“What’s the culture like?” is the worst question you can ask in an interview. Here’s what to ask instead.
In all my years of recruiting, I have never met a single candidate who did not care about company culture. Not one.
But here is what I have noticed: most people do not ask about it properly. Some take it for granted; they assume it will be fine, so they never actually investigate. Others ask the question, get a polished answer, and walk away thinking they know something useful. They do not.
“What’s the culture like?” will get you a brochure answer every single time. Warm. Collaborative. Fast paced. Supportive. It tells you nothing.
Below are 20 interview questions to ask employers if you want to properly assess company culture, not the version you hear in a polished interview answer, but the reality of how a business operates day to day.
The questions below are designed to cut through the polish and reveal how a company actually operates, what it values, how it handles pressure, failure, and conflict, and whether it is genuinely the right environment for you.
Use them. The answers, and sometimes the discomfort around them, will tell you everything you need to know.
UNDERSTANDING PRESSURE & REALITY
1. “What does a bad week look like here?”
Why ask this: Most candidates ask about a typical week. This question reveals how the company handles pressure, setbacks, and stress, and whether they are honest about it.
2. “What’s the thing nobody tells you until your first week?”
Why ask this: This often produces a more honest, unguarded answer and reveals what the interview process leaves out.
3. “When was the last time someone on the team took a full week off and completely switched off?”
Why ask this: This reveals the reality of work life balance more clearly than asking directly, which usually leads to a rehearsed answer.
PEOPLE, RETENTION & DEVELOPMENT
4. “Why do people leave?”
Why ask this: This is difficult to spin. The answer, or any hesitation, reveals underlying issues with retention, management, or culture.
5. “How long has the team I’d be joining been together?”
Why ask this: This reveals patterns of stability or turnover and gives insight into management quality and team retention.
6. “Where have people who’ve left this role gone on to?”
Why ask this: This reveals whether the company develops people effectively and how it is viewed by former employees.
7. “Who tends to thrive here, and who tends to struggle?”
Why ask this: This reveals what behaviours are actually rewarded and what the environment demands from people.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY & FAILURE
8. “What happens when someone makes a mistake?”
Why ask this: This reveals whether the culture is based on blame or learning, and how safe it is to take responsibility.
9. “Has the team failed at anything recently? What did you learn?”
Why ask this: This reveals levels of honesty, self awareness, and whether the team takes a genuine learning approach to failure.
10. “How does the team handle conflict?”
Why ask this: This reveals whether conflict is addressed constructively or avoided, and how mature the team dynamic is.
DECISION MAKING & AUTONOMY
11. “How are decisions made here, and who is actually in the room?”
Why ask this: This reveals how power and influence really work inside the organisation, beyond job titles.
12. “Can you give me an example of when someone junior challenged a senior decision? What happened?”
Why ask this: This reveals whether hierarchy is rigid or open, and whether ideas are genuinely valued regardless of seniority.
13. “How much autonomy would I actually have in this role?”
Why ask this: This reveals whether the culture is based on trust or control, and how much ownership you will really have.
14. “Tell me about a decision you disagreed with recently. What did you do?”
Why ask this: This reveals whether differing opinions are respected and whether individuals are empowered to act on them.
MANAGEMENT, FEEDBACK & RECOGNITION
15. “How does feedback typically get given here, formally or informally?”
Why ask this: This reveals whether feedback and development are structured, consistent, and taken seriously.
16. “What does recognition look like here?”
Why ask this: This reveals whether contribution is genuinely valued and what behaviours are rewarded.
HONEST SELF REFLECTION, THE MOST POWERFUL QUESTIONS
17. “What do you wish you’d known before joining?”
Why ask this: This invites a personal and often candid answer that reveals what the role or company is really like.
18. “What would make you leave?”
Why ask this: This reveals what the interviewer genuinely values and what might push them to move on.
19. “If I asked your best performer what they love most about working here, what would they say?”
Why ask this: This reveals what the company offers its top performers in practice, rather than in theory.
20. “What are you most proud of about the culture here, and what is the one thing you would change if you could?”
Why ask this: This reveals both strengths and weaknesses, and shows how honest and self aware the organisation is.
Final Thought
Culture matters to everyone. The difference is whether you actually do the work to understand it before you sign the contract.
These questions will not guarantee a perfect hire on either side. But they will give you something far more valuable than a polished brochure: an honest picture of what you are walking into.
The best interview is a two way conversation. Go in prepared to ask as many questions as you answer.
Need help finding the right role in the right culture? Get in touch, or explore our latest opportunities in B2B events.
Visit Jackson Barnes Recruitment’s website www.jbrecruitment.co.uk to learn more about how we connect top commercial talent with world-class media and events organisations.
About Jackson Barnes Recruitment
Jackson Barnes Recruitment delivers international recruitment solutions within the events, media, and publishing sectors. Jackson Barnes recruits Graduate to MD level in the following positions:
• Sales – delegate, sponsorship & Business Development
• Editor
We recruit for organisations in the UK and overseas, with success in London, Dubai, New York, Singapore and Australia.