Anonymous wrote:If you really wanted or needed the job, I'd do as pp suggest. But in this case you don't just want to talk with other employees to get a sense of how the firm feels, you want a concrete agreement about your terms. In this case I would make sure to talk with the supervisor and have a concrete agreement in place. I would do it during the final interview, before an offer.
Good luck.

I agree - since you dont need this job, no reason to hide the ball. I just accepted an offer in a similar situation - i was in a good place at current job, kinda getting itchy but in no way desperate to leave. New company came to me, and it was clear they wanted me for the job. I basically asked them to sell me on how family friendly it would be. I figured it was critical that they know I plan to go home for dinner every night (and log on later if necessary) before they made the offer - didnt want them, to be unpleasantly surprised either.

If you really wanted or needed the job, I'd do as pp suggest. But in this case you don't just want to talk with other employees to get a sense of how the firm feels, you want a concrete agreement about your terms. In this case I would make sure to talk with the supervisor and have a concrete agreement in place. I would do it during the final interview, before an offer.
Good luck.

Anonymous wrote:When you are holding an offer in hand you call the recruiter and say : "I'm interested but I'd like to talk more with some of my peers to get a sense for the company culture. Would you be willing to put me in touch with one or two people?"

Then you take those people out to lunch - individually - on separate days and you ask them for the truth.

Do this.

Anonymous wrote:When you are holding an offer in hand you call the recruiter and say : "I'm interested but I'd like to talk more with some of my peers to get a sense for the company culture. Would you be willing to put me in touch with one or two people?"

Then you take those people out to lunch - individually - on separate days and you ask them for the truth.

This is the rule in our house. Get the offer and then get more information and decide whether it's for you. Don't tell them stuff that will discourage them from making the offer when you don't know enough about the job. It might be that you would love this place but you don't know yet.

When you are holding an offer in hand you call the recruiter and say : "I'm interested but I'd like to talk more with some of my peers to get a sense for the company culture. Would you be willing to put me in touch with one or two people?"

Then you take those people out to lunch - individually - on separate days and you ask them for the truth.

oh my gosh I could have written this post!

I am in the same boat. I had the in person interview and have received a verbal (which I know means nothing until there is something in writing). during the interview I asked about the hours and the answer was "we don't count hours, as long as you are getting your job done", and talk about how they are flexible, which sounds great, but then when I asked what her hours were she said 9-7 - EW!

Basically I am freaking out - is more salary worth more hours and the "uncertainty" of a new job? while I am ok at my current job, money is money and this is a bigger company with more opportunities. I somewhat feel like I have to take this though because if I don't I will always wonder "what if..." .. who knows it could be great, right?

anyway, I don't have an answer for you OP, but I completely understand where you are coming from...

I would wait until the second interview, then try to speak to others about the culture and the realistic expectations of the job.

I am being recruited for a position - a former coworker referred me and it started with an automated outreach. After I filled out their online application and submitted my resume, I got an initial phone interview, and now I have an in-person interview set up. It is with a consulting firm.

Here is the thing: I'm not miserable in my current job, though I am searching around. I am a working mom of two young kids, and though I am not looking for a PT position, and I am very motivated to work a full time job and do a good job and be a diligent, professional employee, I am not looking to trade up to a 60 hour work week or anything. Basically, my job now does not have very much flexibility, but the hours are reasonable because I've been here for a long time and I have carved out my niche, and I know my resources and go tos etc. so that I can get my work down pretty efficiently.

The friend who is recruiting me is a single woman with no kids. She is married to her job, but she promises me that it is a very working mom friendly place, and that she works hard because she takes on extra projects etc. but that you can scale up or down. I've heard mixed things about this firm. Can I be up front at the interview? I said on the initial phone interview, essentially what I said above, about how I want to do good work but that I need some flexiblity, and obviously it did not turn them away.

Just looking for advice. I want it to be a good fit for both the organization and for me and I just feel it will be a waste of time for all if they sell me on flexibility and I take the job and end up quitting in three months.