At some companies, the only culture they have is the yogurt in the refrigerator. How are you going to determine the culture during an interview? Simple: observe and ask.
- Observe - What's the place like when you walk in? Does it seem friendly or cool? Do the people you talk to look happy or are they just putting in the hours? As you walk past people's offices and cubes, does it look like they can express some individuality in their space? Are there actually people working there? (At some consulting firms, most of the staff works offsite so the office is a lonely place). One thing I find very telling is whether your meeting gets interrupted - either by other people, or phone calls, or email etc. I think it's a sign that they either don't value your time, or the time of the person doing the interview. I'm not saying it might not be an ok place to work, but you better expect that pattern of interruption to be the norm.
- Ask - During the interview, ask them about the culture. If they seem uneasy discussing the culture, that's a warning sign. Some suggestions:
How would you describe the culture here? (BTW, don't expect them to use Handy's categories above. They'll define the place as friendly, or independent, or hard-working).
Do office politics play a big part in getting things accomplished? (Maybe you like politics. I don't).
Is there an orientation program? If so, what does it include? (This is a huge question. Even at a small company, there should be some kind of orientation - even if it is just one person showing you around and introducing you on the first day. If the only orientation is the HR person throwing a W4 form and health care booklets at you, watch out. That's not a people-oriented company).
What brand or image is the company trying to project? (Possible answers: "the friendliest bank on the block", "the best selection at the lowest price", "bringing people together through technology", "our customers are always right", "we are the smartest people on earth", "do no evil")
What kind of training programs and promotional opportunities can I expect in the future? (Companies that care about their employees will train and promote them).
How does [Engineering, Product Development, R&D, Production, Creative] get along with [Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Operations] ? (You'll have to fill in the blanks here. The basic idea is to get an understanding of how the people who make the stuff get along with the people who have to sell and deliver the stuff.)
