How to Interview Your Future Boss: A Comprehensive Guide

The Emerging Trend of Directs Interviewing Managers

• 🎯 It's becoming increasingly common for direct reports to interview their potential new managers, a trend that has grown significantly over the last 20 years.
• ⚠️ This practice can be nerve-wracking for inexperienced employees who are more accustomed to being interviewed than conducting them.
• 💡 Companies adopt this strategy for various reasons, including gaining team buy-in, providing practice for new interviewers, and demonstrating inclusivity.

Preparing for an Effective Interview

• 📝 Prepare and conduct an effective interview by treating it as a professional engagement, regardless of the company's formal process.
• 🧠 Assume your input is valuable and that your voice will be heard, focusing on what you can control: your professionalism and effectiveness.
• 🔍 You don't need to know every detail of your potential boss's role; focus on areas where their work intersects with yours and observe behaviors you've seen in similar roles.

Following the Process and Utilizing Tools

• 🛤️ Follow the established hiring process if one exists within your company, even if it's informal or unwritten.
• 🛠️ If no formal process is in place, utilize resources like the Interview Creation Tool (ICT), which helps define role requirements and generates tailored interview questions and guidance.
• 💡 The ICT is valuable for forcing prioritization of skills and providing clear direction on what to look for in candidate answers, even for novice interviewers.

The Crucial First Meeting with Your New Boss

• 🤝 This interview is more than just an evaluation; it's the first meeting with your potential new boss and a critical opportunity to begin building a professional relationship.
• ✨ Aim to impress your potential boss with your professionalism, competence, and how you conduct the interview, not just to assess them.
• ✅ Basic professional behaviors like being on time, making eye contact, smiling, and taking handwritten notes can significantly elevate your performance and impression.

Conducting a Professional Interview

• 👂 Ask follow-up questions to create a natural flow and delve deeper into candidate responses, distinguishing effective interviewers from less skilled ones.
• 🚫 Avoid distractions by turning off notifications and minimizing interruptions to maintain focus and professionalism.
• 💡 Help the candidate shine by offering prompts if they get stuck on a question, which can alleviate nerves and allow them to provide better answers without compromising your evaluation.

Making and Reporting the Decision

• 📊 The interview results capture meeting is essential for making a clear hire or no-hire decision, supported by specific examples from the interview.
• ⚖️ Focus on evaluating actual behaviors observed during the interview rather than relying on gut feelings, especially if you lack extensive interviewing experience.
• 📝 When reporting your recommendation, use a structured format (e.g., interpersonal, cultural, skills) and the "what and why" approach to provide clear, evidence-based feedback.