Ok a thread inspired by @SoleStatue on some questions I asked job interviewers in the middle of a global pandemic, national wildfires, mass unemployment, calls to defund cops/ICE, and what seems like the cusp of a revolution AKA a day that ends in “y” in 2020.

I often ask something like: “what are the tools available for this position to be successful in these wildly unpredictable & uncertain days?” If they can’t answer how they’ve been responsive or adapted strategies to accomplish your tasks, I want to know before I take the job.

Also in regards to pandemic & natural emergency response, I ask the question for everyone on the interview committee: “What are some things you’re grateful for when it comes to how your org has responded to crises like covid-19?” I want to know if they treat employees well.

With this question specifically, I pay attention to any awkward pauses or vague answers. If I sense people feel censored to preserve their job or they don’t have anything good to say, that’s a red flag for me.

One question that I find stumps people is this: “With racial equity fresh on people’s minds, what does your personal equity practice look like?” This question has ALWAYS been followed with a long & awkward silence. What I look for is if people can check their own privilege.

Another tip when it comes to this question is to check out their website for any racial equity commitment or diversity, equity, & inclusion statement. Use their own wording in your question & see if anyone speaks to it on their own. They should be familiar w/ the orgs position.

Oooh & also take a look at their website to see if they’ve got details posted about their strategic plan & if it includes any kind of dismantling systemic oppression. A question I ask is: “How does this team work to achieve the org’s vision to [do a thing related to the job]?”

I also ask something like this: “With many places shifting to remote work, what steps to you currently take to maintain work/life balance?” If they don’t tell you how they respect people’s time or prevent burnout, you probably won’t be super thrilled to work there. I wouldn’t.

To dig in even deeper on this, I try to ask everyone: “What are the ways that you decompress when working in a rapidly changing and evolving atmosphere?” Again, I’m looking to see who if anyone shares how they achieve work/life balance.

Ok going back a little bit to how they respond to unforeseen circumstances, I ask: “Given recent events, how much room is there for creativity in this role?” I want to see if they welcome new perspectives or a bit more set in their ways. Are they responsive or reactive to stuff?

If the role you’re applying for involves a lot of community outreach & coalition-building, I ask stuff like: “Where are your biggest opportunities in terms of outreach?” I wanna know who they stand w/ & who they don’t & why that is.

Something I also wanna know if how much they invest in their employees. So I ask stuff like: “What kinds of professional development opportunities are there & how are those opportunities identified?” Do they let you choose your own path or is it mandated based on your role?

I’ve worked mostly in nonprofits & there’s so much burnout in that realm. I’m very direct with this one & usually ask something like: “This work requires a lot of emotional labor. How do you practice self-care to prevent burnout?” I also get some good self-care ideas w/ this.

In my experience as a pansexual Brown woman, most places SUCK at retaining BIPOC, & especially Black women & femmes. I ask stuff like: “What kind of growth & upward mobility in the organization is typical of this role?” This gives me a tiny sense of their BIPOC retention.

Ooh another nonprofit-focused tip! If they have an equity statement but predominantly white board members, ask something like: “What steps are you taking to ensure the board is reflective of the communities you serve?” This often stumps interviewers for many reasons.

That’s about all I got so far, but please share some of your own tips for interviewing in this time of...a lot of less than ideal circumstances. Be safe & stay healthy!