Understand Your Boss In A Job Interview
Roshan was glad that he got the job offer as a marketing manager in a
newly opened division of a blue chip company. The economic slow down had
affected his existing employment adversely. Roshan felt that new job was
a God sent gift. The new line of business for him was still fairing well
in the industry and the company too had a decent reputation. The
designation and the pay packet were also satisfactory. What else could
he get in this tough job market. The reception in the new job was warm enough. Couple of
days passed comfortably while he was trying to go through his company
and product induction. Later, he took on the charge.
One fine day, Roshan was abruptly called by his boss. The
sight did not look soothing. Boss gave him a good stare through the top
edges of his thick glasses. Roshan can’t forget the words, he felt were
fired from an AK-47, from the other side of the table : “I am astonished
that you have not followed up with the Director of Adbhut Corporation.
This is a big account for us. You can’t afford to mess it up. You are
supposed to manage this account very delicately. How can you afford to
let the things slip. Go and apologise to the Director immediately. Make
sure that it does not happen again. I perhaps had wrong perceptions
about you when I interviewed you. I always thought that you were a smart
professional who can become a superstar under me. I don’t know what is
wrong with you. Look here, you will have to mend your ways here or we
part company. Is it clear?”
Was it too much, too soon. Before Roshan could open his
mouth and explain his position, the boss got busy on the telephone and
signalled him out. Insulted Roshan hesitatingly walked back to his seat
avoiding the glares of people in the corridor.
If you are thinking that Roshan should immediately quit or
fight back, perhaps others might be thinking the same. The bigger
question of course is whether Roshan made any efforts to find out about
the boss or the work environment before hand, once he was contemplating
to accept the offer? Did he ask some pertinent questions relating to the
management style or philosophy of his superiors? If yes, did he match
his profile and career expectations vis-à-vis the environment, the boss
and the style?
In majority of the situations, the scanning of the
perspective job is done through indirect scouting of information while
the opportunity to get a direct-first-hand-feel in an interview setting
is either not explored or utilized in compensation and benefit related
issues. The result, the incumbent is as un-prepared as Roshan was.
Won’t the management feel bad if such questions are asked
in the interview? After all, giving a job is still their prerogative. NO
LONGER. If you need a job, the employer needs you too. The times have
changed and for some very crucial positions, organisations would do
anything to get the right person of their liking. Don’t forget what Mark
Twain had said once, “Throughout my life I feared so many things, most
of the things never occurred.” If the fears and inhibitions still
trouble you, simply ignore them.
While you use your own language, paraphrasing and the style
of delivery, ponder through some of these illustrative queries with
which you may initiate your “in search of excellence” during your next
encounter with a prospective boss in an interview setting.
- What styles of leadership
does your prospective boss favor?
- What work style does he
dislike / like in subordinates?
- What ambitions does he
nurture for his team?
- What personal ambitions does
he have?
- What type of stress
situations does he encounter in the work situations and how does he
handle them?
- What are his general likes
and dislikes?
- How does he monitor the
performance of his subordinates?
- How does he provide
feedback, counseling & coaching to his subordinates?
- What motivates him in the
current job?
- How does he apply the
‘quality-of-worklife’ philosophy to himself and his team?
- What changes has he brought
about in the past two years to improve the quality of work life for
his subordinates?
- What does he expect from you
within the next 2-3 months of joining and thereafter?
- If you are used to a
particular style of working which is different then your prospective
boss’s style, how can you too come to a workable common style?
Make mental notes and watch the non-verbal responses very
closely. You will need to do a real close thinking before you arrive at
the ‘MADE FOR EACH OTHER’ syndrome. The prospective boss is a critical
entity to make or mar your career in the new organization. Of course,
you’ll need to follow your instincts when deciding whether or not you
want to work for a particular superior. But the more you can learn about
a prospective boss during the interview - and afterwards, from sources
inside and outside the company - the better informed you’ll be and the
more likely you are to make a wise decision.
If you keep your eyes closed as a pigeon before joining,
you will hardly have another option but to dig your head in the ground
like an ostrich later.
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