Interviewing for an organization can be both thrilling and nerve wracking. When searching for openings, we read the descriptions carefully noting what we can say on our resumes and cove letters that will make us stand out against everyone else. We change our wording to match job descriptions to make our way to the interview phase. As youth workers in the nonprofit field we make a conscious choice to interview at organizations whos missions vision and values line up with our own. Its difficult to know if an organization is living their mission internally unless you have inside knowledge. Below are 6 tips you can use in an interview to find out if the organization is living their mission!
1. Use the wording from the mission statement.
For example if the mission statement says they value equity and diversity, ask: "Your mission statement says you value equity and diversity, can you give me examples on how this is realized in the day to day work."
For example if the mission statement says they value equity and diversity, ask: "Your mission statement says you value equity and diversity, can you give me examples on how this is realized in the day to day work."
2. Ask about the home/work balance.
This is important for any position, you might not want to work for an organization that doesn't value time off. This can also be an indicator on how flexible the organization is in accommodating its staff when they need to take some personal time.
This is important for any position, you might not want to work for an organization that doesn't value time off. This can also be an indicator on how flexible the organization is in accommodating its staff when they need to take some personal time.
3. What helps wake you up?
Another great question to ask your interviewer is what makes their work worth going to everyday. You wont find many people who say emails and phone calls make them wake up excited to go to work everyday, and this might even shock the interviewer and make them think about their reason for being a part of the organization as well.
Another great question to ask your interviewer is what makes their work worth going to everyday. You wont find many people who say emails and phone calls make them wake up excited to go to work everyday, and this might even shock the interviewer and make them think about their reason for being a part of the organization as well.
4. Work Culture
Asking what the day to day work culture is like is always a great way to see how the current employees describe the work atmosphere. Depending on this answer whether it seems heartfelt or generic, it will be a good insight to what daily life at the organization might look like.
5. Failures
Its easy to talk about the success of an organization but what about failures. Seeing how people respond to failure can be even more telling about their values. So ask, "How does your organization respond to failure and or overcome it".
Its easy to talk about the success of an organization but what about failures. Seeing how people respond to failure can be even more telling about their values. So ask, "How does your organization respond to failure and or overcome it".
6. Ask about their personal mission.
This one can really make the interviewer think, of course be sure to have your personal mission statement in mind. Sometimes after being at one place for a long time you forget why you were there from the start, so this will be a great way to see if they continue doing what they hoped for at the organization. This also a great way to see what they value as individuals and what that could mean as your future employer.
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