Hopefully someday I'll be such a sought-after resource that I could grill a company in the way this post suggests.

As it is, I choose my interview battles carefully. One of my favorite questions I ask is whether my position is new (rare for my situation) or if I am replacing someone who left.

This very naturally opens up a conversation about expectations from both sides. If someone separated, why do the interviewers think it didn't work out? If this is a new position, how do they imagine the first year?

Suddenly you're talking about culture, performance and policies without having asked directly about any of those topics.