Interview Red Flags: Resistance to Change
By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
Open positions exist because organizations need to evolve — whether it’s building better products, creating efficiencies, attracting clients, or improving team performance. However, change is often met with resistance, even from those who claim to want it. A client of mine found this out the hard way when he was hired to overhaul a company’s customer support department. Despite being brought in specifically to implement change, the higher-ups weren’t on board, and his efforts were ultimately blocked.
David’s boss’s boss was the primary obstacle. Despite hiring him to make improvements, she became defensive when those changes didn’t align with her outdated ideas. In one of his interviews, she hinted at her reluctance by stating, “I may have opinions about this [function], since I used to do this years ago.” Although this didn’t immediately raise any alarms for David, it should have. A follow-up question such as, “How do you handle differing viewpoints?” might have exposed her real attitude toward change. More insight could have been gleaned from her body language or by seeking input from her colleagues about how she dealt with opposing ideas.
The real problem was that this manager’s experience in the customer support department was decades old. Technology and processes had evolved since then, but she clung to outdated practices that no longer worked. She overruled David’s modern, efficient strategies in favor of methods from the 1980s. The result? A demoralizing work environment where every day felt like an uphill battle. David’s efforts to improve the department were constantly blocked, and innovation was stifled by a mindset stuck in the past.
This situation isn’t unique. As career expert Stokes points out, some hiring managers “just don’t have an improvement mindset. They may be so old school that they just want to maintain the status quo.” These managers aren’t necessarily malicious, but their inability to embrace change can severely limit the progress of the very teams they’re supposed to lead. That’s why it’s crucial to pay attention during interviews. Red flags like a rigid attachment to outdated practices can be subtle, but they’re there if you listen closely.
When interviewing for a new role, it’s essential to ask probing questions that reveal how decision-makers respond to change and different opinions. This can save you from stepping into an environment where your innovative ideas will be met with resistance rather than embraced.
Ⓒ The Big Game Hunter, Inc., Asheville, NC 2024
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