How do you ask about work life balance during interview?

[Anonymous]

If you came in and asked me about "work life balance" all I'm going to hear is "pain in the ass employee". If you ask about telework right away, all I hear is "she doesn't want to be here". Once you have an offer, you might be able to bring these things up. In a first interview? No.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Even if you are genuine about these questions and terms, it feels like a euphemism for lazy or unengaged when you ask it before the offer.

I know this can be rare, but when I took my current job and those things were super important to me, I was able to take the person who's job I was up for out to coffee and get the scoop there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Even if you are genuine about these questions and terms, it feels like a euphemism for lazy or unengaged when you ask it before the offer.

I know this can be rare, but when I took my current job and those things were super important to me, I was able to take the person who's job I was up for out to coffee and get the scoop there.

I have had two friends have an offer rescinded after those type of questions. It works out if you really don't want the job without balance, but if your NEED a job that would be a bad outcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Id ask and do ask. O go steaight to the point. For two reasons:

1. I dont want to work for a company that would not hire me because i want balance in my life.
2. I do not want to work for a company that doesn't value their emoloyees mental and physical health.

Don't hire me. Do me a favor if you don't think your employees deserve a life outsife of work.

Bye Felicia.

I disagree with this advice. I think that someone asking about work life balance right away is a red flag and may lead some to assume she's inflexible.

I think a better way to get at it is to ask about the workplace culture- that can tell you a lot- and also to ask why the position is vacant- why did the last person leave? Those two questions help get to some of the work life balance and also are totally appropriate for the interview.

I'm a hiring manager, FWIW.

Has worked out well for me. Never have I been passed on a job offer that I've went for and I'm the VP of a large division that runs 3 large government contracts. Yes, even people at my level cherish their personal time. I go atraight in foe thr question ans make it clear that I have a well rounded life and (gasp!) Kids! I run my division the way I want to be treated and have a very low turnover rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DO NOT ASK. That is a POST offer question.

NP here. What questions are ok to ask once the offer is made? Is asking about teleworking 2 days a week reasonable? Curious if that's a red flag for a supervisor to have a potential new employee asking this off the bat. (sorry to digress OP)

I'm not PP, but I think your teleworking question post-offer is only a reasonable one if the situation is such that the employer is lucky to have you (as opposed to vice versa) and you know you have equal or better options for full-time work.

No, it's reasonable regardless. If an offer has been made, then the organization is obviously motivated to get the candidate to accept. It's reasonable to ask this, but you have to be open to hearing the answer will be no.

I once asked about telework options because a job was a long commute, and I was told no dice. But I was offered the ability to stagger my schedule (arrive and leave early) instead.

NP here. How did you phrase asking about telework for the long commute? I am interviewing for a great job with a horrendous commute and want to bring this up (or the idea of a staggered schedule) if I get an offer.

Initially, after the offer, I asked in a general way about occasional telework (i.e. "what's your policy on working remotely?"). It's not uncommon in my industry, and I had it at the job I would be leaving. She said she didn't really feel like it fit the team at the time, but that may change. Then I spent a little more time considering commute options, and a few days later I flat out said I could only accept the job if they could be flexible around my daily schedule. This was true in my case given the nature of the commute and childcare. I had no idea how they would react, and they were completely fine with it.

Of course, my boss ended up being crazy for other reasons...but it all worked out in the end. I'm now at a 100% remote company with a similar role. And I managed to parlay the salary bump + large bonus from my last job into a higher salary (with no uncertainty about whether I'd get my full bonus) at my current job.

Some of these work-life balance questions are about what you truly can/can't accommodate. In my case, I think it comes across that I'm asking based on what I'm truly able to commit and willing to walk away if they can't accommodate it. Honesty is generally the best policy when you're starting a job, IMHO.

[Anonymous]

I ask "what does the company/group do to make sure high performers don't experience burn out?"

[Anonymous]

Definitely don't use the term work life balance in your question.

Before offer, you can get a feel for it by asking them to describe a typical day or week or season, asking about remote office or international colleagues, and just listening carefully to everyone's responses.

One place I interviewed, 5-6 people mentioned "logging on" a lot after work, which was a huge red flag to me. Ditto the would be manager of me who said he was a perfectionist, but I digress.

Also use Glassdoor and friends of friends through LinkedIn at the company, who aren't part of your hiring group, to get a feel for what a particular team or manager is like.

Once you have the offer, you can ask more specific set hours questions or understand more about telework options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Definitely don't use the term work life balance in your question.

Before offer, you can get a feel for it by asking them to describe a typical day or week or season, asking about remote office or international colleagues, and just listening carefully to everyone's responses.

One place I interviewed, 5-6 people mentioned "logging on" a lot after work, which was a huge red flag to me. Ditto the would be manager of me who said he was a perfectionist, but I digress.

