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I’ve asked pretty straight up “I come from public so I’m okay with OT but looking for a good balance. What’s your average week? What’s a peak week look like for you? How many weeks in a row would you say you work OT and why?” I’ve received offers after asking this so they must be alright with it and they all mostly seemed to answer honestly
Subject Expert
Don’t be afraid to be direct about asking WLB questions. You are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you. If they don’t like that you are looking to work less hours than you are in public, then it’s not a good fit, move onto the next firm to interview.
Bowl Leader
How many hours are expected each week?
Follow up, what about during close?
If the vacation policy is fluid:
How many weeks of vacation does the average person take? (If they can't answer that, ask them how many they take).
Do you offer any incentives or free PTO for volunteering?
If they're cagey about any of these, reach out to someone in the org on LinkedIn and ask them.
“Tell me what you are passionate about outside of your work?”
I asked directly and pointed specifically one of the reasons I was leaving public is for work life balance but wasn’t afraid to work 45-50, 55 at times as we are in a profession that requires that at times. I also talked to a person that’s in the department and asked longest week they worked since they started and how many weeks in total they worked over 55 hours/week. I think it’s fine to ask directly as long as you follow up with being fine working 50-55ish hours when needed (at quarter/year end close).