How to Spot a Bad Boss During an Interview​

工作开心与否，最大的影响因素莫过于与上司的关系。

One of the greatest predictors of your happiness at work is your relationship with your manager.

所以在评价一份新工作时，怎样与新老板相处，是你应该首先考虑的问题。在面试时，你的注意力往往都在说服老板“我值得雇用“上，还无暇顾及到对老板的评价，但这事儿确实挺重要的。如果想探知他的管理风格，应该问些什么呢？是否应该试着和这个老板的其他下属谈一谈？有没有一些需要警觉的事？

So when you’re considering a new job, it’s important to know how you’ll get along with your new boss. This can be hard to assess in an interview when you’re working hard to demonstrate why she should hire you. But it’s important to evaluate her as well. What sorts of questions should you ask to understand her management style? Should you try to talk with other people she manages? Are there red flags you should watch out for?

《如何找到心仪的工作》一书的作者John Lees认为： “员工辞职的主要原因无非两种，要么是与企业文化不合，要么就是被老板逼疯了。”一般来说，只有真正和老板一起工作，才能明白其中滋味。也就是说，入职那天才算是我们第一次见到自己的老板。话虽这么说，你还是要尽可能多地搜集信息，不仅仅是红色危险信号，“首先你要了解老板是谁”，在国际猎头公司亿康先达任高级顾问的费尔南德司（她也是《Not the How or the What but the Who》一书的作者）说：“没能把超级好老板认出来，会让你付出惨重的代价，甚至比认不出坏老板更严重。”毕竟，超级工作和超级老板实在太难找。

“The primary reason people leave a job is because of either a mismatch in culture or a boss who drives them up the wall,” says John Lees, author of How To Get a Job You Love. You’ll never know exactly what it will be like to work for your potential boss until you have the job — and in some cases you might not even meet your manager until your first day — but you should gather as much information as possible. And it’s not just negative impressions or red flags you should be on the lookout for. “You must understand the person as she is,” says Claudio Fernández-Aráoz, a senior adviser at global executive search firm Egon Zehnder and author of It’s Not the How or the What but the Who. “Failing to realize someone is a terrific boss is a very costly mistake, perhaps even more costly than failing to realize someone is a bad boss,” he says. Terrific jobs — and managers — are hard to find. Read on for tips on how to discern between the good managers and the bad.

第一步，想想你希望在老板身上看到什么品质。费尔南德斯认为，至少需要问自己三个问题。

• 他诚实吗？

• 他给你的工作是否可持续？

• 你具备做好这份工作所需的独特优势吗？

你可以花点时间，了解自己到底想要什么样的关系——你是想要老板做后盾支持你自由决断，还是希望老板作为导师时刻与你并肩作战？这些都可以用作评估未来老板的标准。

The first step is to do some thinking about what you want in a boss. According to Fernández-Aráoz, there are three minimal conditions that must be met. Is this an honest person, offering you a sustainable job for which you have something unique to contribute? You might also spend some time visualizing the kind of relationship you want. Are you looking for someone who will stand back and let you run with your work? Or are you hoping for someone who can be an involved mentor? This will give you some criteria against which to evaluate your potential manager when you’re in the interview.

面试过程中不断保持自我对话，这一点也很重要。过度聚焦于获得新工作，会降低你的判断力。在每次面试结束后，都不妨问问自己，这是你想要的工作吗？你愿意和这个上司一起工作吗？你对这个人的感觉好吗？你是否能想象和他一起共渡难关？或者你可以和他进行不愉快的谈话吗？

It’s also important to check in with yourself throughout the process. Being laser-focused on getting the job can sometimes cloud your judgment. After each step, ask yourself whether this is the job you want and the manager you want to work for. Did you get a good feeling from the person? Is she someone you can imagine going to with problems? Or someone you could have a difficult conversation with? 

如果感觉比较冒风险，那么最好相信自己的判断。Lees说：“人们会说‘我早该知道这一点’，这是因为总有些小事曾唤起我们本能的直觉，但是我们却把它忽略掉了。”你的潜在老板正在通过细微线索观察你，同样地，你也该这么观察他。整个过程中并不是只有他才有主动权（HR也一样），这一点是肯定的。从他所提供的信息质量，到对你的打量审视，你都可以从中观察到他对待你这个应聘者的态度。

When the stakes are high, it’s best to trust yourself. “Usually people say something like, ‘I should have known,’ because there are those small things that lead to a gut feeling we often ignore,” says Lees. Be on the lookout for clues in the way you’re treated by your potential manager. Of course, he doesn’t have total control over the process (likely HR runs it), but observe how you’re handled as a candidate, from the quality of the information the manager gives you to the way he looks after you when you arrive for the interview.

