How to interview a potential employer

Our society has moved into a new culture where the emphasis has been placed on your personal experience at your job. No longer are people putting up with toxic work environments, terrible bosses, or bad pay. There are stories all over the internet of people walking out of their job because of terrible environments and bad culture continually ignored by or even (in some cases) encouraged by management. This mass exodus of bad work environments is forcing companies to reevaluate their culture and ensure that their employees are valued.

So, whether you are someone who is considering leaving your current position or have already taken the leap into the world of searching for a new job, you might be worried about the chance of landing yourself right back into that toxic environment. Using my experience in the job market I've put together a list of questions to ask to make sure you don't jump back into a bad environment.

A few things to keep in mind. If you aren't sure you're ready to jump into the job search, it's a tough place to be in, if you don't believe me, take a moment to read through my experience "Rejected. Again." It's a tough market, but the reality is if I had taken any of those jobs I might have ended up in a terrible place, miserable. I mean, with the recruiters I've interacted with (which some of them were great) it was a challenge, which is why I've also written, "An Honest Cover Letter" that you're welcome to use when applying for jobs (okay, please don't but feel free to take a read and get insight for what you're going to be up against).

To help avoid signing a contract with a company that doesn't value its employees, I recommend asking these questions during your interview. You can ask these questions to the recruiter or the manager, but the best person to ask these questions to would be someone who would be working alongside you (normally this interview would be what I call 'a vibe check'). This will allow you to speak with someone who isn't paid to sell the 'best work environment' or a 'great place to work.'

Question: Can you describe the company culture?

• Good answer: Well, the answer to this one needs to be what you're looking. A supportive or collaborative environment, one that invests in professional development, or a culture that is focused on growth. The thing you need to look for in this answer is more than words. Something along the lines of "we support our employees because we provide everyone with a mental health day once a quarter" or "we are dedicated to professional development and give our employees a stipend of $700 to attend a seminar in their field each year." These are the answers you want to look for, words connected with action. Action means the company is truly dedicated to its employees and that's where you will want to work.
• Red Flag: "We are like a family" Oh, this answer makes me run for the hills as fast as I can, and you should do! While in some (very, very few) cases this can be okay, in the majority of the cases this is evidence of a very toxic work environment. A 'family' environment can mean that there isn't accountability for management because they are friends with each other and too close to have difficult conversations with each other. A company that runs like a family is not one that is generally a functional family. It's best to stay away from these employers.

Question: Can you share a time when you were stressed at work or maybe working on a difficult project?

• Good answer: "[Description of the project... how stressful it was...] but my team (or manager) helped and supported me." No matter what department or field you work in there will always be moments of difficulty or stress. The key to surviving these difficult times is working with a supportive team. Maybe the support was someone offering to help take on part of the project or help him with other tasks so he had the time he needed to work on the project. Maybe management encouraged him to take a half-day after the project was done as a reward for the extra hours he put in. No matter what it was, be listening for the support given.
• Red Flag: "[Description of the project... how stressful it was...] and I just had to power through." Nope. Stay away from a company that has this mentality because you will find, years from then that you have been powering through on an empty tank for years. Accepting a job with a company that believes this kind of environment is okay isn't worth giving up your health and/or sanity.

Question: Can you describe your management style?

• This question doesn't come with a right or wrong answer, but before you go into your interview you need to know what kind of manager you thrive under. Are you someone who needs more direction for a project, someone who likes to receive check-ins for their work to ensure you're on the right track? Then you need to look for a manager who might lean a little towards the micromanager style of leading. If you are someone who likes to take an idea and run with it, find someone who empowers their team to work independently. No matter what kind of manager you thrive under, don't settle for someone else. You will be miserable, they will find you challenging, and you will end up going through this process again in the near future.

Sometimes you need to take a season and work for a company that isn't the best, I mean, every company has its baggage. The trick is to identify them quickly and decide if the company is worth looking past, or at least dealing with, the baggage they bring.

The culture we live in is shifting its mentality to be more employee-focused, but we haven't reached that point yet, which is why there's a need to be diligent about looking closely and interviewing the company that is interviewing you.

Hopefully, these questions help you in your job search and you can find a place where you feel valued. A place where you are empowered, successful, and supported in the work that you do.