Most of us have changed jobs; some of us have done so several times. And I’ll bet that most of the time, it happened in the same way… Whether an internal move or with a separate company, you’re usually sent a job description or a role profile, either directly or via a recruiter. We have a browse over the salary level, type of duties, list of responsibilities, location and benefits. We may often also research the company and dig around on Glassdoor, their website and maybe check up on a few people on LinkedIn.
At the interview stage, the recruiting manager will quiz you on your experience, aptitude and fit for the role. Their ‘shopping list’ of candidates will be whittled down until the ideal candidate remains, resulting in a job offer.
But isn’t there something missing in this picture?
Loads of recent data backs up the view that managers are almost exclusively cited as being the principal influence on engagement, retention, development, happiness and overall job satisfaction. They can make or break a career, so why is so little emphasis placed on this during the recruitment process?
Could there be a good shout for reversing this trend? Should we be promoting that instead of the company interviewing the candidate – that the candidate interviews their prospective manager in equal measure?
I’d love to see a candidate grill a potential new supervisor on his/her ability to delegate, how many of their team have been promoted, and how often they dole out reward and recognition. Managers could be given a similar amount of time in an interview to explain why they are the right manager for the new recruit, explaining how they plan to develop and mentor their team, and how much time they regularly dedicate to 1-to-1s and feedback. Perhaps the manager’s CV should also be included with the job description?
