Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

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When evaluating a job offer, it’s important to know whether you’ll fit in at the new company. But it can be hard to get an unvarnished view of an organization’s culture during the interview process.

o Before you take the job, find people with objective, unbiased opinions of the organization and its culture. They may be former employees or others who work with the company, such as consultants, contractors, or suppliers.

o Invite them out for coffee and say something like, “I’m trying to get a fuller picture of the company culture.”

o Then ask questions such as: What is this organization like to work with? Where is it succeeding? What kinds of people do well in this organization? What kinds of people leave?

o If you can, find out why the person you’re replacing is no longer there. Did they move on? Or get promoted?

Any information you can gather will give you an insider’s perspective before you decide to commit.

Adapted from “How to Tell If a Company’s Culture Is Right for You,” by Rebecca Knight

Here’s a direct link to dozens of other Management Tips.