3 Ways to Spot a Bad Boss Before You Take the Job

By Sharon Florentine
culled from:http://www.cio.com

Horrible bosses are all too common -- there's even a movie about them. Here, three experts weigh in on how to spot a bad boss before you accept a position and offer tips on how to make sure you're making the right employment choice. 

Azzarello suggests going out to lunch or for a cup of coffee with the interviewing team, if that's possible, to get an inside look at how your potential supervisors and colleagues handle their 'power,' either real or perceived.

"If you can, to out to lunch and closely observe how they treat the waiter," she says. "People who are otherwise smart and competent can turn into narcissistic, controlling jerks when in a position of power, and you need to gauge how they treat others who they perceive as being in a 'lesser' position. If you can't go out to lunch, notice how they treat their assistants, their office staff, and people who walk into the office," she says.

Kin HR's Bryant suggests asking to spend some time with the people who could become your colleagues, too. "You can talk to -- or at least request of the interviewing manager -- to spend some time with the folks who are your peers at the job," he says.

"Ask them what expectations they held coming into the job and whether or not those were met. Ask them if they have the tools and resources they need to do their job effectively. Ask what the biggest obstacles are to success, and why those aren't removed," Bryant says.

"If you're looking for specifics about the person who'll be your immediate supervisor, ask things like, 'How does s/he communicate? What are her/his methods for holding people accountable? Can you describe a typical decision-making process? Do you feel like you have the support and freedom to do your job or are you micromanaged?" says Azzarello.

But remember, Aiken cautions, to take some of this information with a grain of salt. Since the interviewing team will be selecting the folks you'll have access to, you may not be getting the entire, unblemished picture.

"Now, you must remember that management is going to select the people you'll be talking to, and they're going to choose employees they feel will give the most positive view of the company," she says. "So, just remember that there will be a bias," she says.
'At-Will' Employment Goes Both Ways

If you do end up in a situation with a bad boss or a poor working environment, it can be helpful to know if your state supports the idea of "at will" employment, says Bryant.

While "at will" statutes empower employers to hire and fire as they see fit, employees can also benefit, especially in a booming tech industry market where employment's plentiful, he says.

"If you're in an at-will employment state, you're not bound or beholden to the company to stay, or even to give two weeks' notice if you decide to leave," Bryant says. "Especially in IT, it's a bustling economy and you can walk away; with a low unemployment rate, it can be much more productive to find another situation than to stick it out under a bad boss or in a bad work environment," he says.

"Always remember to 'run to' a job for the 'right' reasons," says Cleverbridge's Aiken. "Even if you're currently in a bad situation, make sure you're taking a job opportunity because it's the right thing for you, not just because you hate your current situation," she says.

That said, it can happen that sticking it out under a bad boss or in an otherwise less-than-ideal job situation is worth it if it opens doors and clears the way for even greater professional and personal growth and advancement, says Azzarello.

"From my own experience, I worked under a boss who was a walking red flag," she says. "But that position and the experience I gained opened up so many more opportunities for me later -- jobs with global scope, with increasing external responsibilities, rapid advancement. So, you should always gauge the pros and cons and decide what's the best for you and for your future," Azzarello says.