What subtle questions can I ask during an interview that will tell me about the WLB in a team? I got very diplomatic answers when I interviewed at my current company and my life is all but ruined. I need to be equipped with more questions that will give away the truth.
I find the easiest way to get WLB details is to elaborate on your own lifestyle and routines. Before I’ve accepted an offer, I generally explain that exercise and my morning routine are pretty important to me. I will generally be in by 10 because I leave a little after 9. Also at the time, I was working on my MSCS online and disclosed that at times I will need to a day off here and there to take exams, finish projects, etc. Be up front about your needs. Asking about WLB directly may make you seem like you want an easy gig. It’s always expected that you will work in off hours when necessary, so WLB is generally expected if you will pull a weekend or night when you really need to.
Ask people on blind who work in the new company
I literally ask how's work life balance and I would like to have evenings and weekends for myself except for in cases of exceptional circumstances
+1 for asking on Blind. Check Glassdoor etc. Generally these truths come out during the interview. When it’s your chance to ask questions, you can ask things like “what are the top reasons you like working here?”, and “tell me about the team”. Listen to their answers.
It's fine to explicitly ask about WLB and ask avg hrs per week
Non-tech roles I’ve hired for (2 companies), this would be a strike. It’d be perceived as unwillingness to work hard.
That's a shame, probably a sign of poor wlb though right?
I don't like asking about wlb in those exact terms, but I always ask about typical work hours, remote flexibility, if people work on weekends sometimes, do I ever have to be on-call, how project deadlines get set and what happens when you miss, etc.
I don’t think asking your hiring manager about WLB is allowed. Best case is if the hiring manager just volunteers this info to you without asking. In any case, asking on blind is your best bet.
I asked non-hiring managers in the interview directly how is WLB been for them and also what is their experience been like. For hiring managers I'd like to ask them indirectly depending on their style.
Ask about it. If they decide to not hire you because you dared ask about wlb, then you dodged a bullet by not getting the job. A place that can’t even discuss wlb definitely has a terrible wlb.
Apple has bad WLB?
Hardware engineering. Yes