What Questions To Ask In An Interview To Discover Culture In A Pharmaceutical Company
We have all been there where we interviewed at a company only to find out that the culture wasn’t the right fit for you and you are now in between a rock and a hard place. Do you stick it out and hope for the best? Or do you leave and get labelled a job hopper? As always, prevention is the best cure so today we are going to look at how to ask questions to make sure that the company lines up with how you like to work to mitigate those types of mistakes.
Here are some interview questions specifically tailored to discovering the culture within the pharmaceutical industry:
How would you describe the overall work environment and culture for this organisation? This is important to get an overview of the overall culture. But let’s be honest, it will at most be a generic answer but how someone answers this question will give you some sort of indication of what kind of specific questions to follow up with.
What values does the company prioritise when it comes to pharmaceutical research, development, and patient care? Many pharmaceutical companies have the same type of work available so why would you just work for any company? Why not work for a company that really makes an impact in the area that you are interested in? This question will also help you to be able to see the bigger picture of the work that you are doing. It can be difficult to maintain motivation at times but if you are able to see how the work you are doing can directly impact patients’ health and well-being, that can be what you need to keep going forward.
Can you provide examples of how collaboration and teamwork are encouraged within the different teams? This will not only show you how teams are built up but can also highlight potential crossover for your own career. If you are applying for a QC role and you are told that there is a lot of crossover with the QA team, that can be the informaton you need to know that you can transfer to the QA team if that is your ultimate aim.
How does the company foster a culture of innovation and scientific advancements within the pharmaceutical field? It can be very easy to get bogged down in the day to day grind of your role and by asking this question, you are not only highliting your keeness to be seen as a team player but you are also potentially opening up conversations and opportunities that may not have been available otherwise.
What initiatives or programs does the company have in place to support diversity and inclusion within the pharmaceutical workforce? As someone who identifies as part of the LGBTQ community and also partially disabled, this was something that was important to me when taking on new clients. Clients who foster diversity and acceptance are not only better places to work, but they often have access to talent in the workplace that is not easily found and could also be potential mentors for you.
How does the company promote a strong ethical and regulatory compliance culture? Not all companies are equal when it comes to compliance and it’s important to know what exactly you are potentially walking into. Nothing is worse than expecting a certain standard and suddenly it’s lower or higher than what you are used to working to. Also, know who you can interact with if you have an issue in the workplace that may relate to one of the 9 protected characteristics; gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race and membership of the Traveller community.
Can you describe any mentorship or career development programs that are available to help me grow in my career? Training and development is one of the main reasons people are moving around these days in the pharmaceutical industry, knowing what the culture is like around training and development ahead of time is crucial. Identify who you should be talking to if you were to start with them. Know who are the SMEs for the specific areas that you are interested in so that you can get in touch with them at the start of your orientation.
How does the company stay updated with the latest advancements and regulatory changes in the pharmaceutical industry? You want to make sure that you are working with a company that is on the cutting edge. Ask how you can get involved with this. This will not only look well in the interview but also will put you in a very strong position of influence from the getgo and potentially skyrocket your career.
How do you celebrate success? This is a great way to find out about the success that the hiring manager has had with their current team and how they make sure their team is recognised. This can be a great way to see the management style of the hiring manager and to see if it’s compatible with what works best for you.
These questions will help you gain insights into how the company operates within the pharmaceutical industry, its commitment to research and development, adherence to regulations, and overall dedication to improving patient outcomes and healthcare. And most importantly, it will show if they are a good fit for you.
Best of luck!
