The three most important questions to ask about a job!

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There are 50% more jobs than there are applicants these days. This is also the era of the “Great Resignation” with record turnover. Changing jobs can be stressful and is risky- is the new one really going to be better? So how do you increase the odds that your new job will be much, much better? Asking the right questions is a good start. Most applicants I’ve interviewed focus on pay, benefits and working hours. Those are always good to know yet tell you nothing about what it’s like to work for a company. Over time, the allure of pay and benefits wears off and the reality of the workplace moves front and center. ?

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So what are the best questions to ask? There are three whose answers will speak volumes!

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1)??When decisions are made, how are team members involved?

2)??What is the purpose of the company?

3)??Is there flexibility in scheduling and the location from which the work gets done?

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If you get a blank look when you ask the first “how are team members involved?” then you can assume that employees are a number or a job title, not a person whose opinion is valued. Take a pass.

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The “purpose of the company” often elicits a “to make money!” If the person interviewing doesn’t know why the work (and company) matters, take a pass.

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“Flexibility in scheduling and location” tells a lot about the attitudes and beliefs of leadership about the importance of the work to be done versus how and where it gets done. In my consulting work, I hear from CEO’s who insist people only get work done in the office and from those who say the work is more important than the location.

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Asking the right questions and listening carefully to what’s said and not said increases your odds of joining the right culture instead of getting a job!