Company Culture Interview Questions to Ask

Company culture can have a big impact on how enjoyable it is to work at an organization. Finding out about the company culture should be a major priority for any job seeker. Asking a few key questions during a job interview can help give you an insight into the culture you will be expected to fit into if you get the job.

You can do a lot of work before the interview to find out about the company culture. Visit the company's website, read the posts on the brand's social media accounts, and take a look at the LinkedIn profiles of some of the employees. However, your biggest chance to find out what it is really like to work at a company comes at the interview stage of the hiring process.

One way to find out about the company culture is to simply ask the interviewer to describe it. This question is likely to make the interviewer think, and it gives him an opportunity to discuss the aspects of company culture that he considers most important. However, it can sometimes be more insightful to ask some less direct questions, as these deliver the information you need to make your decision about whether you want to work there.

"What do you like best about working here?" is one interesting question to ask an interviewer. This gives the interviewer an opportunity to let you know about the positive aspects of company culture. The answer to this question could let you know whether the company's values and priorities align with your own.

You can also ask how long the interviewer has been working at the company and how his role has evolved during this time. These questions can give you a good impression of the opportunities for career progression within the company.

Ask the interviewer how often employees meet to discuss project progress and individual goals. This question can give you a lot of insight into the openness of communication in the company. For example, if the interviewer tells you that people mostly work independently, with one-on-one meetings with a supervisor, then this could indicate a strongly top-down organizational structure, which might not be what you are looking for if you prefer to work as part of a team.

You may want to ask about the workload but don't want to come across as work-shy or lazy. One good way to broach this topic is to approach it with a targeted question, such as "Which times of the year is the company busiest?" This invites the interviewer to let you know whether you can expect to be in the office at all hours during the busy run-up to the holiday season, or whether the workload is steadier.

Asking these key questions can help you to determine company culture during a job interview. Pay careful attention to the interviewer's answers to help you decide whether you would fit into the organization.

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