Use these questions to understand Organizational Culture in an Interview

Photo by Haseeb Jamil on Unsplash

I recently worked with a coaching client who received an interview for a position with an organization. When applying for the role, the client read the job description as the description for their dream job! However when she was selected for an interview, red flags started popping up everywhere.

• Every email she received from her would-b supervisor came in on weekends and “after hours”
• Emails were incomplete — lacking key details needed to move forward with the various interview and selection steps.
• The supervisor arrived late to the first Zoom call — citing how busy they were.
• The supervisor was visibly distracted throughout the Zoom call.

In a previous article, I shared some potential questions you can ask in an interview. My client’s recent experience made me realize I needed to provide some additional questions you can use to assess culture — when the new supervisor isn’t as blatant as the one my client experienced. My coaching client decided it was best to walk away from this opportunity. She didn’t want to leave what felt like an unhealthy but not yet toxic workplace for a workplace where the signs are so blatantly pointing towards a toxic environment — or…