indefinitely. Ask how often it happens, whether it is paid, and who covers when you are away.
From: Questions to Ask When Joining a Dental Practice
What is negotiable in this offer besides base pay?
Let them list everything before you name anything, because they may mention something you would not have thought to ask for. Write the list down as they talk. It becomes your menu if the salary itself turns out to be stuck.
From: Questions to Ask When Negotiating Salary

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