Yahoo Finance How to ask about work-life balance in a job interview
When preparing for a job interview, we tend to focus on what we might be asked by the interviewer. But it’s just as important to ask questions to find out more about the job and the company – and in particular, their approach to finding a work-life balance.
According to a survey of more than 1,000 people, UK workers value work-life balance over pay when it comes to job aspects. In fact, over two-thirds of those polled viewed work-life balance as being more important than money, job security and employee benefits.
Despite this, asking about work-life balance in a job interview can be stressful. To some managers, the term ‘work-life’ balance has negative connotations of laziness – although this shouldn’t be the case. However, finding out whether an organisation meets your needs before accepting a job offer is essential, so you can find a job that aligns with your goals.
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So how do you go about asking about work-life balance in an interview – and are there other ways to gauge a company’s flexibility, culture and work environment?
Valerie O'Hanlon, a career expert at Clarence Consulting, says asking about work-life balance gives you a good insight into the culture of an organisation.
“The answer – and the actions that go along with it – can tell you whether this company is the right place for you,” she says. “It tells you whether you will be valued and respected, and it shows you whether the company believes your time is as valuable to you as it is to them.”
Work-life balance isn’t just for parents either, O’Hanlon says. “It's for individuals at the beginning of their career who want to find out what they want from life. It's for the person in their 30s who wants to go to college at night or spend time growing and developing outside of work,” she says.
“It's for the person in the 40s or 50s who needs time to travel or care for an older relative, and it’s for those in their 60s or 70s who want to prepare for retirement or have a part-time job to keep them active.”
The easiest way to find out about a company’s views on any topic is to ask. O’Hanlon recommends finding out if the organisation has any specific policies relating to work-life balance or employee wellbeing.
“I would ask about how important it is to the organisation. Since the pandemic, they may have adapted their policies. I would ask what work-life balance looks like to the company – and if there are any additional benefits such as the option to buy holiday days.”
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It’s more common for companies to offer perks such as early-finish Fridays. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, most organisations offer flexible working in the form of flexible hours, or early or late starts or finishes. It’s important to find out what they offer before considering a job offer.
It can also help to find out what an employer considers success. Managers who base their employees’ success on the quality of their work – as opposed to hours worked – may have a better approach to employee welfare.
However, it’s not always easy to ask such questions in an initial interview. This is because the first interview is when you focus on highlighting your professional skills and your value as an employee. Asking about work-life balance may feel wrong when you’re trying to impress an employer.
If asking about work-life balance is tricky, it can help to talk to someone who works at the company or used to – who can help you spot potential red flags.
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“This can give great insights, including what they thought about the work-life balance in the organisation and why they left,” says O’Hanlon. “They might be able to tell you more about the turnover and if burnout appeared to be a problem among people.”
You can also find out a lot from the interview process itself. “Do they call you or email you after hours, or even look to do interviews out-of-hours? If you get to visit the office, are there people still working there after hours? Do their answers to your questions about work-life balance correspond to what you have observed?” asks O’Hanlon.
If you do ask outright, it’s possible to judge their views by the way they respond as well as what they say. If the interviewer brushes the question aside or appears irked, it probably isn’t a good sign. “Be observant and read between the lines,” O’Hanlon says.
