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As an interviewee, one of the questions (that I shamelessly stole from somewhere on HN) I like to ask recruiters is this: "Do you like working here?" The answer
by arkadiytehgraet 9y ago
As an interviewee, one of the questions (that I shamelessly stole from somewhere on HN) I like to ask recruiters is this: "Do you like working here?"
The answers and the way the answers are given usually tell you quite a lot about the company and the specific place you are going to work.
- comstock 9y agoIt’s a fair question, but if you asked me that in front of my boss or coworkers I would likely immediately take a disliking to you because you put me in an awkward situation where there are few easy ways to answer honestly.
- arkadiytehgraet 9y agoThis is why this question is so good: you either like working there, and then you have no problem answering this question honestly (and without any awkwardness), or you don't like, then surely you have to come up with some elaborate yet unclear answer to this question, which is quite clear at that point, and then I do not really care whether you take a disliking to me or not, since it does not really matter any more.
- comstock 9y agoMaybe in general that’s true. In my case even if I feel it’s a nice place to work, I wouldn’t like being on of the spot in front of my boss/coworkers. In a one-to-one interview it would be fine. Which was perhaps more the context of your comment.
- burger_moon 9y agoNot being able to speak freely in front of your peers would be a hard pass from me. I'm not going to work somewhere I can't feel comfortable speaking honestly.
- olalonde 9y agoLet me guess, you wouldn't work somewhere you are unhappy to work at too?
- watwut 9y agoI really like my current job and still would think you are dumb and dislike you for putting me in that position.
- kod 9y agoif you're working in an environment where you can't answer that honestly, I don't want to be working with you.
- alvis 9y agoIn fact, it is perhaps the best way to avoid you joining a place you will dislike, as they won't let you in to begin with.
- lazyant 9y agoquestion can be softened as "what would you change in the company?"
- dctoedt 9y agoOr a more open-ended variation: Tell me what you like about working here. And then: Is there anything you wish were different here?
- dceddia 9y agoI try to ask some variant of this, "What are your favorite/least favorite things about working here?" I'm not entirely sure how useful it is, even though it feels like a useful question to ask. I've gotten answers like "the culture is great" or "there are really no good food options around here."