Questions to ask in interview to get a sense of office culture

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always ask for a tour of the office. It's interesting to see offices and how people interact. Not everyone agrees, but many do. I don't think it hurts to ask.

ooh, this is a good one.

[Anonymous]

But be wary of “we love this place, it’s the best place to work”. My first week at a job (non-fed), at least 10 people came up to me telling me what an awesome place it was. I trusted my gut and realized they had all drunk the kool-aid. The owners of the company were nuts. And the people who stayed long term somehow learned to survive in the craziness.

[Anonymous]

I did all this and the company lied. After I was hired, they told me they always lie to get candidates to work there because otherwise no one will. Within my first month I realized this was completely the place I feared it would be. Lied about the billable hour requirements, culture, etc.. and I doesn’t matter if it’s in writing in Virginia as it’s an at will state. The culture and expectations are whatever the owner feels like writing or not writing in the handbook that day!

[Anonymous]

I really don't see this question working for you, whether you hate or love the Trump administration. No one is going to open up to you in an interview and tell you they are personally demoralized. If the agency is undergoing some sort of Trump devastation (EPA, NLRB) then they won't be hiring.

Even if you were seeking a job at an agency or firm whose mission you love under an administration you love, you can't get a sense of culture from a tour or an interview. It's not possible. Everyone describes their culture as collegial.