Interviewing? Make sure you interview the manager

As a manager at Google and previously a manager at Microsoft, individuals looking to change jobs often seek my advice. I noticed that a familiar blind spot people have, especially those relatively early in their career, is that they don’t interview their potential new manager. I always remind people that interviews are a 2-way street, and they are entitled to assess the manager’s ability to lead. Not all managers are created equal, and a bad manager can make day to day work a challenge, or worse, set back your career.

So, how do you interview your manager? A common fear is that if you assess your manager, they would be turned off by it. I find this to be generally untrue. Confidently and politely asking your leadership questions show a strong leader that you take your career seriously. The confidence you exude in asking these questions will also “show and not tell” that you are a person with options — you will not settle for lousy leadership because you know your value as a person and as a high performing individual.

One area you can probe into is a manager’s employee satisfaction. Many companies conduct anonymous surveys to solicit feedback from employees on their manager. The People Manager Review (PMR) rating and employee comments can provide useful insights into the leader’s competence and leadership style. Example questions include:

• Can you share your PMR report with me?
• Would you feel comfortable if I reach out to folks on your team to get a better understanding of the role and team culture?

If the manager responds negatively to either question, it’s a red flag. Sometimes managers are punished by people they are actively managing out, so a PMR may be temporarily lower. Still, they should feel comfortable sharing their PMR and explaining the situation. Often, managers that are not open and transparent about their PMR have something to hide. Good managers want to make sure you join with eyes wide open and should be very open in giving you the good, the bad, and the ugly to ensure mutual fit.

If you do have an opportunity to meet the people that work with your prospective manager, ask them what they think about their leader and the team’s culture. Some questions you can ask are:

• How do you like working on the team? Can you walk me through a typical day/week for you?
• What do you like most about their leadership style, and what do you not like as much?
• What do you like most about your role? What do you like least about it?

People are generally honest, and in any case, watch the responder’s body language, facial expression, and tone of voice for the real answer. People may be able to hide the truth by what they say, but very few can fake the rest.

Often the reason we seek new employment is to leave bad management. However, at the heat of the moment, it can be easy to rush through the interview process without checking whether the grass is, in fact, greener on the other side. By remembering to ask a few critical questions, you significantly increase your odds of actually landing somewhere better.