When you ask what the company culture is like in an interview, every employer will say it's great. If you want to really find out, however, the evidence is usually easier to find than you’d think.
Keep an eye out for:
Constant re-advertising. The same role, or the same team, coming up again and again suggests people aren’t staying.
Short tenures. A quick LinkedIn scan of the team can tell you plenty. If nobody has been there beyond a year or two, ask why.
No clear route up. Publishing teams are often small, so progression needs a plan. “We’ll see” isn’t one.
Restructures with no explanation. Change is normal. Silence about it isn’t.
Interviewers who disagree. If they describe the team, the role or the priorities differently, the business may not be aligned.
Overwork as a badge of honour. “We’re a family” and “we all go the extra mile” can be warm, or a warning.
How a specialist recruiter helps
At Redwood Publishing Recruitment, we get the inside story. Because we work with publishers repeatedly, we know which teams hold on to people, which are growing and which have a revolving door. We’ll share what we can, and we won’t put you forward for a role we wouldn’t be comfortable with.
We also help you prepare the right questions, so you can find out for yourself.
Want to know what a team is really like? Ask us: info@redwoodrecruitment.com