company_interview_en.md

Questions to ask the company

Planning to be interviewed? Prepare your list of questions!

If you think that your question should be here — send a PR.

How does the company earn money?

Is the company profitable?

Does it live from investments?

If yes, for how long will they last?

Are new rounds planned?

Will there be shares for the employees?

How are they vested?

What’s the business roadmap, plan and vision?

What is your vision of a good employee? What do expect of them?

The interviewer must possess clear and non-contradictory understanding of what the employee should and shouldn’t do, and how to measure their performance.

Who else will interview me and why?

Some companies have absolutely ridiculous multi-tier interview process, you should find it out in advance and decide if you’re tolerant enough to waste time on them.

What was the reason of leaving of the last employee?

The way how managers handle firing/leaving is very showing.

It might also be a good idea to ask for one of the leavers contacts and ask them how it all went.

What might be considered a reason to fire me?

It’s always good to know what’s unacceptable.

What is the staff turnover statistics?

Are you satisfied with the current status quo?

If not, what are you doing to improve the situation?

Good companies try to make sure employees work as long and productive as possible.

How quickly is your company growing?

A company growing really quickly has a very distinctive atmosphere compared to stable ones.

What is your organisational structure? How do people operate in it?

Are there offices in other cities / countries?

Will you be required to travel? How often?

What are the rules of travel expenses reimbursement?

What is the onboarding process?

Who will be my mentor?

It should be obvious that the company is interested in getting you to a full speed, so it should be a red flag if you’re just given code in a “go figure for yourself” way.

How many other candidates are competing for this position?

If some candidates were rejected, what was the reason for rejection?

What is expected of me during my probation?

How long will probation period last and what do I need to do during the probation period?

Do you have NDAs?

What’s listed there? Why?

How are employees encouraged to grow?

How are payrises done?

Do you have bonuses?

What is considered to be worthy of a bonus?

What equipment do you provide?

How often does it get updated?

If work is remote, how is equipment purchase arranged?

Is schedule fixed or flexible?

How are hours tracked?

Are there any night shifts? How are they paid for?

How are goals set?

KPIs? OKRs? Any other dysfuntional way?

What is the vacation and sick leave policy?

How many days a year can I have vacations?

Do I need to provide any documents proving my sickness?

What are the work processes?

How are they designed?

Tell me about the last rational change in the processes

Some companies blindly adopt scrum or any other rigid non-agile process

What are the infosecurity politics?

Some companies have PCI DSS or other requirements like working through VPN with some resources blocked.

If you’re offered an office job, is there BYOD politics?

Are there overtimes?

How often do they happen on average?

When was the last time when employees had to work extra time? Why did this happen?

What measures do you take to prevent overtimes?

How do you encourage employees to learn and study?

Do employees need to apply for educational budget? Or do managers do their work and propose and encourage?

When and how will I get feedback after each interview stage?

Describe company mission and culture