Community Perspectives: How do you gauge work/life balance during the interview stage?

In-house legal professionals discuss how they are able to determine if a new position at a new company will have their desired work/life balance.

Community Perspectives: How do you gauge work/life balance during the interview stage?

Counsel Responses:

  • As long as I did it in the middle-end of the interview with people I had rapport with, bringing it up was never an issue. I assume the places that would ding you for asking are the places people talk about here where they are average 50-60 hour work weeks.
  • Ask them what do they like the most about their job. If work/life balance pops out, then it’s likely a good sign.
  • Read Indeed and Glassdoor reviews of the company for honest opinions.
  • Depending on the size of the company and where you’ll be located, you could ask what hours they typically work. I’m on the East Coast, but a lot of the company’s business is in California, so sometimes I’ll be on West Coast time. Generally, this means my hours are 10-6 or 7. This covers the morning in the East Coast when most of the team is up and running, but still gives me time for those active later on.
 

In-house? Be a part of the conversation on Fishbowl (anonymous).

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