If interviewing with an associate: Can you give me a sense of your work schedule? Are other associates similar or is there a range?.Do associates typically meet that requirement? If they don’t, are they penalized in any way?.Is there a minimum billable hour requirement?.Are there internal programs for associates to socialize and get to know one another?.What do you think sets your firm culture apart from law firms?.How would you describe the culture in the firm?.Can you provide some information about your benefits and vacation policy?.What is your approach to working from home periodically or flexible schedules? Do you support it or do you prefer people keep standard hours in the office?. At the tail end of the interview process/after offer:.Are the lawyers in the department siloed or broad-based? If someone is out of pocket will others jump in to help? Is it a team-oriented approach?.What type of person would thrive at Company Q?.What do you like best about working here?.Can you give me a sense of that group and what they expect of their lawyers? I understand this lawyer will be supporting the product/sales/finance etc.What are people’s general work schedules? Do schedules change at different times of the month/quarter/year?.How do you describe yourself as a manager (if interviewing with the manager) OR how would you describe Chris Smith as a manager (if interviewing with others)?.How would you describe the culture? Is it more relaxed or chaotic?.What is a typical day like in the legal department?.Now that you have guidance on the most important dos and don’ts, below are some effective questions that will produce the information you need. Learn about the position with questions focused on the responsibilities and commentary about your qualifications. Instead, at the start, focus on building rapport and relationship equity with the interviewer. By coming in hot with your lifestyle conversation, you risk giving the impression that your priorities are askew. Your first priority is to learn as much as you can about the role, the people and the opportunity – And to project the best impression possible. Raise all work-balance questions/issues early on in an interview process. Instead, use good judgment on how you use phrasing, language and tone to gather and communicate information. If you come off like a ton of bricks, your candidacy will be doomed. Whether expressing your own needs, inquiring about work hours, flexibility, benefits, the organization etc. You will need to read between the lines, but the answers should be clear.īe blunt. Instead, ask smart, broader level questions that can give you an idea of what life is like with this employer (examples below). It has a negative connotation when interviewing and there is way too much downside. Use the words “work-life” balance in an interview setting. So how does a professional inquire about an employer’s work-life balance in an interview without projecting a negative impression? For those who have responsibilities or needs that dictate the desire for a flexible schedule, knowing this information is imperative. And as a general matter, understanding an employer’s workplace policies is an important factor in assessing an opportunity. But these labels certainly don’t apply to every job seeker. While these questions are firmly entrenched in a candidate’s frontal lobe, raising them in an interview setting can be dicey and raise flags for employers – creating an impression that you won’t work hard, won’t be engaged or reliable, or simply put… you are entitled. But you can bet your bottom dollar it’s on the minds of just about every candidate who walks in the door: How hard do people work? Will I have to work weekends and holidays? Is there a telecommuting option? What about flex time? Is the firm/company closed over the holidays? How much vacation time is there? Do I get free stuff? One place where the topic is rarely discussed however…is in job interviews. It seems like everyone’s muttering it: in articles, podcasts, TED talks, panel discussions, women’s groups, men’s groups, social media and pretty much everywhere else. Work-life balance is the “it” phrase of the decade.
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