How to Learn About Company Culture: 11 Questions to Ask

1. Is there a culture or mission statement you can share?

Often, you can find either or both of these on the company’s website or in the job posting. However, if your research comes up empty, ask if these are available. The statements should give you some idea as to what kind of culture the company is trying to build and how they go about doing it. And if they don’t have either, that also tells you a lot about the culture.

2. What’s your management style?

Hopefully, you’ll interview with your supervisor before you’re hired. And while you will likely “click” (or not) with that person, it’s still important to ask how they manage their staff.

To be a successful employee, you need a good working relationship with your boss, so getting some insight into how they manage will give you some clues as to if and how you can work together.

That said, it’s unlikely your potential new boss will say, “I’m a micromanager that will overrule every decision you make.” So, listen to their answers and read between the lines. A micromanager may say something like, “I’ll check in on your projects every day and offer my feedback and opinions on how things are going.”

3. What are the company’s values?

Another way to learn about a company’s culture is to ask your interviewer what the company values are and see if those values align with yours.

For example, if one of the values is “radical honesty,” and the thought of that value makes you uncomfortable, you’ll likely be unhappy working there.

4. What kind of career path or professional growth do you offer?

Large companies often have career paths and professional development programs that are clear and well-defined. Smaller companies, though, often don’t have the resources or room to offer the same kind of growth.

Ask what kind of career advancement or professional development is offered. Does the company provide internal training? Or, does it reimburse for external training, and if so, how much per year? If a promotion won’t be possible in the next few years, what opportunities are there for you to learn new skills?

5. What kind of social events are there?

Whether you want to hang out with coworkers after hours or not, knowing what kinds of social events the company does or does not organize for staff can tell you a lot about its culture.

For example, in a fully remote company, people don’t usually eat lunch together in the break room, let alone at the same time! This can make it hard for staff to create informal connections with people outside their team. Does the company offer a virtual company lunch? Or set up informal coffee chats with people on different teams? And does it seem that these events are totally optional or more mandatory?

6. What is the work-life balance like? Do you fully disconnect on weekends and vacations?

A good way to learn more about a company’s work-life balance is to ask!

If the answer mentions coming in early, staying late, and working weekends, that tells you a lot about the company’s culture and the kind of work-life balance you can expect.

However, you may not get that specific of an answer. If you have lingering doubts, try asking if staff are expected to answer emails or phone calls during the evening, weekend, or even while on vacation.

7. How do meetings start?

Meetings are often a part of any job. And though you might want to ask how often and how long meetings are, asking how meetings start can give you some insight into the company’s culture.

For example, do they usually start with a fun icebreaker or casually ask everyone about their weekend? Or, do meetings tend to jump right into the agenda? These are two very different approaches that tell you a lot about how formal or informal the company’s culture might be.

8. How much time does the owner/founder/CEO spend in the office (or with staff)?

In large companies, you likely won’t get much of an answer, as the higher up the ladder, the less likely those leaders are to spend time with staff. That said, it’s not unheard of.

The answer can give you a lot of insight into the leadership culture. If leaders don’t spend a lot of time with staff, it could mean that middle management is trusted and autonomous. Likewise, it could mean that upper management is disengaged with the realities of the job. And spending a lot of time with staff could mean management doesn’t trust them or that they want to learn more about what their employees do every day.

9. Does the company give back to the community or give paid time for staff to volunteer?

Whether you volunteer your time (or resources) or not, the company’s philanthropic efforts—or lack of them—also tell you a lot about the culture.

If the company organizes, sponsors, or participates in charity events, are they with and for causes you support or are comfortable with? Is staff participation mandatory? Alternatively, can staff volunteer during work hours and still be paid without having to dip into PTO?

10. Who on the team has a flexible schedule?

While you could ask if a flexible schedule is possible, that doesn’t tell you what working a flexible schedule could mean for your prospects at the company. But asking who currently has a flexible schedule will tell you a lot about how flexible schedules and the people who work them are valued.

If it seems only entry or lower-level staff have flexible schedules, that could indicate your professional growth will be limited if you work flexibly. However, if everyone up to the CEO works a flexible schedule, it’s safe to assume that workplace flexibility is valued and even encouraged.

11. How does the company handle failure?

Mistakes happen, and so do failures. Asking how the company responds to failures can help you understand how it will react if you make a mistake. Will your boss help you learn and grow? Forgive and forget? Or, will you always feel like you’re walking on eggshells and should dust off your resume?