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Checklist of Job Interview Questions for the Credible Activists to Ask The Company

We identify 36 questions you want to ask prospective employers.

1. Does the HR position have a private office?
   
   
2. Does the company have a Chief Compliance Officer? If that is someone other than the HR Director or VP, who is that person and what is the relationship between the head of HR and the Chief Compliance Officer? Is there a Private Officer? Who is that?
   
   
3. Does the company have written policies in the form of a clear and up to date employee handbook that has been reviewed by attorneys?
   
   
4. Does the company truly support policies regarding preventing and responding promptly and soundly to any EEO or other Employee Relations complaints?
   
   
5. Does the company truly welcome complaints and want to know what is going on in the workplace so it can be aware of, address, and prevent future incidents?
   
   
6. Does the company have a workplace violence prevention policy that it also takes seriously? Is HR responsible for this?
   
   
7. Does the company have an investigation policy?
   
   
8. Who will conduct investigations? Does whoever conducts investigations have training in conducting sound unbiased investigations that avoid any conflicts of interest?
   
   
9. Are there procedures in place for having third-party external experienced consultants conduct investigations in the event that there would be a conflict of interest in having internal attorneys or HR personnel conduct an investigation?
   Is there a realistic budget for this
   
   
10. Is there a lawyer in the HR department? If so, what is that person’s role?
    
    
11. Is there a General Counsel for the company? If so, what is that person’s role?
    
    
12. Is the General Counsel someone with employment law experience?
    
    
13. If not, is the General Counsel someone with HR experience or any SHRM or other HR training?
    
    
14. Is the General Counsel’s role to ensure that the company is compliant with all relevant city, state, and federal employment laws or is the General Counsel’s role to cover up any possible complaints and protect the company at all costs?
    
    
15. What kind of HR training does the General Counsel have?
    
    
16. How does the HR role you are interviewing for intersect with the roles of any others who may be involved in employee complaints of any kind, investigations, and employment decisions?
    
    
17. Does the company have a decision-making protocol in place for personnel decision and who is involved in those? If so, what is HR’s role in this process?
    
    
18. Do all of those involved in any employment decisions have relevant SHRM-approved training in conflict resolution, mediation, rater-bias, conflict of interest, and/or legal or SHRM codes of ethics and sound employment investigation methods?
    
    
19. Does the company have in place policies designed to prevent any conflicts of interest in the case of employment decisions of any kind including transfer, promotions, raises, demotions, terminations, hiring, approval of family and medical leave act(FMLA) and/or maternity leaves, approval of flex or comp time, and any other benefits available to employees?
    
    
20. Does the company have in place a culture that truly welcomes employees to come forward with complaints or concerns about inappropriate behavior? Are employees very clear on who receives complaints and in what manner? Are there several people to whom employees may go with their complaints?
    

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