The goal of every job interview is to sell yourself to the prospective employer. What you think of the boss and the culture of the workplace doesn’t matter if you are shown the door after the first round. However, every discussion during the interview process — whether with a senior, junior, or peer — is an opportunity to explore issues of workplace style, personality, and cultural compatibility — three qualities that when mismatched, often lead to job failure.
In a recent edition of her work and family column in The Wall Street Journal, Sue Shellenbarger says, “Good places to work are run by people who respect employees. Watch out for interviewers who treat you like an interchangeable part or who act like cogs in a wheel themselves.”
Additional warning signs of a problematic boss include someone who is easily distracted or multitasking during the interview and doesn’t seem to be paying respectful attention to you. Other cautionary behaviors include poor eye contact, providing terse or shallow answers to your questions, excessive emphasis on his or her own achievements, and negative comments about other people in the organization. Although initial appearances can be deceiving, an interviewer who comes out from behind his desk to greet a candidate and eliminates all distractions during the interview is demonstrating a commendable degree of human character.
However, it’s reasonable to ask yourself during the search for the perfect job if there are any virtues in nastiness. Exhibit one in this debate is Steve Jobs, the creative genius behind Apple Computer Inc. Wired magazine recently summed up a reunion of 1,300 ex-Apple employees by saying that even though Jobs didn’t attend the reunion, tales of his tirades and tantrums were the main topic of conversation.
Dr. Robert Sutton, a professor of management science and engineering at Stanford University and author of The No Asshole Rule (Warner Business Books, 2007) has researched Jobs’ workplace idiosyncrasies and notes he is “among the most imaginative, decisive, and persuasive people” in American business. “He inspires astounding effort and creativity from his people. Although his tantrums and nasty critiques have driven people around him crazy and driven many away — they are a crucial part of his success, especially his pursuit of perfection and relentless desire to make beautiful things.”
As you search for your next opportunity, it might be useful to recall the qualities of past bosses that have inspired your best work. Other relevant questions include: How would you describe your least-liked boss? What impact did this have on your overall performance? And, what did you do to best manage this relationship?
Finally, as you move through interviews and begin the negotiation process, investigate additional clues to the workplace environment by probing for details of corporate responses to past emergencies and crises. Also look for personal mementoes and family photos in work areas, and ask questions about the daily routine, such as, “What’s a typical workday like?” This due diligence will help you determine if you’re going to dislike a new job before you agree to take it.
About the author: Jim Carman is a graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management and a retired Navy captain. He writes, lectures, and coaches job candidates on interview skills and career building topics.
