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Do you interview your potential employer?
posted by: rich trombetta on 02/13/10
Do you interview your potential employer?
By Rich Trombetta
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So often when a person is looking for a job there is a tendency to forget one very, very important thing – YOU are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you.
Most things you read talk about how to conduct yourself in the interview – sit up straight, make eye contact, don’t smoke (this is actually a tip from the Department of Labor – I couldn’t make that up if I tried.) It seems there is very little written about YOU interviewing THEM.
Here are some things to consider. Assuming you work 40 hours a week then you will be at your employer for about 2000 hours over the course of a year. Add in the commute and you will spend more time working than you will sleeping or being with your family.
So, while what I am about to propose may seem unconventional, it is CRITICAL. Once a company has said, “OK, you’re hired” respond with, “great, what I would like to do is to come in and spend half a day on site talking with employees, sitting through staff meetings, and even going to lunch with people if possible.” You will probably be the first person who has ever made this request so don’t be surprised if the person is silent or confused. You can even mention you will sign a confidentiality agreement and that you don’t need to be involved with anything that is proprietary. Simply explain that your goal is to ensure that this will be a good fit since you plan on working there a long time. You wouldn’t marry someone after a couple of dates, would you? So why commit to working somewhere for 2000 hours a year when you really don’t have a great feel for the culture and work environment?
It is amazing what you can learn in 4 hours. Are people smiling? Are the boss and the boss’ boss respectful? What about meetings – organized, planned out and constructive or a waste of time? Do people take a break for lunch or do they eat at their desks? Any laughter? How about gossip?
I have actually done this exercise twice and both times the company later told me it was one of the best ideas they had ever heard of. Both times I left after only 2 hours and both times I took the job. The times I didn’t do this – awful.
Ask yourself this – if a person says no, could they be hiding something? Sure, there is confidential stuff you can’t be a part of, but how about lunch? How about a staff meeting? How about coffee with some employees?
My point is simple – do not be afraid to interview your employer. They are not afraid to interview you.
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Comments
posted by: Terry Schultz on 02/16/10
This is a great idea. When I actually get a job, I will put this to use. #in