通常你可以通过试探性的问题来了解潜在的老板，但需要注意措词。Lees说：“人们总说面试是一个双向过程，实际上没那么简单。”如果就管理方式多问几句，潜在老板也许会误解你对这份工作不感兴趣。

You can often get a sense of your potential manager by asking probing questions, but be careful how you phrase them. “People say an interview is a two-way process,” Lees says. “In practice, that doesn’t work very well.” The interviewer might misinterpret multiple questions about his management approach as disinterest in the job.

对此，费尔南德斯也赞同:“你不能问太直接的问题，比如问领导风格如何之类的问题。”这不仅表示你尚在犹豫，而且也得不到诚实的回答，因为此时潜在老板正处于卖方位置。你可以提那些能让潜在老板真的设想你在这个职位上工作的问题。比如，“我的日常工作是什么?” “怎样才能快速上手?” 措辞中假设自己已被录用，能帮助潜在老板在脑海里构建一幅与你共同开展工作的画面。

Fernández-Aráoz agrees: “What you should not do is ask direct questions, like ‘Tell me about your leadership style,’” he says. Not only could this signal hesitancy on your part, but it’s unlikely to get you an honest answer, because your interviewer is in selling mode. Instead, ask questions that will help your potential manager visualize you actually doing the job. “What will I do on a day-to-day basis?” “How will I learn?” Phrasing your questions as if you already have the job will help the hiring manager create a mental picture of you in the role.

与此同时，你可以观察他的反应。费尔南德斯建议：“观察他是否有谈话的主动意愿，还是只是照本宣科，将此设想为你正与未来老板一起完成工作项目。”如果他主动与你展开谈话，就意味着他有与你共事的意愿。通过谈话建立起友善的关系后（只能在这之后），你可以问些问题，激发他对你填补空缺职位的期待，同时也可以向你透露这份工作的潜在负面因素。

At the same time, you can watch how she responds. “Look for her willingness to engage in dialogue, rather than asking you pre-established questions,” says Fernández-Aráoz. “Think of it like rehearsing a collaborative working session with your future boss.” If she’s willing to engage with you during the interview, she’ll likely engage with you in a working relationship. After (and only after) you’ve built rapport, ask questions that will elicit her expectations for the person filling the position, and any potential downsides of the job.

如果没做尽职调查，那你就犯下了最严重的错误。不要两眼一抹黑就去上班，真实情况可能让你大吃一惊。“也许你会发现企业文化太过一本正经，或压力巨大，或孤独压抑，” Lees 解释说：“你在准备接受这份工作前就该有所了解。“ 你需要预先尽可能多地收集情报。费尔南德斯则说：“你可能会发现一些危险信号，或者老板的兴趣偏好，这将有助于你和他人之间建立关系。”

One of the greatest mistakes you can make is failing to do your due diligence. Don’t go into a job with your eyes closed. “It can be a shock to people. They find out the culture is too formal, or pressurized, or there’s too much solitude for their taste,” Lees explains. “You should know that before committing.” Prepare for the interview by gathering as much intel as you can. “You might find information that raises red flags, or information about the interviewer’s interests, which will allow you connect with the other person,” says Fernández-Aráoz.

另外，可以在网上搜索你的潜在老板，看看他的网上介绍，还有哪些人做过他的下属。“LinkedIn档案可以告诉你很多和这个人兴趣、人脉有关的事儿。”费尔南德斯说。还要看看下属一般在他手下待多久，是很快离开还是工作挺长时间？Lees认为，“低留职率和高离职率是相当明确的指标，很能反映问题”。如果你找得到已经离职的前雇员,不妨尝试与他们接触，问问他们在那个上司手下工作如何。你会惊讶地发现，很多人都愿意与你分享他们的工作经历，尤其是当这种经历特别棒或特别糟时。

Do a Google search on your potential manager. Check out his online profiles, as well as those of people who used to work for him. “LinkedIn profiles can tell you a lot about a person’s interests and relationships,” says Fernández-Aráoz. Do people under him tend to leave the organization quickly or stay a long time? “Low retention and high turnover rates are a clear indicator of problems,” says Lees. If you find people who have left, try reaching out to them and ask what it was like to work for that manager. You’d be surprised how many people are willing to respond to inquiries and share their experiences working for a manager, particularly if they had an especially positive — or negative — experience.

“也许最好的方法是请求认识将来的同事。”费尔南德斯如是说。与共享同一个老板的人谈谈，问问他是一种什么样状态的工作——哪些让他们开心，哪些又让他们觉得为难。然而请记住，一定不要超越恰当的底线。保密限定等原因，会妨碍这类谈话。

“Perhaps the best approach is to ask to get to know a few of your future colleagues,” says Fernández-Aráoz. Talk with people who would share the same boss and ask what it’s like to work for her — both what they enjoy and what they find challenging. Don’t insist beyond what is appropriate, however. There may be reasons, like confidentiality, that prevent such conversations.

