3 Essential Candidate Questions for Cultural Fit

Fitting well with a company's culture is a key part of a rewarding, fulfilling work experience - both for you, and for your coworkers. Culture fit isn’t a one-way street – the notion of fit involves both the employer and the prospective team member. Employers sometimes have the leg-up in determining fit as they are more likely to have a sense of their culture than you.

As a prospective team member of any company, it's important for you to find out as much about the culture of a company as you can during the interview process, whether you’re doing in-person interviews or video interviews. Here are three great questions that can help job seekers to get a sense of culture.

1. What do employees like most about working here, and what do they think can be improved?

What to listen for: Are you getting a sugar-coated answer? No workplace is perfect, and great places to work recognize what they need to work on.

2. Who tends to be successful here?

What to listen for: Are they able to answer the question easily? If so, does the description of who is successful sound like you? If they can’t articulate what success looks like, then hitting your performance goals may feel impossible.

3. Why do people leave?

What to listen for: Are they continuously being poached for talent or losing out on salary or career opportunities? Do employees make careers here or do they tend to burn out after a year or two and move on? If you are on the job market and meeting with recruiters and potential employers, don’t be shy. Ask companies about their culture to make sure you find the right place for you.