Using an interview to find out more about company culture

Many people consider an interview a one-way process. You’re there to be grilled by the organisation; your role is reactive. The onus is on you to show what you can do for the prospective new employer, how you might fit into their setup. In your preparation, you might think about questions the interviewer may ask you and draft some thoughts about your replies.  

But interviews can – and should – be more of a two-way deal. It’s not just about successfully returning answers to questions served at you across the metaphorical tennis net; an interview can also provide a golden opportunity to take control and discover more about the company’s culture – and whether it’s going to give you what you need.  

If the company were to ring you the next day and offer you the role, what can you use to confidently decide whether you truly want it or not? How can you make an informed decision about whether the company is going to be a good fit for you in terms of ethos, whether the role will provide true job satisfaction and enjoyment in what you do? I talked in a previous blog about what to do if your new job doesn’t work out – but there are some steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of this happening. They involve using the power of questioning to uncover potential pitfalls and hazards, and to get more of an insight into a company’s culture.  

Be discerning in your pre-interview research 

Start your questioning before you even reach the interview. Doing some research means you’ll be able to begin asking questions before you even set foot in the door.  

Many people like to look at the company website, but remember, a website is like a travel brochure. It’s highly likely a trawl through a company site will leave you with a favourable impression – and it might be one that’s overly flattering. Just as a travel firm will feature the ‘best bits’ of the holiday – the plushest room on offer, the best view – and will edit out the less impressive bits, so a company might focus on the very best points of the ethos and culture on its website and gloss over the rest. It’s unlikely to present an honest, no-holds-barred appraisal of what it’s actually like to work there. You need to discover whether the positive attributes it lists are window-dressing, or the core culture that really lives and breathes those values. 

Look beyond the website – try sites like Glassdoor, Indeed or Google Reviews. And don’t forget good old-fashioned word of mouth. You might know someone who knows someone who works there. Make those connections and ask for an honest opinion about the company’s culture. (LinkedIn is a great way to discover someone with a useful connection.) 

“Do you have any questions for us?” 

Composing your own questions about the company culture – and making sure you actually ask them in interview – is key to helping work out if the job on offer is right for you. The process of asking questions changes the interview dynamic and the interviewer’s perception of you – and gives you the chance to discover things you might not have uncovered otherwise. Don’t be afraid of integrating your own questions in the main body of the interview, if that feels natural. But the golden opportunity will almost certainly present itself at the end, when you are asked if you have any questions for the interviewer.  

It’s worth considering carefully what you might want to ask here – there are no set ‘best’ questions, but if you keep in mind what your values are and what is important to you, then you have a good basis. Ask yourself what you are looking for from the organisation in terms of ethos and be clear about your own values and what is important to you. 

For example, if it’s important to you that the culture at work values your outside interests and will support you in keeping those, then a question about working hours or work/life balance would be helpful. If career development, training or professional memberships are important to you, then ask about that – what, for example, can the company offer you in terms of funding or time to further your own career progression? It might be that flexibility in terms of working is important – so ask a question about how the company supports hybrid working patterns.  

The day to day 

Don’t be afraid of asking detailed questions about the work itself. If you don’t ask enough questions about the day to day, the reality of the work may well differ entirely from the job that was sold to you at interview. Ask questions about what the typical day looks like, or the typical week. How do the different elements of the job stack up in terms of percentage time or priority? You might ask about upcoming projects, current challenges or priorities – or even what would be expected from the successful candidate over the next few months.  

Team talk  

You might want to ask questions about how much of your potential role would be spent working independently and autonomously and how much in a team. Or perhaps you want to know about the leadership ethos. If you know from previous experience that this is a key relationship for you in terms of job satisfaction, then it’s important to ask questions that will help you gauge if you and the leadership will be a good fit. Who would be your line manager? How would they describe their leadership style? How do they prefer to work? How would they go about getting the best out of you?  

Turning the tables 

Asking open questions of the interviewer themselves can yield interesting information about what it’s really like to work for the organisation. What was their career journey? How long have they worked at the company? What do they love about working there? Posing questions which can entice the interviewer to talk about themselves can be useful in gaining more of an insight into the potential company.  

Honesty is the best policy 

Finally, while using your own questions is a great way to open up a dialogue about the realities of company ethos, it’s also important to be open and upfront about your own working style. Clarity about what you want and need from a job is important; it’s a bit like a dating profile – if you’re not honest about what you want and the way you are, you’re less likely to get a good match!  

You could talk about your MBTI personality profiles here, or describe situations where you are at your best – whether that be when you’re given autonomy, or the room to be creative or problem-solve. Asking follow-up questions about whether those qualities will be supported and nurtured by your prospective company and how that might be facilitated will hopefully open up a useful conversation that should shed more light on whether this will be the right role for you.  

Taking the time to prepare your questions in advance is always worth the effort. Don’t be afraid to look at your questions during the interview. Asking your own well-considered, thoughtful questions will certainly impress your interviewer – and it’s critical to help you make the right decision about your next career move. 

If you have a job interview coming up and want some support getting ready, get in touch. We can offer a one-off session to help you Email us at meg@megburtoncoach.co.uk 

Featured image courtesy of Unsplash – Vardan Papikyan (link)