How do you measure your happiness at a job? It’s a difficult question to ask. And it can be even more difficult to ascertain if you will be happy at a potential job.
Before you sign any contract for new employment, you should be doing your research on a potential employer. Company culture is at the core of new business models, and well put together companies will fly that flag for you to see, through their social media, website, and the events they host.
But those aren’t the only inroads to insight that you have at your disposal. Sometimes the best information you can glean comes firsthand, when you meet with your recruiter. Interviews provide a platform for you to present your best self, but also for you to discuss what employment really looks like for you, should you choose to forge ahead with this new endeavour.
We’ve prepared 5 of the best categories of questions you can ask your interviewers to suss out the nature of their company culture, and help you make an informed decision about whether their company will be the right fit for you, not just the other way around.
- What is the employee attrition rate here?
This one may be a little hard-hitting to simply ask outright. Try to find more polite ways to find out the answer, such as “how long do people typically work here?” or “how many new employees have you hired recently?”, or even if the company has been growing.
When you find instances of high turnover, it is a strong indicator that something’s rotten in the state of Denmark (or in the state of their company culture, more precisely). If others aren’t being happy, or “cutting it”, then will you be able to? Employee loss also speaks to issues like office drama, a lack of a sense of value, or minimal opportunities to grow and develop in their working environment.
How do you feel when an employer has high attrition rates?
- How do you handle new ideas?
No one likes to be ignored. And a strong company culture values your voice.
You want to know if they foster a sense of collaboration. Buzz words like “team-oriented” may not mean exactly what you think, so ask about how they handle input. Are ideas kept closeted, packed away in their respective silos with no room for engaging conversation? Unless you appreciate a military approach to knowing only what you need to, you should be looking into what amount of free reign and autonomy employees are given when it comes to pitching new ideas or collaborating with their peers and superiors on new solutions.
How much would you like to be involved in developing new ideas?
- How have you grown since you started here?
Personal questions are not just a great way to connect with your interviewer, they also let them tell a specific story about how the company encourages and enables development for their team.
Asking about where they started, and how they have advanced in their career, will give you a real case example of your chances to grow as well. Keep the timeline in mind, too. While some jobs may not be a complete dead-end, they can still require a long grind to get anywhere new.
How well does their opportunity for growth align with your own?
- How does your company measure success?
This is about lining up your goals with theirs. With any new position, asking about what success looks like (in 2 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, or in general) gives you a vantage on the true privileges and responsibilities that the job offers.
Some companies may have specific metrics based around simple tangibles, such as hours worked or billable sales. Others may set goalposts about more ethereal concepts, like building an inspiring brand image. You need to weigh the differences and how they relate to your own mentality when it comes to work.
Are you looking for something where you can easily punch-in, punch-out, and leave your work at the office? Or are you looking for a challenge that will keep you on your toes each step of the way?
- Make your own question using culture clues!
The best culture questions are directed specifically at the nature of the particular employer.
Again, doing advanced research on a company will yield crucial clues about their working environment. Using what you’ve learned so far, ask questions that help you affirm what you’ve read, or delve deeper into any uncertain areas.
It can be helpful to bring up specific examples from your research, such as the message of a certain public-facing campaign, or the verbiage of an article they published in an industry newsletter.
What would you like to ask your next potential employer?
Company culture isn’t a term to be taken lightly. While many people think they would choose their ideal job by pay and incidentals, such as proximity, the truth is that most people don’t think about their “dream job” in terms of finances, but rather in terms of their mental state and lifestyle. And if you’ll be keeping your head under the company umbrella for the long term, it’s important to know it helps you find that life you’re really looking for.