How to Get Answers to 5 Key Questions Before Taking a Job

Three times during his career, Leslie G. Griffen has asked a prospective employer whether he can walk around the company and talk with employees about how they like their jobs. Twice the employers gave him the go-ahead, which told Griffen they were confident their employees were happy. One employer balked - a sign that this was not a good match.

"Most companies will talk the talk. They'll talk about how important employees are," says Griffen, who is now principal of The Griffen Group, which provides human resources and career coaching and consulting services, in Lee's Summit, Mo. How an employer responds to this request is almost as telling as the answers employees give. "If they pull back in their chair and say, 'You want what?' it's probably an indication that they might not be being straight up with you."