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I would love to be able to find the following information without seeming to be afraid of working hard: "How often do you expect your employees to work extreme

I would love to be able to find the following information without seeming to be afraid of working hard: "How often do you expect your employees to work extreme hours in order to be competitive in your company?" If the culture of the company supports 60-80 hour weeks, it may not be apparent in a job interview... and even if it doesn't, asking this question incorrectly may paint you lazy or unwilling to put in time if(hopefully infrequently) necessary

Tichy 15y ago
If you are unwilling to work 60-80 hour work weeks, what is the point in lying about it? Would you make an exception for some companies?
- codenerdz 15y ago
  There is a difference between working 60-80 hour weeks all the time vs putting in a week of crunch time that happens rarely. Latter is oftentimes inevitable, whereas the former is a sign of poor time management IMHO. There was nothing in my question about lying, It just seems that is very tough to emphasise your dislike of constant 60-80hr weeks and still be able to convey the fact that you wont shy away from a late night work when absolutely necessary.
  - nandemo 15y ago
    That's why the author writes "How often do you expect...". Of course you can choose a different wording if you want to be clearer. Also, note that this happens in a face-to-face conversation, so you can always gauge the reaction of the interviewer, qualify your question, etc. I usually ask "how are your working hours like?", and add that I'm used to working overtime and weekends -- that not only avoids the impression you mention, but also makes the interviewer more likely to be honest in their answer. By the way, I wouldn't call someone who doesn't want to do overtime "lazy". For instance, just because I'm "used" to working long hours doesn't mean that I'm indifferent to it.
SatvikBeri 15y ago
You pretty much have to ask this of employees who would be at your level, not the employers. Even honest bosses can have a bit of a misconception as to how much their reports work, or they'll come up with a quick estimate that's based off of nothing.

Tichy 15y ago

If you are unwilling to work 60-80 hour work weeks, what is the point in lying about it? Would you make an exception for some companies?

codenerdz 15y ago
There is a difference between working 60-80 hour weeks all the time vs putting in a week of crunch time that happens rarely. Latter is oftentimes inevitable, whereas the former is a sign of poor time management IMHO. There was nothing in my question about lying, It just seems that is very tough to emphasise your dislike of constant 60-80hr weeks and still be able to convey the fact that you wont shy away from a late night work when absolutely necessary.
- nandemo 15y ago
  That's why the author writes "How often do you expect...". Of course you can choose a different wording if you want to be clearer. Also, note that this happens in a face-to-face conversation, so you can always gauge the reaction of the interviewer, qualify your question, etc. I usually ask "how are your working hours like?", and add that I'm used to working overtime and weekends -- that not only avoids the impression you mention, but also makes the interviewer more likely to be honest in their answer. By the way, I wouldn't call someone who doesn't want to do overtime "lazy". For instance, just because I'm "used" to working long hours doesn't mean that I'm indifferent to it.

SatvikBeri 15y ago

You pretty much have to ask this of employees who would be at your level, not the employers. Even honest bosses can have a bit of a misconception as to how much their reports work, or they'll come up with a quick estimate that's based off of nothing.