The Wellbeing Litmus Test

5 interview questions to ask to see if a company truly values wellbeing. Hint: If your values aren’t aligned from the start, you’re going to have a tough time.

With health and wellbeing at the forefront of everyone’s minds (and rightly so) you want to know you’re joining a team that actually aligns with your values.

You want to know that if you join company XYZ, that you’ll be looked after and be able to deliver your best work consistently, not ground into the dirt and tossed aside.?

In short, you want to know that XYZ actually gives a crap about wellbeing and isn’t just virtue signalling because it’s the cool thing to do right now.

In that, a few simple questions can get you to the heart of the matter and discover if a company actually has one, or if you should run for the hills.

Question 1: What are the goals of your wellbeing program?

First and foremost you want to know if company XYZ has a strategy and if that strategy aligns with your goals.?

A clearly defined strategy that’s driving towards a specific set of goals is a very good sign and shows they’re serious about employee health and wellbeing.?

Question 2: What specific wellbeing initiatives do you offer??

This is potentially the most important question to ask, as it tells you specifically what you can expect from their wellbeing program, if anything. If this can’t be answered easily, in bullet points, then chances are wellbeing is more of a vague notion than a defined set of principles and actions.?

Question 3: Which wellbeing initiatives do you engage with personally?

This is a more personal question, and they absolutely have the right not to tell you, however if wellbeing is embedded in the culture of the organisation then your interviewer will have no issue listing all the ways they personally benefit from and contribute to wellbeing.

Question 4: Which wellbeing initiatives is the C-suite involved in? Do you have examples of that?

Crucially, you want to know that the C-suite (who sign off on the initiatives that they think are good ideas) are actually a part of the wellbeing program they’re telling others to use.

If they’re not it tells you that they either don’t have time (a bad sign), they don’t value the initiatives (an even worse sign) or that involvement in the initiatives is not encouraged and actually may be discouraged by those on top (an absolute dealbreaker).?

Question 5: What is available for staff who need support and what channels do they use to tell you they need it?

A concerning number of employees aren’t clear on what support is available to them and how they can access it, or even how to tell someone they need it.?

‘Tell your manager’ should certainly be an option, however it shouldn’t be the only option available to you, especially if you don’t feel comfortable doing that. Ensure there are ways to access support that you would actually use if you needed it before you jump on board.?

Wellbeing is an absolutely critical aspect of our lives, our work and our ability to perform and be happy, and it should be cared for by us and by the people to whom we dedicate the majority of our waking lives and energy.?

It shouldn’t be an afterthought and it shouldn’t be something that is spoken about but not actioned.

If you’re being interviewed for a role, make sure you ask these critical questions to ensure the culture you’re joining has wellbeing at its core and that you’ll be well looked after.

If you’re doing the interviewing, ensure you have some good answers to these questions for the exact same reason.?

Question: What is it worth to you to go to an organisation that can answer these questions well?