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> One of our favorite questions to ask interviewees is "what are the three
> best and the three worst traits of your former managers?"
>I am disturbed by question of this sort being used in interviews.
You can turn this question around, if you are an interviewee. When I'm
asked this, I respond by saying "Well, everyone has their strengths and
weaknesses. Here are some things I find difficult to work with." And then
for example (and you can even phrase this positively)
"I like to see a commitment to quality. If a department is lacking
this, it's very hard to produce my best work."
"I like to see processes in place to properly track revisions and
changes. I've worked in places where this was ignored, and I've seen the
problems it can create."
"I like to see efficient ways of getting information from SMEs to the
tech writers. When I've worked places that didn't have them, I've had to
spend a lot SME time (and company money) trying to figure out how products
work."
You can be absolutely truthful in doing this, while never getting personal.
The interviewer learns all they need to about what you've learned from your
experience, nothing at all about your previous employers, and at the same
time you've used the opportunity to make statements about your own position
on quality, usability, and efficiency. It can be a huge opportunity.
