I've had pretty decent success just being straight with people about my goals and seeing what they say. If I'm talking to other programmers and not management,

I've had pretty decent success just being straight with people about my goals and seeing what they say. If I'm talking to other programmers and not management, I generally ask: - Are you happy here? Why? - Every job has little annoyances (important preface). What are some of the things you wish you could change? - Do you believe your leadership is interested in your feedback? I also REALLY try to observe the body language of the employees interacting with each other. Even if I can't hear what's being said outside the interview room, it can tell you a lot about the company culture.