How to Avoid Taking a Job with a Bad Manager or Boss
By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
A coaching client of mine had an interview where the hiring manager basically told her “I ask the questions and you give the answers. Later you can ask me questions.” Nice, huh? There is typical advice but I want to help you avoid working for a bad manager or boss.
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Yesterday, someone I coached had an interview over Zoom with a hiring manager. And she started off the interview by saying hi, thanking them for making the time, and asking about the position that the manager was trying to fill. The manager responded by saying, ‘the way it works here is I ask the questions, and you give me the answers. At the end of the interview, you can ask me questions.’ I get a message from that, as did the person I’m representing that this is a ‘I tell
you what to do and you do it’ kind of environment here, versus you’re a human being. I want to talk to you. I want to get a feel for what you’re trying to fill in the way of a job.
Why wouldn’t you answer a question like that? Like, tell me about the job that you’re trying to fill so I can address what it is you’re looking for as opposed to ‘let me ask you questions; you’ll tell me your answers.’ But you don’t know how to connect the dots because the hiring manager hasn’t told you what they’re looking for. Even if you’ve seen a job description, job descriptions are 80% accurate. And HR validates that by saying ‘if we’re lucky.’
So how do you recognize a good manager? Now, to me, that wasn’t an example of a good manager.
The typical advice, frankly, is to say things like, now they’ll ask you emotionally intelligent questions and listen carefully, their honesty and compassion shine through. They care. They inspire others with empathy, vision, and quiet confidence. They’re interested in you and who you are, rather than who they want you to be. You trust your gut. How useful is this kind of stuff in terms of evaluating?
Have you ever thought about asking for references from the hiring manager of people that previously worked for them and who will provide a strong testimonial about them and their capabilities? They ask you for references. Why aren’t you allowed to ask them for references? If more people asked for references from hiring managers, yes, you’d find out things about why people leave an organization. Sometimes that relates to the hiring manager and how difficult they are to work for. Sometimes it deals with institutional friction that exists in a firm that causes them to want to, shall we say, bail quickly, because you can’t get stuff done.
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The issue for most people when they join a firm, is representations were made about the company and the environment. Then people join and discover all the ways that the firm makes it impossible, or exceedingly difficult for people to do what it is they were hired to do.
So start asking for references from hiring managers, from HR. And if HR goes, ‘you want to check a reference on her, you want to check a reference on him.’ You’re asking for my references of people who worked for me. Why am I not allowed to talk to former employees?
And yes, you can back-channel this through LinkedIn and find people who worked for this person. Look for former employees. And at a large firms, you’re going to have to do some detective work to dig in to find these people because you know, someone who’s left this organization. It may be hard to find people who’ve worked at a company with several 1000 employees who worked for this specific manager. But you can do it. You can find them or you can ask the organization. ‘I’d like to speak with a couple of people on the team about what it’s like to work for he or she’ or ‘I’d like to speak with a couple of former employees and see what it’s like to work for them.
Hope you found this helpful. I’m Jeff Altman. Visit my website, TheBigGameHunter.us There’s a lot there to help you and after all, people hire me for no BS career advice, which can relate to a job search, hiring more effectively management, leadership, dealing with workplace issues, career transitions, a lot of stuff.
You can also connect with me on Linkedin at linkedin.com/in/TheBigGameHunter. I’ll also mentioned to you, at my website, you can find out about my courses, books and guides. Again, a lot there to help you.
Have a terrific day and be great!
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. He is hired to provide No BS Career Advice
globally. That can involve job search, hiring staff, management, leadership, career transition and advice about resolving workplace issues. Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us
He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 2400 episodes.
I do a livestream on LinkedIn, and YouTube (on the JobSearchTV.com account) Tuesdays and Fridays at 1 PM Eastern. You can send your questions about job search, hiring better, management, leadership or to get advice about a workplace issue to me via messaging on LinkedIn or in chat during the approximately 30-minute show.
Website: www.TheBigGameHunter.us
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/TheBigGameHunter
Courses: www.TheBigGameHunter.us/courses
Main YouTube: www.JobSearchTV.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/jeffaltman
Facebook: http://facebook.com/nobscoachingadvice
Podcast: anchor.fm/nobsjobsearchadviceradio
Video Podcast: Spotify
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffaltmancoach
Medium: jeffaltmancoach.medium.com
Resume & LinkedIn Profile critiques
Cool perspective.
Thank you, @David Dinkins. I appreciate that you took time to affirm the message in this video.
@Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter I’ve been recruiting for over 20 years. I always express to my candidates, that it’s a two way process. Ask as many questions, that you answer.
@JobSearchTV I’ve been recruiting for over 20 years. I always express to my candidates, that it’s a two way process. Ask as many questions, that you answer.
I did it for twice as long as you have and now people hire me for no bs career advice. Few job hunters will have the courage to do what I suggested AND should. You have a great name for a New Yorker. #begreat