My company is hiring a new manager to take my current manager's place. (He's changing roles.) Others have interviewed candidates and narrowed it down to two. I'm supposed to interview them over the phone, one on one, later today.
I've interviewed (and been interviewed by) peers, and of course I've been interviewed by potential bosses. But I've never interviewed a potential boss before. It's an unfamiliar dynamic.
I'm having trouble thinking of things to ask them. The job they're trying to get is to manage a team of reporting specialists (SQL and Microstrategy and Excel and other database stuff, and working with our internal customers to define and produce the needed reports). I'm one of those team members.
It's already clear they have plenty of experience with relevant technology and business situations. So I just need some idea how to spend 30 minutes on the phone with each of two guys who might end up my boss.
What kinds of questions would you ask? I suppose I'll ask about management style, but that probably won't take much time.
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
ask them how they would solve a conflict with their subordinate Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Take a real world problem that actually happened, change a few details, and ask how they would resolve it.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
quote:Originally posted by Kwea: Take a real world problem that actually happened, change a few details, and ask how they would resolve it.
This is a very, very good suggestion.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
1. As a leader, how do you define success? 2. Describe a situation where you started off thinking that your approach was best, but then you needed to alter your course. 3. Describe a time where you failed to sell an idea that you knew was the right one. 4. Tell about a situation where you had to get a team to improve its performance. What were the problems, and how did you address them? 5. Give an example of a situation or project where the outcome depended on the work of people from a wide range of backgrounds and ideas. 6. Tell about a decision that you made which you knew would be unpopular with a group of people. What was your decision-making process, and how did you manage the implementation? 7. How do you determine priorities for yourself and your staff?
Posted by swbarnes2 (Member # 10225) on :
Or ask about how tight oversight will be. If your boss expects to micromanage, and you only want decimanaging, that could be a problem. Or if you want centimanaging, and he or she wants dekamanaging, that could be a problem too.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
Good ideas, thanks.
katharina, I'm sure I can use some of those specific questions. Thank you kindly.
Kwea, good idea. I have a general problem I will present, and I'll try to think of a situation that involves more interpersonal issues.
swbarnes2, I have to admit I would like to figure out which one will be more likely to micromanage so I can recommend against them, but I don't think anyone admits to it. Perhaps katharina's #4 and #7 will give clues. I like Kama's suggestion too.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Another thing that you might ask him is if there are any books on management whose message and method he is particularly taken by.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
I like.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
Well, those interviews went pretty well considering. They didn't seem too thrown by the questions I asked, which included all the good suggestions I got here. Thank goodness they were only 30 minutes each, though. (We ran out of things to say right as time ran out.)
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
LOL Hope it works out. If they hire YOUR suggestion and it doesn't, it's all YOUR fault (or so he will claim).
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
I think I'm voting with the majority. However, we can easily be overruled by the director.
I don't know. I'm not excited about it no matter what. Nobody could be easier than my current boss.
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