With the job market slowly coming back to life, many job candidates are so eager to land a position that they don’t stop to think about the corporate culture in their potential workplace. Interviewers have so much on their own plates, even they don’t always know where to start as they ponder whether or not a candidate will be a good fit for the job. In turn, candidates want to know what they’re walking into before they’re offered a job, so they don’t end up with the workplace equivalent of buyer’s remorse. That’s why job-hunters need to be fully engaged, interactive, and ready to ask pertinent questions that will help them make informed decisions about job opportunities.
These questions help job candidates to find out what the company’s corporate culture is really like, so they’ll have a better chance of finding a dream job instead of a rude awakening:
- “How might the typical employee describe what they love most about working here?
- “How would you describe the company culture in five words or less? How do you think the typical customer would describe it?”
- “Who else can I talk to in order to learn more about how the company operates?”
- “How does the company celebrate success?”
- “How are changes in policy initiated in this organization?”
- “Every company has its own unique issues to contend with; what is the one area that others in this firm might say makes it challenging to work here?”
Pay attention to key words and phrases, then follow up with questions to clarify. For instance, make sure this company’s definition of “fast-paced” means “exciting,” not “chaotic!”
