Ask what the backups are protecting
A backup platform is not the answer. The better question is which systems and workflows are actually recoverable, and in what order. If that answer is vague, recovery planning probably is too.
This should include both technical systems and operational dependencies that the business cannot easily work around.
Ask how recovery has been validated
Successful job reports are useful, but they are not proof of recovery readiness. Ask whether restores have been tested, under what conditions, and whether the process reflects the way the business would actually resume operations.
Testing is what turns backup confidence into something more credible.
Ask who owns the response
If a serious incident happens, someone needs to know who makes technical decisions, who communicates status, and who coordinates business priorities. That ownership should be explicit, not assumed.
When no one can answer that quickly, recovery pressure increases immediately.
Ask what would still feel uncertain during an outage
This question often surfaces the most useful gaps. If leadership, operations, or IT still feel unsure about timing, scope, or dependencies, those are the areas worth clarifying before an incident happens.
Backup readiness improves when uncertainty is identified early enough to address it without crisis pressure.