The interview went well until I asked this question
I just had an interview last Tuesday. It was going very well for the most part. The hiring manager liked all of my answers and found my skills and experiences very relevant to the job (she said so herself). Then at the end of the interview, she asked me if I had any question. I asked her what is the work-life balance like for the full time employees. And all of the sudden her face changed. I felt like I was judged as a "lazy worker" for asking that question. She was telling me that the standard hours are 40 hours but the company culture is to motivate everyone to perform "above and beyond".
I never heard back since. I can't stop wondering if I asked the wrong question.
Companies care about the company not always the people. Most jobs want you too work the 40 and balance your other responsibilities yourself then work overtime and be grateful no matter how the challenge breaks you. I was working a full time job with mandatory overtime but not just they wanted me to work my mandatory plus an additional coaching mandatory overtime it was insane Im also a single parent so my kid started suffering for it.
Yes a lot of these companies doesn't care about your personal life
How i can start my work and when?
work and when
just a thought. did you do any online research of the company? some sites allow for anonymous comments by ex- and current employees. it could be helpful, because as you found out, the hr person is just going to give you the company line.
Yes good Question but I m not disturb my duty
That was a good question bro
As an interviewer or experienced interviewee, what are some right questions to ask at the end
it depends on the context and the tone of the exchange, but another way of finding out the information by rephrasing the question: what is the policy and terms on overtime? this shows you are willing and interested in working hard and just want to know what the company expects. If its obvious they are taking advantage of the workers, you will know.
I think that is a good question as it helps you weed out bad employers from good. While I can see how some hiring managers will interpret that question as meaning the person is not willing to put in overtime, a professional and honest employer will not be bothered by that question. This manager's response probably means that they always work more than 40 hours which means it is a bad environment.
An organization that values its people will say that while they do value work-life balance, there are times when employees will, at time, need to work additional hours as business needs dictate.