Key Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Next Boss

Share it
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

A performance review or evaluation measured on a speedometer or gauge to assess or review your actions on a job or exam

When you look for a new house, school for your children to attend, new car, or choose a condo for vacation, do you research or make your decision based on first appearance? We all know that what you see isn’t always what you get. The same philosophy applies to choosing your next boss.  When looking for a job, it’s not just about the company and role but also what type of leader you will report to as a new hire. Consider these 6 factors while preparing for your interview, and before accepting a position:

  1. Frequency of Promotions

A sign of a good leader is their ability to be coachable, to develop their team to grow, and to contribute to the needs of the organization. You should learn how many team members have been promoted under the hiring manager’s leadership. Hiring managers who are focused on retaining their employees can effectively communicate their retention and turnover levels. A good hiring manager considers retaining talent a key part of their role.  Assessing employee departures within 90 days, 6 months, and 12 months of hire will give you, as a prospective employee, a fair measure of the effectiveness of your next boss’s leadership style.

  1. Critique Style

Understanding the way in which your next manager provides constructive criticism is important. You want a manager who can give feedback needed to meet department needs, even when it might not be favorable. Realigning an employee’s focus to meet organizational goals and provide excellent patient care is more important than being liked.  Typically the best managers are the ones who might not be liked the most but are respected for the way in which they treat others. How does your potential hiring manager compare with their peers when delivering constructive criticism? I always wanted a manager who treated me fairly but was willing to give me constructive criticism in private versus public humiliation. Good leaders typically praise in public, and construct and guide in private.

  1. Communication Style

A good manager will tailor communication style to the message that needs to be delivered. Think of two types of messages, and ask your next hiring manager what communication method (email, phone, text, group meeting, or privately in person) they would advise in each situation.  Questions you could run by your potential peers include: How often do you interact with your hiring manager? Did you see or speak to your manager during your first 90 days of employment? How often is your manager willing to answer questions or address issues prior to issues taking place?

  1. Engagement Style

The best managers I’ve worked with always focused on treating everyone fairly, and were approachable and engaged with their employees.  A good manager will have employees who come to them when things are going badly and when things are going well. The best managers find ways to stay engaged with their employees on a personal and professional level. Do social events that take place within the department include the hiring manager?  Does your potential hiring manager try to truly get to know their employees, as well as provide guidance and serve as a resource to work-life issues?

  1. Peer Evaluation

Of course you will be asked to provide a list of references. But have you ever thought about asking for internal and external references of your next hiring manager? If you’re seriously being considered as a candidate for a position and have received a verbal offer, I would advise asking references from your next potential hiring manager. Please note: you might not receive them, but it never hurts to ask. Once you have people to contact, consider asking these questions: How effective was this manager in terms of leadership? How was your hiring manager evaluated, and did evaluation include feedback from direct reports and supervisors? What do past employees say about your potential next boss?

  1. Accomplishments and Alignment

To be truly effective, a good leader ensures their direct reports are specifically aligned to meet or exceed the business objectives of the organization. Can your potential hiring manager elaborate on specific goals that were met by their department or tell a story of the success of their unit? Listen closely for the mention of the department’s success versus the hiring manager’s success as they describe accomplishments. You might even consider asking what the greatest accomplishment of the department has been, and how it related to the business objectives of the organization.

 

Summary

There’s a saying that most people quit their manager or supervisor, not a job or company. If this is the case, it makes sense to research the manager you will report to in your next role. It also makes sense to understand how long your manager has been in their current role and what the turnover is like for that manager’s position. If you want to make sure you will be successful in your next job opportunity, you must do the research and ask the right questions during your interview, and prior to accepting a job offer.

 

KNK Recruiting is a Hospital and Healthcare RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) firm. We partner with Hospitals, Home Health, Long Term Care, and Specialized Healthcare Service organizations to help them analyze and improve their recruitment processes to ensure their business needs are met. We offer Talent Sourcing Consultants and Talent Recruiting Consultants to help with all or some of the following areas:

Attracting Talent = Sourcing & Screening (how are we doing at attracting talent?)

Assessing Talent  = Interviewing (are our assessments leading to interviews? &  are our candidates interviewing well enough to be brought on board?)

Landing Talent = Selecting & Hiring (have we made a good match between the candidate and employer?)

Retaining Talent = Candidate & Hiring Mgr. Satisfaction (how are we doing at engaging talent? & have our client and candidate developed a long- term relationship?)

…all with the goal of continuous improvement and the best possible outcomes for our clients and candidates.

If your company is limited on staff or time to address the important recruiting and retention areas discussed please contact us today at  513-444-2089 so we can schedule a consultation.

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Categories

Categories

Related Posts