What questions to ask to gauge company culture during an interview?

12 Comments

1. MARI S PHONASA, CPSM & CPSDMarch 14,2022 at 12:47PM UTC

   I would ask what do they like most about their job/role/department/company, depending on the position of the interviewer. I also ask what one thing they could change or have fixed about their job that would make it better for them.

   Another question could be what is the biggest pain point they have to deal with on a the daily.

2. Sarah HernandezMarch 14,2022 at 1:36PM UTC

   I ask:

   1. What brought you to X company and why do you stay?
   2. What are some ways you as a manager promote an inclusive and diverse culture for your team?
   3. What are some professional development opportunities your leadership team offers the team?

   Hope this helps!

3. E CMarch 14,2022 at 1:45PM UTC

   "Tell me about a time that the team I would be on had to work together to reach a challenging goal, please."

4. Claire McCabeMarch 14,2022 at 2:16PM UTC

   Ask what happened to the person in the role before you. The answer can be very illuminating.

5. AnonymousMarch 14,2022 at 2:35PM UTC

   I hear you. I left a toxic work situation (4 months into a new role) and landed another job (3 weeks later) that’s not toxic per say but it’s not a fit. Unfortunately, I had to land a new job quickly since the toxic job was so bad I had to leave with out a new job. New job is much better but I don’t see myself there long term and is just a vehicle helping me along the way. I’m grateful but I still have to keep looking.

   Sometimes no matter how many questions you ask in a job interview the reality differs. I’d like to think for both jobs I landed I asked a ton of great questions in the interview. I thought I knew for sure that both jobs wouldn’t be toxic or not a fit. The thing is if the job stinks people want to sell it to you. So they might cover up stuff and be on their best behavior. Maybe they want to change things and not be a toxic place anymore and they think you’ll change that. That’s not your job. So if you ask really straight forward questions and how they answer them can give you clues.

   I would ask if there’s high turnover. You can maybe find a nicer way to say this but I’ve asked this in interviews and it’s built trust. You could lead with due to the pandemic how has your company dealt with all of the changes and challenges etc. See how honest they are. I found out at the previous toxic job that I left only after I took the job the position and the person I replaced was fired after 1 month and 2 other people were in the role in a 7 month period. Yikes. Wish I had known that.

   So my next interviews I asked about the reason the job was open. At my new not-a-fit-but-not-bad-job the person before me went back to school. I’ve seen her visit too. They speak kindly of her. So that’s a big difference.

   What makes everyone happy at this company?

   Why do people stay?

   Ask every possible question imaginable until you feel confident that you understand what this job is really like.

   Also, think about what you’ve learned at your toxic job and think of good questions to ask based on your toxic experience. For example as I’ve previously stated I ask why the position is open. It resolves for me never being told after accepting the job I’m replacing someone that was fired after a month.

   Lastly, envision a non toxic work place. Then look for jobs that align with this.

   Never beat yourself up if you land a new job that’s still toxic or not a fit and keep looking and never give up.

6. Barbara NegronMarch 14,2022 at 2:38PM UTC

   Always a concern I tend to review Glassdoor to check other employee reviews. I take everything I read with a grain of salt, but I try to educate myself as much as possible.

7. AnonymousMarch 14,2022 at 3:00PM UTC

   When the same complaints come up over & over again over the course of years, I give those complaints more creedence.

8. Lesa Edwards, Career Coach & Master Resume WriterMarch 15,2022 at 5:15PM UTC

   Yes, Barbara - this is what I encourage my clients to do when they have concerns about workplace culture. If they see a theme in there, it can inform the questions they ask in the interview.

9. Taylor HenrieMarch 14,2022 at 8:00PM UTC

   Hi! I would ask:

   -Why is this position open and why did the previous person leave?

   -What are the company values and how do you personally act on these?

   -What's your approach to giving and receiving constructive feedback?

   -How do you acknowledge and reward employees for good work?

   -What are your teams biggest strengths? What's an area of opportunity to improve?

   -Can you share how your teams collaborate together and create buy in?

   -Do you offer a flexible work schedule?

   -What's the current policy around requesting time off?

   Hope this helps!

10. AnonymousMarch 15,2022 at 12:38AM UTC

    You might ask about what the management style is like, how feedback is given, what are the values regarding inclusion, diversity, equality.

11. Lauren Springer (she/her/hers)March 15,2022 at 1:09AM UTC

    — Tell me about the most recent challenge this team faced.

    Who was involved? What was at stake? How were decisions made/by whom? What were the results? How did the team feel about the situation and how it was handled? Hindsight being 20/20, what did you learn and what would you do differently?

    — Why do people leave this company, your team, this role?

    — How would your team describe your leadership style and the senior leadership team?

    — What are the unspoken rules of work at this company?

12. Sue Gordon- retired Career CoachMarch 15,2022 at 12:16PM UTC

    Here are a few I found helpful:

    • What do you like about working here?
    • Tell me about how you work as a team?
    • What is your management style?
    • How do you like to communicate with your team?

    Most importantly, observe everyone in the interview process. Don't ignore red flags- for example I once took a job after ignoring red flags such as sarcastic remarks by a colleague when introduced during the interview. Turned out to be a toxic culture overall.

    On the flip side, when interviewing for one of my best jobs ever, teammates were so excited to answer "what do you like about working here?" that they had to agree to take turns and were continuously smiling at each other (genuine smiles) while each told why they liked the office so much.

    So, ask good questions (perhaps drawn from what didn't work at your old workplace) and observe the behaviors that are placed in front of you during the interview.