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I've had experiences where a big company hires lots of people for the same positions. For example I did customer support from a call center. There were almost 30 people in the training class and multiple floors of us doing the exact same thing.

In an interview, how do I inquire about this? I tried asking how many people are in the training class and they said around 3. I guess if they even have a "training class" it is implied that multiple people would be doing the same job.

What questions can I ask to better ascertain how many people would have the same job and responsibilities as me? In my experience I prefer to work in a place where different people have different specializations and have their own projects they are working on, as opposed to 50 people who are completely interchangeable. Of course the less replaceable your position is the less likely you are to get fired/laid off.

deploredbanked
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    What's wrong with what you've typed, e.g., "How many people would have the same job and responsibilities as [your selected candidate]?" followed by, "In my experience I prefer to work in a place where different people have different specializations and have their own projects they are working on." The only thing I'd add is "on one team" to prevent the answer from scaling with the size of the company. – Michael McFarlane Feb 18 '22 at 23:33
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    Does this answer your question? What questions to ask about organization/structure in an interview – gnat Feb 19 '22 at 06:23
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    @user132962 - I can't think of many cases where someone would try to hide that information. The number of underwriters at a bank or the number of call center workers is hardly a secret. I suppose someone might try to avoid mentioning if they're trying to hire for an obviously untenable position (i.e. you'll be the sole tech support person for the whole 100,000 person worldwide company) but that is exceedingly rare. – Justin Cave Feb 19 '22 at 06:23
  • @JoeStrazzere agreed that anyone can be replaced but if there is already someone else who can fill your role, it's a lot easier was my point. – deploredbanked Feb 19 '22 at 22:37
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    Of course the less replaceable your position is the less likely you are to get fired/laid off. You should clear your head of nonsense like this. Everyone is replaceable, and people who try to make themselves irreplaceable are actually putting a target on their back. – Joel Etherton Feb 19 '22 at 22:52
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    In my experience I prefer to work in a place where different people have different specializations and have their own projects they are working on... - This statement would eliminate you from consideration for any position I would be hiring. I don't need snowflakes and unicorns. I need team members. Pretty sure most hiring managers need the same thing. – Joel Etherton Feb 19 '22 at 22:53
  • @JoelEtherton so you think a surgeon would be as easily replaced as a grocery store clerk? I agree everyone is replaceable, though some more so than others. There is such a thing as job security. – deploredbanked Feb 19 '22 at 23:00
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    @deploredbanked Absolutely. Job security is about providing value to the company in question, not about "replaceability". A surgeon who has crappy bedside manner and causes lawsuits or engages in risky behaviors is a liability not an asset. Don't kid yourself. Your skillset doesn't make you unique, and stating that you believe it does will make you undesirable to an employer. What makes you "irreplaceable" is the value you bring to the company. – Joel Etherton Feb 19 '22 at 23:09
  • @JoelEtherton so you see no benefit of having a job that isn't identical to 50 other people working for the same company in the same building you are in? I had thought most people would prefer a unique position. – deploredbanked Feb 22 '22 at 23:16
  • @deploredbanked no I'm not saying that. I'm saying irreplaceability is not that benefit. I would say compensation and responsibility are the benefits. – Joel Etherton Feb 23 '22 at 23:22

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I tried asking how many people are in the training class and they said around 3

Interviews are the place for information exchange, if you have a question then be direct with it. Asking about training classes when you want to know something different is a bad idea. Just ask them how many staff work in that position.

Kilisi
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    “Tell me about [department structure] and my immediate supervisors and immediate counterparts” is always great questions in interviews. – franklylately Feb 20 '22 at 02:02