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Lydia and Mark are both disturbed by this question:
> > One of our favorite questions to ask interviewees is "what are the three
> > best and the three worst traits of your former managers?"
They see it as an ambush game.
Although I never used this question, I think that question is actually
a good one if asked by the person who will be the new employee's
new manager, or by someone familiar with that manager's style.
In an interview, I am not only looking for whether a person has the
skills to do the job, but also for other factors about whether we will
work well together. One factor will be how that person relates to the
manager. If that person is put off by some of my traits as a
manger, then we may have difficulty working together.
Of course, follow-up questions may be in order. For example, if
someone dislikes not being given enough direction, I would want to
know whether he wants a manager who periodically checks the
status of large projects and gives advice to keep work on-target, or
does he need step-by-step directions for even small assignments.
As an interviewer, you can also take this as an opportunity to find
out more about the manager's style. For example, after you answer
the question, you can ask about the manager's style.
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Michele Marques
Lead Technical Communicator, CMS Manufacturing Systems
mmarques -at- cms400 -dot- com
905-477-4499 x280
