KEVIN LOBO, Mumbai Mirror
It's pointless fretting over a horrid boss after signing the dotted line. Here's how to spot a tyrant.
As the appraisal storm makes its exit and you itch to jump on to the next most lucrative offer, beware of what you're getting into. It'll be a sad state of affairs if you land yourself as insufferable a new boss as your previous one. At an interview, the interviewer makes it a point to make the offer look alluring — something you need to prove yourself worthy for. But like all good jobs, it needs to fit a few criteria for your personal goals as well. A conducive, productive work environment, a lucrative financial package and most essentially, a boss you can work well with. Interviews aren't a one-way street with the boss judging your fit in the organization.
You need to gauge if they display the traits of someone you can have a healthy relationship with. With social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, background checks have gotten much easier, but not everything is available online. With inputs from NLP practitioner Malti Bhojwani, we tell you how to look out for trouble.
Trust the signs
Body language is a great indicator of how trustworthy a person can be. Malti says, "He should sit with open shoulders, head held high, and forehead shouldn't be scrunched." If you sense any sign of discomfort in his body language, be warned. Since non-verbal cues can be louder than words, pay attention to subtle signs to avoid a bad leader.
Dependable, focused
Take note if your interviewee's body language isn't aligned with what he's saying. The person you may be working with could be easily distracted and scattered. Malti says, "A good boss is centered and grounded, so keep an eye out for what they are doing with their hands and feet. During an interview if a boss says words like 'wait' or 'stop' and their hand action is in sync, then it's a good sign. Or if he/she says, 'build' or 'foundation', and their hands are one on top of the other, or uses words like 'us' and 'all', and has hands wide open — these are examples of how body language is in alignment with the words they are saying."
I vs we
It's a nightmare if you end up with a boss who takes credit for everything. The biggest indicator for such a person are the pronouns they use during a conversation. Pay attention to the 'I and we'. If talking about a particular project, you can give him the benefit of the doubt if he takes the credit. But when talking about the company at large, if he starts boasting about his own achievements, don't be enamoured. In all probability he hasn't done a thing, other than signing on the final contract.
Talk through it
An interview should not just be you trying to see yourself in a company. Malti says, "A good boss will ideally talk about the goals of a company, tell you how your contribution affects the company, give you a larger picture of where the company stands. Basically make you feel like you are part a larger goal, rather than just your day-to-day work." This indicates that they want to empower you, and is willing to give you the responsibility if you can prove that you can shoulder it.
No room for anger
A good boss is not a reactive person. If a client has rubbed him/ her the wrong way or an employee has angered him/ her, it shouldn't be followed by doors banging and a shouting match. During an interview this might be difficult to spot, but it is a great indicator of the sort of person they are. Check for how they answer the phone. Do they get angry when disturbed? During conversation things might come up that may require them to answer a few touchy questions about the company. See how they react. But Malti warns, "It is great to ask your interviewer questions, but don't push it. Do not try and aggravate them just to get a response."
Hobby horse
It is great to find a boss who is interested in the same things as you. Even better during an interview because it gives you things to talk about and sell yourself a little better. But if questions regarding the job are buried under every hobby that you've listed on your resume, be on guard. This kind of person is probably an over-friendly boss. Malti says, "Speaking about hobbies is a tricky one. It is great because the boss wants to know how you can contribute to the company on a larger level, especially in terms of team building.
But if the questions are getting very personal, you could end up with a boss that wants to hang out with you constantly." Though this might be a small reason to reject a job offer, a clingy boss can be quite irritating. If you have another option, go for it.
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