When it comes to job satisfaction, managers matter a lot. So you’re fortunate if your company affords you the opportunity to help select the person who will become your next boss.
Participating in jobs interviews with candidates who could end up supervising your work requires a little strategic thinking, however. Read on to learn the best ways to behave when assessing your next boss.
Figure Out Your Role
Simply being tapped to sit in on an interview doesn’t tell you much about what your company hopes you’ll contribute to the hiring process. So before the candidates arrive, “it’s important for you to ask your skip-level manager what their aim is in involving you,” says Kelly Marinelli, principal people strategy consultant at Solve HR, referring to a supervisor who is two or more levels above you in the company’s hierarchy. Doing so “shows you have an understanding of the process and that you want to contribute and be involved not just for your own purposes.”
You may find that the company wants you to act as a subject-matter expert who can “ask intelligent questions and evaluate whether a potential hire has the goods” needed to perform the technical duties of the job, since the hiring manager “isn’t going to necessarily know all the ins and outs of what a supervisor needs to know,” Marinelli says.
Or company leaders may want you to “help evaluate whether there’s a fit between you and the person who will manage you,” Marinelli says. If that’s the case, you may be serving as a representative of your department’s particular “subculture,” says Heather Barker, director of human resources for TGS, an oil and gas company.
Sometimes, hiring managers ask potential subordinates to sit in on interviews simply “to gain buy-in for the candidate they select” and “get alignment with the team” that this is the right candidate, Barker says. In that case, your opinions about the candidates might not matter much.
[See: 7 Secret Opportunities You’re Missing at Work.]
Prepare for the Interview
You may have thought your days of preparing for job interviews were behind you, but participating in those conversations from the hiring side of the table also requires practice and the right attitude. It’s important to go into interviews with an open mind and “an unbiased frame of thought,” Barker says.
Don’t give into the temptation to like a candidate simply because he or she is just like you and your colleagues, because “diverse skill sets make for a stronger team overall,” Barker says. “They should be able to complement the team, not match the team.”
However, you should be on the lookout for ways in which the candidates align with your team’s subculture, Barker says: “If the person loves to talk but the group is formal and doesn’t like to share, that might not be a good fit.”
If hiring interviews are a new experience for you, feel free to ask for coaching from a human resources staff member or the hiring manager, and get advice about what appropriate dress is for the situation.
[See: 9 Common First-Job Mistakes.]
Take Cues From Other Interviewers
Before the interviews start, ask company leaders what their strategy will be for asking questions of and getting information from the candidates.
“If we’re not participating in the interview process on a regular basis, we expect everyone to be organized and prepared, but that doesn’t always happen,” Marinelli says.
When it’s time to talk to the candidates, follow the tone set by the hiring manager and other company leaders. If they’re behaving formally or casually, you should, too. Unless instructed otherwise, let them take the lead on talking.
But make sure to participate when it seems appropriate.
“Don’t try to run the interview; that doesn’t reflect well on you. But don’t let your opportunity go. Get your questions answered if possible,” Marinelli says. “If for some reason the interview is winding to the close, if you haven’t had a chance to ask your questions, you can put your finger up and say, ‘I have one final question.'”
Ask Open-Ended Questions
When it’s your turn to talk, use open-ended questions to evaluate candidates’ skills and leadership style, Barker recommends. Use a conversational, not aggressive, tone. “Be transparent but also appropriate,” she says.
Don’t ask questions that make direct comparisons with your previous supervisor, Marinelli says, because that “doesn’t generate trust.”
Possible interview questions for your potential new boss include:
— What does your ideal workday and setting look like?
— What expectations do you have for your direct report?
— As a manager, how do you recognize good work?
— How do you adapt to the work styles of the workers you supervise?
— Give an example of a time you were caught between management and a business unit, and describe how you were able to resolve that situation.
— This is a way we’ve done this in the past, what do you think about that?
[Read: Job Interview Mistakes to Avoid.]
Assess and Give Appropriate Feedback
Interviewing is all about listening and observing. Pay attention to candidates’ body language and word choice, which often reveal a lot about them, Barker says.
Some questions to keep in mind to figure out whether a candidate would make a good new boss:
— How transparent is the candidate with his or her answers?
— Does he or she have the ability to both see the big picture and appreciate details?
— What does his or her body language and eye contact convey?
— How will this person lead me and my team?
— What can I learn from this person?
— Does he or she have empathy?
— Will he or she support my continuous learning?
— Will this person empower me and put my skills to good use?
— Will he or she join my team in the trenches and stay grounded in the daily realities of our responsibilities?
When the interviews are over, check with the hiring director what kind of input he or she would like. At some companies, the interviewers will have a debrief meeting to share their opinions, while other organizations ask interviewers to fill out forms, Barker says.
Don’t share too much if your feedback won’t matter much. After all, you shouldn’t badmouth someone who could become your boss next week.
“If you’re invited to interview your potential manager, you might start to give all kinds of input and then you find out you actually don’t have a final say,” Marinelli says. “You’ve kind of gotten out there in front and that can create some awkwardness.”
Be Confident Throughout
Remember, you’re not the one being interviewed. Although you shouldn’t act cocky, don’t feel the need to ingratiate yourself with the candidates. They are in the hot seat, not you.
“You’re in a professional situation with others at your company where you’re getting a higher level of visibility than you usually have. Take advantage of that opportunity to shine,” Marinelli says. “Be yourself, be professional, listen and you’ll come across very well to both your potential new manager” and other company leaders.
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How to Interview Your New Boss originally appeared on usnews.com
