One thing I like to look for is how much a company's management values the people who work there and which types of workers it values and which it does not. While software developers are usually valued in tech companies, this isn't always the case when working in corporate information systems in non-tech companies. For example, some companies I've worked for placed high value on their sales team and treated software developers like trash. At times, I've seen a lot of discomfort from interviewers when I've directly asked, "How much does the company value your work?"
Your example questions about career path, personal growth and flexibility can be good indicators of how much value a company puts on developers. A company that doesn't value them probably won't have a career path, offer any personal growth and will be inflexible. They see programmers as easily replaceable cogs.
Kim Arnett [she/her] leads the mobile team at Deque Systems, bringing expertise in iOS development and a strong focus on accessibility, user experience, and team dynamics.
One thing I like to look for is how much a company's management values the people who work there and which types of workers it values and which it does not. While software developers are usually valued in tech companies, this isn't always the case when working in corporate information systems in non-tech companies. For example, some companies I've worked for placed high value on their sales team and treated software developers like trash. At times, I've seen a lot of discomfort from interviewers when I've directly asked, "How much does the company value your work?"
Your example questions about career path, personal growth and flexibility can be good indicators of how much value a company puts on developers. A company that doesn't value them probably won't have a career path, offer any personal growth and will be inflexible. They see programmers as easily replaceable cogs.
So much yes! I know exactly what you’re talking about. I looked the idea of asking them head on. Thanks for sharing!