You can’t take a job and be mad that nobody cares or respects content when you didn’t do any vetting beforehand. It’s your responsibility to make sure people get what you do (and why it matters).
With that said, always interview your potential client or employer.
You want to understand things like:
- How much do they know about content? Ask questions that probe at this.
- What exactly do they want to achieve through content? How does it support their business?
- Are there any other problems they might not even know about that you can uncover? Ask them how the business is doing and what they think is working vs not working and why.
- How good are they about letting go of some control and letting the pros do their thing? Run something by them to gauge their response. Pay attention to their body language more than their words–did they say one thing but their body tenses up?
- How patient are they? Be upfront about how things can take time. Again, read the room's body language.
- What did they like or not like about whoever they last hired for your job? Why are they gone? What did they learn from that experience?
One of my coworkers interviewed not only his boss but also spoke with several of the employees including myself. I thought this was a smart way to get more real feedback about a company you're considering working for.