Started asking about runway and layoff history in interviews and the answers told me more than the tech rounds

Two questions I now ask every hiring manager: "when was your last round of layoffs, and what changed after?" and "how long is the current runway?"

Reactions have ranged from a straight answer with a date, to a genuinely thoughtful "we cut 8% in early 2025, here's what we changed," to one guy who laughed and moved on. That last one told me the most.

Nobody has been offended yet. A couple said it was a good question. And after getting caught in a round eleven months into a job I'd taken on vibes, I'd rather be the person who asks.