Jeff,

Nine months ago I left a large shop to be a one-man within the same large institution.

The department I left had a VERY high turnover rate, and began to hire contractors who were desperate for jobs and didn't know what political mess they were walking into.

The department I went to probably had a longevity rate (for the entire staff) of more than 5 years. The people who did leave went for promotions which could not possibly be offered within the group. They were extremely careful to create a team atmosphere among all of the employees and there is no gossip, fighting for territory, etc.

My non-programmer supervisor gives me general directions, trusts my professional opinion, and lets me do my thing. Heaven!

We all work a lot of long hours because we're dedicated, and we want to.

I would definitely ask about turnover rate, talk to some other employees about why they like the place, and ask for opinions about the personality of the boss.

Be careful about questions about average hours etc. because you don't want to look like a slacker or crybaby. Like someone said, "Where did you go on vacation?" is better than "Will we be allowed to take our vacations in chunks and really be away from here?"

My present job has been a life-changing experience compared to my former one. Every day I hear gossip about more people who left the old place.


>We have all probably seen Whil Hentzen "24 Questions" that an employer can ask a developer.
>I was wondering what questions would an employee ask of a prospective employer. Maybe if we get enough input this could be condensed and placed in the KB.
>
>I know this is a big subject so let's limit our scope to:
>You will be doing mainly VFP programming.
>Pretend compensation and benefits are just what you wanted.
>Lets also say if the question would fit into a category of contract work or full time employment or both.