Fabulous Financials

Most of you know I considered leaving my current position a few months ago because I was unhappy with my quality of life (or lack thereof). After a lengthy job search, I received two offers, but my employer made an attractive counter offer. Needless to say, I decided to stick it out, but now I regret ignoring my initial instincts. So yesterday, I explained why I thought accepting an employer counter offer was a bad idea. In response to that post, Sarah left the following comment/question:

I’m also on the job market right now and am trying to find a good fit for my skills and a good cultural fit. What kinds of questions are you asking your potential new employers to ensure that these quality of life/office culture issues are addressed? I’ve been on a few interviews so far and whenever I ask about the “company culture”, I’ve been getting the same answer from everybody. “The people here are smart and great to work with, blah blah blah” How do I cut through the BS to find out what it is really like?

These are very good questions and I have a few thoughts I’d like to share. But before I do, I need to caveat as usual - I am NOT a career expert. My views are based on my experience and what has worked for me at this level in my career. Here’s how I’d “cut through the BS”:

1. When you’re on an interview, scratch the standard Q&A. That is only meant to collect data. If you’re beyond entry level, nothing important will be disclosed through standard Q&A. You must have a real “conversation” with the interviewers and observe/listen to the indirect communication. How do they interact with each other? When you ask a question, do they hesitate to answer? Do they look to the other person for an answer? Does the tone of their voice change when they answer? How does their body shift? You get my point. Don’t forget, an interview is a 2-way street. You are also evaluating a potential employer.

2. If you’re getting the same answer, your questions are too pointed. You are framing them in a way that makes crafting a cookie cutter answer too easy. Ask open ended questions that require more than a yes or no. Ask open ended questions that require some thought. Ask questions that will generate discussion. For example: “Can you describe a typical workday for a [insert position you are interviewing for] at [insert company name or department]?” or “Can you describe the personality of your most successful [insert position you are interviewing for]?” or “If I had a chance to ask your most junior (or replace with “senior” if you’re higher level) [insert position you are interviewing for] how they like working here, what do YOU think he/she would say?” There’s nothing worse than a pregnant pause when a person thinks they’ve answered your question but you’re still not satisfied. If you need more information, ask follow up questions. “I’m not sure if I understand. Can you explain what you mean by ___?”

3. Further, most people only see the interview conference room, but an alternative is to request a site visit/tour. Of course, the response to this may depend on the level of the position you are interviewing for and if they are seriously considering you as a candidate. But once you gain entry, observe how you are greeted, the way people interact with one another, or try talking to them. Assuming it isn’t busy season, if everyone is chained to their cubicle/office and barely look up to speak when you walk past, there’s your answer. Also, many higher level positions require multiple interviews, some of which may be held over a meal - another opportunity to observe and listen.

4. And finally, ask somebody that knows somebody that knows somebody. They say we’re only seven degrees removed, so you’re bound to know someone who is IN the know. Ask your coworker’s, sister, best friend, cousin’s soror if they know someone who works there. Pass your number along so you can get the real 411. This is pretty easy for me because my career field is very specialized and word of mouth travels quickly in the DC area.

Fabulous Takeaway: there are several ways to cut through the BS, but you must be creative with your approach. Don’t just ask questions, seek answers - and actually LISTEN to the response. Listen to what you HEAR and listen (i.e. pay attention) to what you SEE.

[image credit: www.byu.edu]