Six Questions to Help Hire Great Managers (and Avoid Jerks!)

It is easy to test someone’s technical skills, but harder to measure and assess if they will be a good manager.

Thanks to research firm Gallup and others we know the key ingredients needed to engage and retain our people. The challenge is to identify the managers who have the skills and self-awareness to give our employees what they need. Try adding a few of the below questions to your interview repertoire to help you decide if your candidates really have what it takes to take care of your people.

Do they care about their employees’ development?

1. Tell me about some of the career goals of a past employee and share a few examples of how you supported them in achieving those goals.

(Follow up by asking if they would be willing to put you in touch with their past employee and hear their experience. If they look nervous, it may be a red flag that they are not being honest.)

Do they know how to show their appreciation for others?

2. Tell me about some of the different ways you have shown a past employee/coworker that you appreciated and valued them.

Do they help their people learn and grow?

3. Give me an example of a time when an employee or coworkers did not know how to do a task and how you helped them learn. What did you do? Why?

Do they know how to give feedback and address challenging dynamics?

4. Tell me of a time when one of your employees/coworkers really messed up and how you handled it. Why did you choose to handle it this way? How did they respond?

Do they know how to own their mistakes?

5. Tell me of a time when you got frustrated with an employee only to later find out that you were wrong. What was the situation and how did you deal with it?

Does your candidate understand what they need to feel valued at work?

6. Tell me of a boss or supervisor that made you feel really valued at work. What did they do to make you feel valued? How would you help your new boss learn to support you?

Take care of your people by hiring managers that are not only technically strong, but emotionally strong as well!

Good luck!

About the Author

Christopher Littlefield, is the founder of AcknowledgmentWorks. He trains leaders around the world in the Art of Acknowledgment and Engagement. His work revolves around the understanding that at the heart of all of our relationships is the experience of feeling valued. Conducting over 400 interviews and collecting thousands of surveys around the globe have shaped Chris’ unique understanding of what employees really want and need to feel valued. Chris has worked with Fidelity Investments, Kraft Foods, Untied Nations, The Lebanese Postal Service and more. Watch Chris as he shares his research at TEDx Beirut.