When you are searching for a new job, you can spend a lot of time considering if you are right for the organisation; if your skills and experience match what they are looking for. You may prep for the interview to make sure that you can answer every weird and wonderful question. But, how much time do you spend considering if they are the right organisation for you? As you may have read before, I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to interview a company during a recruitment process; this will help you understand if they are the right place for you! It’s essential that you understand a company’s culture before you say “YES”.
This is just as relevant if you are interviewing internally; moving from one department to another. Whilst you have some of the inside knowledge about how an organisation works as a whole, you will want to see how this culture translates across teams. I have witnessed, numerous times, the fall out when a person moves to a new team and finds that the supportive and flexible culture they were used to was not actually company-wide!
I am sure all of us have got to the end of an interview and been asked: “Do you have any questions for us?”. This is a great opportunity to make sure that you get the answers to any doubts or missing pieces of information you may have. Most importantly, this will give you the opportunity to scope out if the organisation will be one that will support your career and personal development needs.
To understand what you need to know, it’s essential you ask yourself “Why am I applying for this job?” Write down all the reasons: wanting more money, a different challenge, having financial independence, wanting more responsibility, stressed and overworked … what else could you add? From this, you can work out what you need to know about in the interview.
Don’t do what many people do, is to shy away from the really important issues that matter to you, to make yourself more likeable. By doing this, you may increase your chances of being offered a job, but will it be the job and company you will want to stay in, long term?
During my recruitment days, there were four questions that I would routinely use to help me suss out what the organisation was like to work for. This would then help me inform the people I was representing about the culture of the company. These four questions are my gift to you today; use them wisely and they will help you understand a company’s culture.
1. Why are you recruiting this role?
Sometimes hints to the reasons for the role being available are apparent in the job advert, and other times they will come right out and say it in the interview. However, if this hasn’t been made clear to you, it’s important you ask. Has someone moved on? Is it a new role? Have they won new business or restructured the team? All of this can give you an insight into what is happening within the company and the department.
2. How is the work-life balance of staff supported in the team and the company?
This is a great one to learn more about the culture of the organisation; how the interviewer responds will tell you a lot about how this is considered. Do they have a wellbeing policy? Is flexible working mentioned? Or do they dance around the answer in a non-committal way?
3. What do YOU enjoy most about your role?
This gives you an insight into how your potential colleagues feel about their role and may give you an idea about what it is that keeps them in the company. Pay attention to their body language; does their face light up as they talk about their role? Are they expressive and animated? This can also tell you a lot!
4. How is success measured in this role?
An essential question; you want to understand what is seen as success in the company and, before you join, what your work performance will be judged on. You may, if you feel like you need to, expand on this question by asking “ …. And how does the role fit into the overall mission of the company?” The last thing you want it to find out the role is overworked and under-resourced when you arrive on your first day. You can start to see the likelihood of this at interview.
So, if you are getting ready to attend an interview soon, then make sure you have these four questions in your back pocket. By asking these, you can get a feel for life after the interview. After all, an interview is a two-way street. A job is never performed in isolation; you always have colleagues and clients to interact with, even if that is virtually! So, make sure you pay attention to WHO you will be working with and for. That is the key to having a career to enjoy, not endure!
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Clara Wilcox is a straight-talking, practical and experienced coach helping clients navigate the tricky waters of returning to work, career changes and professional development. The Balance Collective is a social enterprise focused on improving the lives of parents, by working together to build inner confidence and promote a healthy work/life balance. Isn’t it time you had a career to enjoy, not endure? Talk to me NOW about how I can help.
Clara Wilcox is a straight talking, practical and experienced coach helping clients navigate the tricky waters of returning to work, career changes and professional development. The Balance Collective is a social enterprise focused on improving the lives of parents, by working together to build inner confidence and promote a healthy work/life balance.
