It took me a while to understand that an interview is also an opportunity for you to evaluate whether the company is for you. Obviously, they're trying to evaluate whether you're a good fit, but it's also the best time for you to ask questions about the culture, environment, etc. In my experience now on the other side as an interviewer, I really appreciate it when candidates ask questions about the culture, however simple they may be.
This is a tricky part in my opinion. You need some experience to gauge this. Usually, if there are 3 or 4 rounds of interviews, different people from the company would talk to you. Pay close attention to how they frame their questions, how they react when you make a mistake/don't know the answer, how flexible they are when it comes to benefits and work hours. Explore connections working within the same company on LinkedIn and ask opinions about this. Some red flags include authoritative approach (meaning there is no flexibility in anything, and what they say is the law), making fun or inappropriate remarks when you struggle with something, etc.
A few things I like to keep in mind during the interview process in thinking about a cultural fit:
- What do the interviewers prioritize asking me during a meeting? Is it only about my skills, or are they interested in knowing who I am as a human being? In a people-centric environment, the way they engage will very much reflect the kinds of questions they ask during the interview process.
- How does a "senior" employee speak to a "junior" employee? If I have the opportunity to visit an office, it's critical for me to see how they enforce the hierarchy - is it driven by fear? That is a red flag: I do not want to spend time in such environment as it will stunt my growth opportunities.
To evaluate if a company is a good cultural fit, I typically review their recent press releases and their employees' engagement on those, as well as LinkedIn pages. After this initial review and if I get to the interview phase, I like to ask everyone I speak to what their best and worst thing/trait is about working at that company. Usually that gets people to share the good and the "not so good" in a non-threatening or controversial way. I suggest you do the same in your own way to ensure you get a real and thoughtful but appropriate gage.
For me, a good cultural fit at a company comes down to a few things. These aren't always easy to evaluate "outside-in":
1. Does the company value its employees? I'd look to see if they promote from within, what the people who have left have to say about the company, and whether there's good ratings on Glassdoor.
2. Do people who work at the company feel excited to be there? The tone of an interview can itself reveal a lot about whether employees like working there. I'd use the interview as an opportunity to probe on the things they appreciate most and/or "found surprising".
3. Does the company do a good job supporting and mentoring employees? I'd ask about how they train their employees, how they evaluate performance, and how they offer opportunities for mentorship. If it sounds particularly scattered or unclear, that's typically a sign to me that they don't prioritize it -- which isn't a great corporate culture to be a part of.
Before evaluating a company’s culture, you need to understand your own personal paradigm. To truly understand your beliefs and views of the world, I would suggest writing them down in a piece of paper (family, loyalty, wellness, etc.). After doing this you can start evaluating companies by reading through their mission statements, values, press releases and leadership articles/videos. Compare your findings with your internal paradigm and evaluate if the company will be a good fit for you. For example, if you see work-life balance as one of your top values, check if it's mentioned on company's website or other public records. If you find nothing, it most likely means this value is not a top priority for the company.