How to answer the job interview question: 'What do you think of your previous boss?'
When making use of for jobs, you have already got your references—people who you know will sing your praises—lined up. But in an interview, every now and then you’ll be the only requested to present perspective in your present day or most current boss.
As it turns out, most activity seekers don’t exactly have the exceptional matters to say about them—to us, as a minimum. In a 2018 Monster ballot , the majority (seventy six%) of U.S. Respondents stated they currently have or lately had a poisonous boss. That’s in comparison to the minority (five%) of respondents who're BFFs with their boss and 19% who defined their boss as a mentor, or someone they could study from and realize has their back. The awful bosses, however, can satisfactory be described through our respondents as electricity-hungry (26%), micromanager (18%), incompetent (17%), or just in no way around (15%).
But irrespective of whether or not your previous boss became your best friend or your worst enemy, talking approximately him or her to a potential organization takes a bit tact.
“How you describe past relationships speaks volumes about you, now not the boss, which is why interviewers pose the question,” says Elaine Stirling, a Toronto-primarily based communications representative and author of The Corporate Storyteller: A Writing Manual & Style Guide for the Brave New Business Leader.
Interviewers are looking for some various things after they ask this question: how properly you cope with being positioned instantaneous, how well you play with others, and how you like to be managed. Come prepared to answer, so that you don’t get stuck off-protect and say some thing you’ll remorse.
Be fantastic—although it’s hard
The specialists agree that saying something high quality approximately your former boss is the handiest manner to reply this question—irrespective of your genuine feelings.
“If a candidate rants negatively about a prior manager, the interviewer often considers the worker the problem and may be hesitant to make the rent,” says Lynne Sarikas, govt director of the MBA Career Center at Northeastern University in Boston.
Obviously if you had a amazing supervisor, acknowledge that and specify what made them so awesome, Sarikas says. “If, on the other hand, you had a extra challenging dating with you supervisor, continue cautiously.”
You want to focus on superb components of your supervisor’s management style and what you discovered from her or him, says Marti Benjamin, a Nevada-primarily based licensed profession control train and former health care government. If the interviewer pushes for some type of complaint, say some thing that ends on a superb be aware.
“You may also want to renowned that whilst you had very specific patterns, you determined a way to work together to deliver outcomes or meet customer desires,” Sarikas shows. “Be organized to offer a particular example that may be shared in a wonderful way.”
You say: “My boss changed into robust-willed, which from time to time made it difficult to talk new thoughts; but, we continually managed to speak it out and locate answers that have been pleasant for the company.”
Bring it back to your strengths
Your solution to this query can indicate how you like—or don’t like—to be controlled, says Cheri Farmer, a sales trainer for the Grace Bay Group in South Carolina, who has interviewed infinite humans over the route of her profession. “How does that mesh with my personal control fashion? Would this be a relationship that works?”
The interviewer will also be trying out to see what you’ll be like to work with, Farmer adds. Will you make a fantastic contribution to the enterprise’s tradition, or will you want to be refereed?
Whatever the motive, keep in mind they're interviewing you, no longer your former boss, Sarikas says. “Keep the focus on what skills and revel in you carry to this position. Let your strengths show in your answer and move the interview onto greater essential questions.”
You say: “She become so powerful at advocating for our department. I found out loads from her approximately a way to diplomatically control people, maintain conversation lines open among departments and a way to advise for the team.”
Demonstrate discretion and loyalty
By asking this question, an interviewer may additionally be checking out you to look how you will manage sensitive inquiries from customers, colleagues or others.
“I’m no longer necessarily looking for loyalty to the boss, but how loyal are they to the enterprise?” Farmer says. “When they go away our organization will they speak smack about our employer?”
Many applicants fail to realise that their grievance of their boss is often perceived as their unwillingness to simply accept responsibility for his or her own actions, Benjamin says. “I in no way requested candidates approximately their former bosses, however a ways too many felt it become affordable to offer their assessment besides. I usually believed that if they’d criticize their former supervisor in an interview, they’d probably additionally criticize me or their co-people were I to lease them.”
You say: “We had our variations, however I idea it was important to stay targeted on our goals and to set up my manager—and my group—for success.”
Know what to miss
While you need to continually be sincere in a activity interview, there are absolutely information that do not need to be shared, mainly if they have the potential to solid you in an unflattering light. Could you operate some assist gaining knowledge of how to finesse your solutions? Join Monster nowadays. As a member, you'll get interview insights, career recommendation, and beneficial task seek pointers despatched directly on your inbox. Whether you are fielding questions about your strengths and weaknesses or explaining how you manage office conflicts, Monster's professional information allow you to put together solutions that concentrate on your professionalism.
