It's very easy to research an organization, find out their mission statement, and the jest of what the organization does, but wouldn't it be lovely to know up front if your boss will be an jerk, micro-manages, if the longest employee is also the unhappiest or find out who reports all you do to management, even though they are not a manager.
These and others would probably be impossible to find out without actually speaking to the previous employee, unless you know someone that is already within the organization, and that sometimes is not an reliable source, however, there is a way that you can get a better idea about the inside, without actually being on the inside, and that's by asking the right questions.
These are my recommendations:
1. Why is this position open and how long has it been vacant?
Since the economy has been in a serious drought that may be the reason that an organization has not filled a position over a long period of time. If the position has been vacant for 3 months or more, then the employee that received the extra work is either at their wits end or is going to quit. Depending on the position, expect to enter a environment that may be a bit tense with a heavy work load. You will be expected to make up 3 or more months of work in a very short period of time.
If the previous employee quit unexpectedly then you can expect things to be unorganized. If there was an absence of job sharing, there may not be too many people who know exactly what the previous person's job was beyond the job description.
2. What would your previous employee say about you?
Some employers often ask this question about the previous manager or co-workers, but you can turn it around and ask it of the potential employer. They will not expect it, which makes it even more of a valid question, whether they answer honestly or not will depend. If the position is open because the previous employer retired, then the employer would more than likely share that information, but if the employer quit due to the workload, office bullying or some other justifiable reason, then it may be a difficult question for them to answer. Either way, how they answer will give you an idea of what they will expect of you.
3. How do you handle conflict within the office?
An employer may or may not have an answer for this particular question for one of two reasons. Either conflicts happens, but upper management never hears of it or there is an open policy which allows any employee who is experiencing conflict to openly speak about it with management. Sometimes the conflict can be handled between the people that are involved, but depending on the environment of the office, there may be a known conflict, but there is no discussion about it, which could potentially leave the office tense and the issue unresolved.
You want to know that you are in an environment that fosters open discussion about any conflict you may be experiencing. Having an potential employer that shows interest in not only the bottom line, but your well being is what you are looking for.
I believe when you are in an interview you should also take the time to interview the potential employer. The days of loyalty between company and employee is becoming an extinct concept. If you are interested in making a commitment beyond just a paycheck then it may be worth it to know what you are getting yourself into.
L.L. Walton, Is an author with a degree in Organizational Leadership and has spent several years working in Human Resources and as a Recruiter. She is also the author of Please Don't Date Me-100 Reasons Why and upcoming book, SHAME, Love, Lies & Lust
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