Sniffing for Culture Smells & Interviewing Critically
summary
A practical screening routine lays out concrete steps before, during, and after interviews: use LinkedIn to map current and former employees, activate the whisper network, request specific interviewers and schedule accommodations, and observe office rhythms like who eats lunch together. Ask for policies and metrics — trans-inclusive health care, parental leave, retention statistics, who HR reports to — and prefer answers in writing or an interview buddy to verify whether words match workplace actions.
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chapters (22)
- 0:00Start
- 1:32how do we find places to work that meet our technical, social, and cultural needs?
- 8:01during the interview
- 8:44office? observe the environment & actions happening around you
- 9:23take your time, provide real answers.
- 10:34attempt to meet with HR confidentially
- 10:56sample questions
- 11:15why do you think diversity in the workforce is important? how do you define diversity?
- 11:27do you have trans-inclusive healthcare? what does it cover?
- 11:40paternity leave policy? lactation rooms on-site?
- 12:24what work do you think needs to be done to improve the work environment for underrepresented groups?
- 12:47do you provide job training for employees? which departments have training budgets?
- 13:03do you track metrics on retention & job satisfaction? do you cross- reference data with demographics?
- 13:34how does HR handle internal complaints?
- 13:44are employee salaries confidential information?
- 13:59what is HR's charter or primary function?
- 14:17observations
- 14:45do they have gender-neutral bathrooms?
- 15:25how are the lowest-level employees treated? do they get the same perks as engineers?
- 15:50is it difficult to enact change? what changes have they made recently and how long did they take?
- 16:56examine perspectives vs. policies and real-world practices
- 17:18what stances do they take on the things that matter the most to you?
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