The One Question Almost Nobody Asks in Job Interviews (And It’s Costing Them Offers)
You’re sitting in the interview.
They’ve grilled you.
Now they smile and say: “Do you have any questions for us?”
Most people ask the safe ones:
“What does success look like in this role?”
“What’s the culture like?”
“What do your top performers have in common?”
Those are fine.
They’re also the same questions every other candidate is asking.
There’s a better one.
Daniel Chait, CEO of Greenhouse (one of the biggest hiring platforms on the planet), said it out loud at Forbes’ Future of Work Summit last week:
Ask about the company’s rules for AI.
Not in a nervous way. Not in a “gotcha” way. Just straight:
“What’s the company’s policy on using AI during the interview process and once someone is in the role?”
That’s it.
Why this question hits different
Right now, AI rules are a mess.
- Roughly 4 out of 5 candidates who went through AI-evaluated hiring said the company’s AI policies were vague, rare, or completely missing (Greenhouse, April).
- Almost half of workers (47%) have already used AI to apply to jobs (CNBC/SurveyMonkey).
- Some companies want you using AI on take-home projects because that’s how the real job works.
- The same companies will quietly tank you if you open ChatGPT mid-Zoom interview.
The rules are unpublished, inconsistent, and changing every month.
Most candidates are guessing.
The ones who ask get clarity — and look sharp while doing it.
You’re not just protecting yourself.
You’re showing them you understand the actual job in 2026.
A quick warning on the application side
Chait also flagged something most people are getting wrong:
Don’t let AI write your entire resume.
It’s making everyone’s resume sound the same. Recruiters can smell it.
Use AI to *spot gaps*, not to generate the whole thing. Put the job description and your real experience in, ask what you’re missing, then write the story yourself. You’re selling a human. Act like one.
The move
Next time they say “Any questions?”, try this:
“I’ve been thinking a lot about how AI is changing the way work actually gets done. What’s the expectation here around using AI tools — both during the interview process and day-to-day once someone is hired?”
Watch what happens.
Some will give you a clear answer.
Some will scramble.
Either way, you’ll learn more about the company in 30 seconds than most candidates learn in the entire process.
And you’ll stand out for the right reason.