11 Reverse Interview Questions That Identify Bad Bosses Before You Waste Years At The Wrong Job
Save yourself from landing the wrong job by using these questions to identify a bad boss before it's too late.
Stacey Green / Shutterstock We’ve all heard the saying “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” What about when you love your job, but you have a terrible boss? I know I’ve been there. Bad bosses can drain your productivity and make showing up to work every day a stressful situation. There is a way you can try to avoid this situation.
Reverse interview questions are questions that the employee seeking a role with the company asks the hiring manager. These questions make the asker look good, as they show that the person is engaged, thoughtful, and professional. When they ask the correct questions, it can help them determine whether a boss will be a good fit or someone who will make working conditions more difficult. If you’re going through the interview process, try asking these questions to get a better feel for both the hiring manager and the position.
These are 11 reverse interview questions that identify bad bosses before you waste years at the wrong job
1. “How would current employees describe your management style?”
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Going into a new job without knowing much about the manager's leadership style can be overwhelming. It can be difficult to get a read on the situation early in employment.
Asking the manager about it during the interview process can be helpful. Sure, the boss may hold back the full truth, but it is still useful to ask.
A good boss has self-awareness. They should be able to give you an honest answer. It’s important to know how their colleagues feel about their leadership before you accept the position.
2. “What is the history of the position?”
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An open position at the company can be exciting, especially if it's a role you’re hoping to fill. However, there is a reason why the person who previously held it chose to walk away. I’ve been there. I was excited to join a company only to find out the position I took was often open, as employees struggled with the manager’s lack of leadership. It’s important to ask about the role’s history.
Was the previous employee fired? Did they get a better opportunity elsewhere? Could they have left because the boss was bad? It’s good to get a feel for the environment surrounding the role, or you may waste years at the wrong job.
3. “What do you value most in an employee?”
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Finding out what an employer values most in a colleague is a great question to ask. By figuring out what they look for in a strong employee, a job searcher knows what to bring to the table if they are hired. However, it can also be a strong tactic to figure out if you’re getting yourself into a situation with a bad boss.
The answer will be telling. If they are looking for someone who follows orders and doesn’t give much feedback, this is a sign that they could be a bad boss. An answer that shows they appreciate collaboration or clear communication could show they may be a good boss.
4. “How do you prefer to give and receive feedback?”
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Feedback in the workspace is important. It will happen on both sides. An employee can expect to hear thoughts from their boss on their work performance often. However, it’s also important that they can do the same for their manager. A good boss will allow an open dialogue. They will make you feel comfortable telling them how you really feel.
Bad bosses will shut down any feedback. They will not see anything worth discussing in their work performance. They may negatively tell their employees how they feel about their work performance. They can be rude and cold when discussing a sensitive situation. This can leave the employee struggling in a job that makes them miserable.
5. “What happens when an employee misses a deadline?”
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Life happens. Sometimes it’s difficult to meet deadlines. Issues can pop up that are out of the employee's control. While they should always aim to meet their deadlines, it’s reassuring to have a boss who can be understanding when issues arise.
A good boss will focus on clear communication in these situations. Of course, there can be repercussions for these missteps. A bad boss may overreact or reply with anger and words that put the employee down. This can create a toxic workplace that often leaves employees miserable.
6. “How is your work-life balance?”
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Having opportunities for a fulfilling life outside of work is important. An unhealthy work-life balance can cause extreme stress. It can also make an employee feel as if their entire life is dedicated to their work, which can impact performance.
“With so many of us torn between juggling heavy workloads, managing relationships and family responsibilities, and squeezing in outside interests, it’s no surprise that more than one in four Americans describe themselves as 'super stressed’. And that’s not balanced—or healthy,” writes Mental Health America.
Asking a boss about work-life balance is key to preventing yourself from getting into the wrong job.
7. “What would you change about your company if you could?”
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To get a feel for how honest a boss is, it can be helpful to ask what they would change about the company if they could. They may not be able to express their full feelings. However, a manager who claims they wouldn’t change anything about the working situation could be suspicious.
An honest answer, as limited as it may be, to avoid speaking poorly of the company during an interview, shows that the boss is willing to hear out the concerns their employees have and may advocate for the company to implement changes.
8. “How do you handle making mistakes?”
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Mistakes happen, even to those who hold positions of power. It’s important to see how a boss would respond to their own failures. If they are not willing to accept their mistakes the way they’d expect their employee to, it can be a sign that you may waste years of your life at the wrong job.
Good bosses acknowledge their own mistakes, as they would expect their employees to do. They’ll be clear in communicating them and taking accountability for their actions. It can be hard for a boss with a big ego to be transparent about their slip-ups at work. It’s important to ask during the interview process how a situation like this would play out.
9. “What can I expect to learn from this role?”
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A good job will teach you skills. A good boss will teach you things that help improve your work performance. When a job isn’t providing someone with enough mental stimulation, it can cause them to feel unhappy.
A good boss will be honest in an interview and let the potential employee know what they can expect to learn. If you like the boss's answer to his question, you can be sure you won’t waste years of your life at the wrong job. However, if a boss is unwilling to share how the role will help you grow in your career, you can guess they’re likely not a match for you.
10. “How do you handle personality clashes?”
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Let’s face it, there will be people in the workplace who do not get along. Sometimes, those personality clashes can be between an employee and their boss. How the manager chooses to respond to these issues can say a lot about their leadership style.
If a manager is afraid of conflict and refuses to get involved, it can show that they are a bad boss. This lack of action to make the workplace a better place shows how poor a leader they will be. It can lead to you wasting years at the wrong job.
11. “What do you expect from an employee?”
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Setting clear boundaries and expectations as a boss is important. It allows an employee to feel secure in their job. A good manager will clearly express their expectations during the interview process.
A failure to show the person interviewing for a job what to expect each day at work is telling. It shows they are bad bosses. Knowing their expectations up front will allow you to figure out if the job (and boss) is a proper match.
Haley Van Horn is a freelance writer with a master’s degree in Humanities, living in Los Angeles. Her focus includes entertainment and lifestyle stories.