收到入职offer后，不妨先要求在公司里与未来的团队相处半天。在Lees看来，“聊聊工作情况，将带来大量额外的信息”。招聘经理会认为，这一举动表现出了你的诚意和主动性，而你也有机会与同事互动，感受一下日常工作环境和未来老板的影响力。

After you’re offered a position, ask to spend a half-day with the company and your future team. “Chatting about what work is like brings about huge amounts of incidental information,” says Lees. The hiring manager is likely to see it as a sign of commitment and motivation, and you’ll get the chance to interact with your colleagues and get a feel for the day-to-day environment and how your potential boss influences it.

2010年，Joe Franzen在寻找软件开发的工作。一家大型医疗公司提供了两个不同的职位，为此他参加了几轮面试。在一次一对一面试中，他注意到未来老板一直照着稿子提问题。Joe说：“软件开发是一种非标准工作。当潜在上司照着问题清单发问时，意味着他们会用同样的方式对待这个职位。”在后来的面试中，Joe还注意到经理和小组成员，包括一些职位更高的上司，一直试图对他施加控制。他们的提问常常这样开头：“如果你被告知”或“如果经理告诉你”，这让Joe产生了一种自己最多是个低值易耗品的印象。“软件开发是需要创造力的，虽然有组织架构上的需要，但没人想被别人看低。”

In 2010, Joe Franzen was searching for a position as a software developer. He went through several interviews for two different positions with a large health care company. During a one-on-one interview, he noticed his potential manager read from a list of prewritten questions. “Software development is anything but standard. When your potential manager reads from a list of standardized questions, it sends a signal the work will be treated the same way,” Joe said. Later on in the interview process, Joe also noticed the manager and other panel members, including several other people higher in the chain of command, tried to assert dominance over him throughout the interview. The panel members asked questions that began with “When you’re told” or “When your manager tells you,” which gave Joe the impression he would be an expendable resource at best. “It’s a creative role; there’s a need for structure, but you don’t want to be looked down upon,” he said.

收到Offer后，Joe接受了这一职位。很快，他就发现自己确实应该早点注意这些警示信号。这是他做过的最不起眼的工作，“非常受局限，完全没有挑战，我很不开心。”

Joe took the position when it was offered and soon discovered that he should’ve paid more attention to those red flags. It turned out to be one of the most mundane positions he ever held. “It was cubicle work, I wasn’t challenged, and I wasn’t happy,” he said.

后来他辞职并创建了自己的公司。吸取了之前的教训，他在面试时总是营造放松的谈话氛围，通过双向对话确保候选人确切了解他是哪种上司。

The experience led him to quit and create his own company. Now on the other side of the fence, he creates a relaxed, conversational atmosphere and engages in a two-way dialogue to make sure candidates know exactly what kind of manager he’ll be.

在生完孩子、离开职场两年后，Stephanie Jones（化名）想找份工作。她的目标是个全新领域：社交媒体。搜索不久她就发现一个完美的工作机会，一家全国营销公司正在招人。

Stephanie Jones (not her real name) was looking for a new job after spending two years out of the workforce to be with her newborn. She wanted to work in an entirely new field for her: social media. She hadn’t been searching for very long when she found the perfect opportunity with a national marketing company.

第一次面试结束后，她感到有点不安。虽然她表现得不错，但未来老板却回避了一个重要问题。“当我问到这个职位的前任时，老板闪烁其辞。不过，因为他们让我第二天就参加下轮面试，所以就没太多注意这个问题。”

At the end of her first interview, she felt uneasy. Although she had performed well, her potential boss hadn’t answered an important question. “When I asked him about the previous person in the position, he glossed over his response,” says Stephanie. “I brushed it off because the next day I was offered a second interview.”

第二轮面试没有出任何状况，但Stephanie还是决定到网上查一查。她用LinkedIn搜索公司前雇员，稍加查找，就发现了好几个曾在自己面试部门短暂工作过的人。Stephanie给三个人发了信息，其中一个女性发来回应：“在这个经理手下工作简直是个恶梦，虽然他对每个人都很严厉，但对女性更苛刻。”

The second interview went off without any red flags, but afterward Stephanie decided to do some research. She searched for employees of the company using LinkedIn. After a little digging, she noticed a couple of former employees had short tenures in the same department she was hoping to work in. Stephanie sent messages to all three, and one of them responded. “It turns out this manager was a nightmare to work for,” she says. “Although he was hard on everyone in general, he had a tendency to be harder on women than men.”

当公司派人打电话让她下周开始上班时，她拒绝了。这个决定有点艰难但却很明智。“我现在为这家公司做外包工作，已经给他们工作了三年，而之前曾申请过的那个职位，总是人来了又走，每年都换人。”

When a company representative called to offer her the job a week later, she had to decline. Although it was a hard decision, it paid off. “I now do contract work for the same company. I’ve been working with the company for about three years now, and in that time, the position I initially applied for has been vacated and filled at least once a year,” she says.

Sara Stibitz |文

Sara Stibitz是自由撰稿人、编辑。除了为Harvard Business Review,也为 Des Moines Register,YogaIowa, Juice, Spoilage Literary Magazine等刊物供稿。

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