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From The CareerJournal Online (www.CareerJournal.com)

By Karen Hube and Suma CM and Dimitra Kessenides and Elizabeth Herr and Charlie Hasbrouck

Beyond Google, how else can you investigate a company's office culture? Here, a trove of tips and tricks from people who know how to size up a prospective employer.

Background Check: "Ask the interviewer or the company representative about her own background, and compare the responses among individuals. Does the company bring in people from eclectic backgrounds? That says a lot about what you're likely to find at the firm."
-- Gerry Bollman, director of university recruiting, Booz Allen Hamilton, Cleveland

Canvas: "Tell the interviewer you'd like to speak with someone in a different department than the one you're interviewing in -- customer service, for example, or distribution. Look for common threads."
-- Kim Ratto, recruiter, Birkenstock USA, Novato, Calif.

Fun Factor: "A company can make an effort to have its office reflect its personality. You don't want to put streamers up, but if the reception area is brightly lit and painted, and if the walls reflect what the company does -- we have movie posters on the wall -- this is the first thing you see, and it tells you this might be a fun place to work."
-- Ben Coplon, postproduction supervisor, Miramax Films, New York

Small Talk Is Big: "I got my best information by arriving early and speaking to the receptionist. I learned that decisions at this firm only came straight from the top."
-- Mary Anne Thompson, president of Going Global, Washington, which compiles country-specific employment data

The Coffee Test: "If I offer someone a cup of coffee, I might get it myself, or I might ask my secretary to get it. Does she respond enthusiastically, or is she dejected? It's in the tone that she answers. You have to keep your antenna up for these subtleties."
-- David Rauch, hiring partner, Snell & Wilmer, a 350-lawyer firm, Phoenix

Wait Time: "If you have 10 interviews [for the same job] in three months, figure decision making at the company is a tortuous process."
-- B.J. Gallagher, employment consultant, Los Angeles

Reading into Questions: "The questions asked by the interviewer might indicate that the company focuses on particular things like leadership, say, or creativity. At one company I interviewed at a long time ago, I was asked, 'Imagine for a moment that you are blind. Describe blue to me.'"
-- Gerry Bollman, Booz Allen Hamilton

Watch the Clock: "Get at lifestyle-at-work issues by asking, 'Will you describe a typical week on the job?' If you can, schedule an interview around lunchtime, or after hours, so you can see how many people are still on the clock."
-- Gary Alpert, CEO, WetFeet Inc., an employment-consulting firm, San Francisco

Family Affairs: "Look to see if there are pictures of families, especially children, in lawyers' offices. I've not only got pictures of my kids, I have a huge bulletin board with all their artwork. One of my female partners once told me she believes this makes a big impact on people who come in here. They see a male partner who's showing how important his kids are."
-- David Rauch, Snell & Wilmer

Art of the Deal: "If you're interviewing at a nonprofit, see whether there's art on the walls. Many firms don't have any. Having artwork up can be a sign that 'you've made it' as a nonprofit -- in other words, that there's funding."
-- Lauren Brust, managing director, City University of New York, Institute for Software Design and Development, New York

Welcome Wagon: "How does the receptionist let the interviewer know you're there? Is it 'Mr. Smith is ready to see you now'? Or 'Bill is ready for you'? Or does she yell, 'Hey, Bill, he's here!'? Think about what you could live with. A receptionist chewing gum? Perhaps. A boss yelling at the receptionist? That's not something you want to overlook."
-- Ben Coplon, Miramax Films

One Bad Apple: "Sure, an interviewer is a representative of an organization and its culture. But don't judge an entire organization's culture on one person. If an interviewer doesn't maintain eye contact, for example, maybe he's having a bad day, maybe he got in late last night because of a snowstorm. Pay attention to several interviewers over the course of the process. You'll end up with a more accurate picture."
-- Richard McNulty, director of career development, Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business, and former management consulting recruiter, Hanover, N.H.

Look Around: "We conduct a lot of interviews on a big, open patio outside. Out there, candidates can see our employees walking around our campus, sitting outside talking, going for a run -- it's a good indicator of what it's like to work here."
-- Kim Ratto, Birkenstock USA

Congratulations: "A good question: Ask how the organization celebrates success. Is this an organization that has a culture that recognizes and rewards people for the value they contribute, or do they just say, 'It's in your paycheck'?"
-- Gerry Bollman, Booz Allen Hamilton

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