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by Nicole K. Webb | Featured Contributor
Most individuals when preparing for a job interview are filled with emotions of excitement and nervousness. It’s thrilling to be invited for an interview and to have the chance to compete for a new employment opportunity. It can also be a little stressful because of the anticipation of answering questions presented by the decision-makers within the organization.
Job applicants must keep in mind that while they may be the ones being interviewed, they have the opportunity to interview their prospective employers as well. It’s important to take advantage of the interview process by not only asking questions regarding your starting salary, health benefits and a potential start date, but also by evaluating whether or not this is truly a place you’d want to work.
The work environment has a large impact on how well one performs in their position as well as how long one remains with their employer. An unhealthy work environment can be extremely detrimental to one’s mental and physical health and can cause one to experience anxiety, depression, stress and more.
No job applicant wants to be employed in an unhealthy work environment. That is why it’s important to ask the following questions to learn whether or not the workplace culture is a healthy one.
Here are 5 questions that you may ask the interviewer(s):
- How long has this position been vacant?
- How long did the last individual employed in this role remain with your company?
- How would you describe the current morale of the company and the department in which this position is housed?
- Who does this position report to? Describe their management style?
- As a manager/supervisor, how do you address conflict in the workplace?
In addition to obtaining answers to these questions you should also consider what’s important to you specifically as it pertains to your happiness with your workplace culture. Everybody is different and what makes a good fit for one individual may not be the best fit for another.
It’s crucial that you take all of this information into consideration when determining if this is an organization you are willing to spend 35 to 40 hours each week and potentially years to come.
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Nicole K. Webb is a former “Perfect Patty” who was committed to doing everything by the book because of her fear of failure. However, in 2012 she faced some life-changing decisions that revealed to her that although you can try your best to do things perfectly, it’s impossible to be perfect at everything. For the first time in Nicole’s career, she struggled with a job in which she was not a good fit and was able to recognize this for herself. Nicole decided to resign from what many would consider a dream job in human resources in order to take time to figure out what to do next.
After being unemployed for two months, she found herself a great career opportunity in the human resources field. She also began to follow her dream of becoming a business owner. She opened her very own human resource consulting and career coaching business, NK WEBB GROUP LLC. Since launching her business, she has authored The Workplace Playbook: Strategies to Help New Employees Win In Their Careers.
Nicole has over 10 years of experience in human resources. She has an MBA from University of Baltimore and a BA from Coppin State University.
