( … to avoid a toxic manager and workplace)
Interviewing for a new job is a two-way street. Not only are employers looking for a candidate with the right fit for the position, but prospective employees are looking for a company where they feel valued and know they can grow, thrive, and achieve their career goals.
As an employee or employer, it is critical to stop and consider what drives engagement in the workplace. If 67% of employees are either not engaged or actively disengaged, what elements are required at the individual, team, and company level to ensure workers are engaged, productive, and innovative? Research shows that these are the key elements most employees need:
With all of this in mind, it is imperative for you to actively look for evidence to ensure your needs will be met at the next company. Here are our suggestions for 3 critical questions you can ask as a candidate to ensure there is evidence at the overall company level, at the team level, as well as directly with your manager:
1 – COMPANY: What are the company’s Mission, Vision, and Values? Do people embrace them and how are they exemplified?
This is a great question to ask everyone with whom you interview. First, you are looking for consistency and the extent to which they are shared and embraced across the organization. Next, you want to look for evidence that it is more than just words on a website. In a perfect world, you would hear answers like, “all rewards and recognition programs are built around our values,” “decision-making is aligned to the mission and values,” and “periodic meetings provide transparency into the progress being made.” Just because someone is not able to articulate the mission, vision, or values does not mean they do not exist. It may indicate that the organization has communication challenges.
2 – TEAM: Is the team a cohesive unit? Are there well-defined and understood roles and responsibilities, are objectives and key results shared and measured, and do the team members collaborate and support each other?
These questions should be directed toward the team manager, as well as any team members you might have the opportunity to interview with. Probe with questions regarding the frequency of team meetings, the actual metrics used to measure team success, and how work is shared between team members. You are looking for synergy across team members, rather than individuals working in silos. You might even be testing to see if there are toxic rock star that spoils the bunch.
3 – DIRECT MANAGER: What is your leadership style and how do you drive change? How do you inspire, empower, and enable your team members? And how do you go about getting to know the people on your team?
When you meet with the hiring manager (your direct manager-to-be), this is your opportunity to understand their leadership capabilities. This is the person who will be providing you with purpose, growth opportunities, inclusion, and most importantly security. You want to ensure that they will meet your most basic needs as an employee and align with your personal values and goals. Although it may not be appropriate to ask directly if they have received leadership development training, you want to look for evidence that they will be able to inspire and enable you and the team to be successful. You can ask how frequently 1:1s are conducted, their approach to feedback, or how they demonstrate gratitude. Alternatively, you can ask a hypothetical question about how they would handle an employee who is not meeting expectations. Ask how they would approach it. (And by the way, if you are not provided with the opportunity to meet directly with your first-line manager, that should be an instant red flag.)
Remember, managers can come and go. And that is why it is so important to ensure you’re not only working with a great leader but that you’re also joining an excellent team inside of a high-performing, mission-driven company. Toxicity and dysfunction can occur at any level and it’s your job to learn as much as you can before you accept an offer.
If you’re one of many folks on the hunt for your next workplace, we wish you the very best of luck in your endeavor to find a great match!
P.S. – A word to leaders conducting interviews … If any of these questions make you feel on guard, let’s talk about ways you can level up the leadership skills in your organization.
