Interview Questions for Burnout Prevention
One of the best things you can do to prevent burnout is to make incredibly intentional choices with the jobs you take.
This requires you to:
Know yourself. Know what stresses you out the most at work, define your needs, understand your zone of genius, your boundaries, your goals, etc.
Understand how to suss out whether a job is going to be a fit for YOU.
A lot of us overachievers have spent a lifetime focusing on how to land the job.
If you want to be preventing burnout, though, I want you to be interviewing companies back.
Here are some suggested questions:
Can you tell me more about your management style?
Or, for an employee at your level: how would you describe your relationship with your manager?
Can you tell me about the last time someone on your team made a mistake, and how it was handled?
How long was the last person in this role?
What's the hardest part about your job?
How would you describe someone who will be successful in this role?
Does [insert company name] have a 360 review process? How is feedback surrounding management styles handled?
What is [insert company name] doing to prevent burnout?
If done with tact, asking pointed questions like the ones in this post show that you’re a confident professional who knows themselves and what works for them.
Pro tip: pay attention to body language. You’re not going to get the full story in an interview, but you can learn a lot more than you think you can!
If you’re nervous about going there, you can always save these questions for after you receive an offer, by asking if the company can offer more time for you to ask a few follow-up questions.
Yes, some companies will be turned off if you have questions. And I cannot emphasize how much of a red flag that is! So even if they aren’t received well, you will get crucial information that will help you avoid toxic environments where your feedback and needs are not welcome.
These are general questions — bonus points for identifying your major work stressors and adjusting them accordingly.
Want support on how to land an aligned job? Book a Career Clarity Session with me & let’s flesh out your personalized strategy!
