If you were to interview your boss

Odyne

Odyne

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What are some of the questions you would ask?


I'm conducting interview soon for a "right hand" of some sort, my workload and responsibilities are changing and I am going to need to delegate. This person will be leading my team when I am not there or occupied, and taking on some of my old responsibilities. I know what I want and I can measure that through some of the questions I prepared, but I also want someone who will be a good leader to my employees in my absence. I have a great relationship with them and I've worked hard to build a culture that is suitable for the group of guys I have. I will have to do some coaching and mentoring of course, but I need some brainstorming here...


So, what kind of leader would YOU be looking for? If you had to interview for a boss, what would your questions be?




This can also be a fun thread, you don't have to respond directly to the OP.
Let the brain juices run wild.
 
I'll think of some specific questions later, but is there any opportunity to have candidates interact with your team? I mean, can you pick a handful of your employees to briefly (15 - 30 minutes) interview candidates as well?

Because anyone can walk into an interview and call themselves a leader. But I'd be interested to know whether or not they can form a rapport with multiple people in short periods of time whilst still maintaining their authority -- especially if they're being pressured a little bit. Take him/her out to lunch (if possible) with other team members and step back. Watch them; see how they interact with your team. See if they continually qualify themselves via salesmanship - or if they can actually demonstrate potential by creating social cohesion and leading the conversation a bit.
 
What methods do you use to motivate employees?
What do you use to reward them? How frequently?
Do you punish? If so, how and for what?
(My job is in applied behavior analysis;
reinforcement and punishment are great devices
when used appropriately.)

If you have been in a managerial position before,
what is something you are most proud of for doing? Least proud or ashamed of?
What is something you're eager to do professionally?

How do you react to your stress? Others' stress? How do you manage conflict?
When you aren't feeling well, are under pressure, or stressed out, how do you cope?
Can you compartmentalize it, keep it from influencing your decisions?
When you feel overwhelmed, how have you reacted in the past?
What is a situation in which you would ask me for help?

Similar to Korg's suggestion, I would also test their experience and character by either placing them in relevant (but trivial, lest they bungle) real-time situations or asking how they would respond to situations that have arisen in the past which you have had to deal with. Words and behavior must match, IMO.
 
What's your style? Hands on, hands off?

How often do you like to meet with people?

Hey, we're at risk of missing a deadline. That sucks. What do we do?

What do you reckon's the best way to motivate someone?

Joe over there has been moody and unresponsive. It's taking a toll on those around him. How do you address that?

You ever been to burning man?

What's the most important part of your job?
 
Well if the candidate manages to get through all of the above questions and they're still semi conscious and smiling :) then perhaps the following question could be asked (towards the end of the interview)?

"Tell me a little about yourself and the things you enjoy doing outside of work?"

It's a classic non specific question and their response should give you a sense of their character beyond the working environment.

I'm certain you'll find the right person - hope the actual interview process goes well for all concerned.
 
What is your view on Diversity?

How would you go about discovering an employee's strengths and weaknesses?

What is the most important quality a leader brings to a Team?
 
Huh.
In the end I simply would want to know that they would take seriously what I ask for and that when I ask why things did not completed there is a reasonable explanation as to why.
You can tell when someone is fing with you. Unfortunately I dont think there are any questions you can ask that will assure you of a great employee. I have interviewed and had outstanding interviews where the person under achieved and others where the person interviewed poorly but was an outstanding employee.
The mark of a good leader (you) is learning how to get the most out of both scenarios.
Gl
 
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It depends on the field.

In business, the kind of leader that I'd be looking for is someone who is adaptable and results oriented. Maybe a little cooler than warm. Don't get me wrong, I think being people-conscious is very important, and a boss really sets the tone for the social atmosphere in a work environment, but in my experience, few people are a good balance and I think someone with more 'beta values' is more suitable as a second-in-command. I prefer someone who is a more systematic, rational thinker.

As for how I'd conduct the interview process, I wouldn't ask too many questions. Maybe two or three specific questions while leaving the rest open-ended so you give them the floor. For one thing, if I'm looking for a leader, I must give them a chance to command and see how they do when they're put on the spot without any kind of guiding structure. For another thing, people really reveal a lot about who they are by the way they choose to sell themselves. I'd be paying attention to what accomplishments they cite, how they solve problems vs. how often they talk about emotional self-management. In fact, I'd take a list of the questions from this thread and make a mental check list as the person talks about themselves. If there's something I'd need clarification on, I can ask a question targeted towards that. Otherwise, I let them guide themselves.
 
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So, how long will you stay working here? Are you already looking for something better to come along and just taking this job for right now? What would you do to try and fit in? How would you handle "x" problem? Are you a shark or a guppie? Do you feel your attitude will affect my employees? How? What would you do to change things around here? So, you think change is needed? Would you be open to change? If you could fire anyone, who would it be? Really? Well, you can't fire anyone. Do you think I can take a day off and come back without having to do my job for both days? Why or why not? What do you see yourself doing in a year? Five years? Wait: don't go. I'm just getting started. No sense of humor? OK, you can leave.
 
I'm gonna print all of this out and run it through my head before interviews.
 
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