A job interview is one of the most stressful experiences you can go through, knowing that from when you arrive to when you leave, everything you do is being assessed. You’ll face questions you know how to answer, some that you will probably have to bluff your way through and some that you’ll have nightmares about afterwards.
But you’re not the only one who has questions to answer. At the end of the interview, it’s your turn to ask your questions and this is an opportunity for you to find out what kind of company you might be working for. If you end up in a toxic workplace, it can have a huge impact on your health, your happiness and even your career.
Here are some questions to ask that will help you understand if you’re interviewing for a job at a toxic company:
What are the core values of the company?
If these haven’t been mentioned so far, asking about the values is a good way to see if they align with your own personal values and priorities. If the interviewer struggles to answer this question, that tells you plenty about how well these values are actually a part of how the company is run.
Why did the person who previously held the job leave?
This can be a difficult one for interviewers to answer unless there is a positive reason the previous person in the role left. But they should still be able to give you a good answer, so if they are vague and evasive, the reason may well be because of the toxic culture at the business.
What do you like most about working here?
This question gives the interviewer the chance to really wow you with their passion for the work culture, values and mission at their company. If they can’t do that, it speaks volumes for the kind of issues there might be there.
Find out more questions to ask and other tips for identifying a toxic workplace in this new guide from Resume.io.
