Confession #2: Your research team is led by a senior investigator/researcher. Identify who the head PI is/PIs are because this one person (or few) will determine the entire team’s work culture (note: good/bad management always comes from the top!). You won’t always be able to discern upfront whether they are a good employer, but do whatever you can to figure out whether the PI and their research team is a good fit for you. Once you reach the interview stage, ask if you can speak to the person who previously held the position you’re interviewing for (it’s a bold request, but I’ve seen it successfully done before) or to speak to current staff especially the RAs. Current RAs will reveal much more about the team dynamic (positive and negative) - more so than the project director, junior faculty, or other research staff and heed any red flags in these conversations.