Also use Glassdoor and friends of friends through LinkedIn at the company, who aren't part of your hiring group, to get a feel for what a particular team or manager is like.

Once you have the offer, you can ask more specific set hours questions or understand more about telework options.

+1 to all of this. my impression has been that if it really is a round-the-clock, chained-to-the-desk-or-phone gig, they'll actually ask YOU during the interviews if you can take the heat. (fwiw, I have been known to say yes with enthusiasm andt hen politely withdraw my application later). more commonly, you can just get a clue by asking about day-to-day work of someone in your position. get business cards/contact info for anyone you interview with. and if you get the offer, reach out to a couple of people.

fwiw, a friend of mine did this a few years ago, and I guess word got back to the hiring authority that she was asking about work-life balance. boss called her, threatened to rescind the offer if she couldn't take the heat. she took the job, and boy, regretted it. Not only a sweatshop, but a sweatshop full of assholes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Definitely don't use the term work life balance in your question.

Before offer, you can get a feel for it by asking them to describe a typical day or week or season, asking about remote office or international colleagues, and just listening carefully to everyone's responses.

One place I interviewed, 5-6 people mentioned "logging on" a lot after work, which was a huge red flag to me. Ditto the would be manager of me who said he was a perfectionist, but I digress.

Also use Glassdoor and friends of friends through LinkedIn at the company, who aren't part of your hiring group, to get a feel for what a particular team or manager is like.

Once you have the offer, you can ask more specific set hours questions or understand more about telework options.

+1. Thank you. OP here. I am not able to find out much information about the culture (as it pertains to work/life balance) from glassdoor. It's a non-profit, and it's a not supervisory position. I am not dying for a new job as I have one right now with some flexibility. I am looking to work closer to home and for a higher salary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DO NOT ASK. That is a POST offer question.

How come if it is something important to OP?

Because the interview isn't about what's important to the candidate. The interview is about what's important to the organization.

Once they decide they want you, then the ball's in your court and you need to figure out if you want them, and can ask those questions, but during the interview phase the candidate's focus needs to be on proving that you are the best fit for the job.

All of this.

Your job during the interview process is to make yourself - unquestionably - their top candidate. Once you are and have an offer in hand, then you talk about what you need for the job. I personally would not ask about 2x/week telework at the start - ask for one day and then, once established, you can ask to bump it up.

I am a hiring manager and am extremely generous with flexibility (I have young kids, so I GET it). That said, it annoys me to no end when people ask about these things in the interview. Sell yourself first.

[Anonymous]

Not quite your situation Op but I was interviewed by a panel and I asked them, "what's the favorite part of your day". It turned into a group b*tch session

[Anonymous]

Unless it's offered in the job description, it's not really up for discussion. You can ask after the offer. In your case, I would only interview for jobs that advertise flexibility.

[Anonymous]

I'm going to be a naysayer here. I am a hiring manager at a nonprofit and I actually want candidates to be honest with me about what they're looking for and what their must-haves are. I want them to be a fit so 1) I don't waste my time interviewing someone who is never going to accept and 2) you don't end up leaving soon after being hired for something that could have been disclosed in the interview process. For example, I just hired for a midlevel person and interviewed several folks (all would have to relocate) and was glad when folks were honest and asked me if they could, for instance, telework from their current location or work from one of our remote offices since that was a no-go for the position. Yea, it means they didn't get an offer. But, it meant that they knew that the job wasn't a fit well before then (because needing to be at our home office was a must).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to be a naysayer here. I am a hiring manager at a nonprofit and I actually want candidates to be honest with me about what they're looking for and what their must-haves are. I want them to be a fit so 1) I don't waste my time interviewing someone who is never going to accept and 2) you don't end up leaving soon after being hired for something that could have been disclosed in the interview process. For example, I just hired for a midlevel person and interviewed several folks (all would have to relocate) and was glad when folks were honest and asked me if they could, for instance, telework from their current location or work from one of our remote offices since that was a no-go for the position. Yea, it means they didn't get an offer. But, it meant that they knew that the job wasn't a fit well before then (because needing to be at our home office was a must).

OP here. That's my thought as well. I don't have a problem with revealing that I have a 1 year old as I don't want to work for a supervisor or organization who is not supportive of work life balance. Which is why I am not sure why I should ask after getting a job offer than before. I am not sure what's the difference. If you don't have flexibility or don't allow telecommuting, the answer I will get during the interview or after receiving the offer would be the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Id ask and do ask. O go steaight to the point. For two reasons:

1. I dont want to work for a company that would not hire me because i want balance in my life.
2. I do not want to work for a company that doesn't value their emoloyees mental and physical health.

Don't hire me. Do me a favor if you don't think your employees deserve a life outsife of work.

Bye Felicia.

I wouldn't want to hire someone who is presumably an adult and says "Bye Felicia" anyway so no big loss.