5個黃金問題幫你確認好老闆

轉自：  http://www.fortunechina.com/column/c/2012-09/25/content_119198.htm

員工與頂頭上司之間能否產生化學反應，這個問題將決定一個人在新工作中能否取得成功。

那麼，求職者如何確定與未來上司之間是否合拍呢？5個問題就能幫你找到答案。

親愛的安妮：您在最近一篇關於文化“契合度”的專欄文章結尾引用專家的話稱，大部分求職者問的問題不夠充分。那麼，求職者在面試時、尤其在面對潛在上司的時候，到底應該問哪些方面的問題？我06年大學畢業，現在從事的已經是我的第二份工作了，雖然大多數情況下，我和上司相處得還算融洽，但我總感覺我們之間還是有些隔閡，或者說並沒有真正瞭解彼此。我認為很大程度上這是由於我們之間的共同點太少，所以在向他解釋我的工作方式時，我禁不住會想，如果我們擁有更多類似的背景，這類問題根本就根本不需要解釋了。雖然我還沒開始找新工作，但如果我打算跳槽的話，在求職的時候，我需要問哪些具體問題，才能確定潛在上司就是自己的“有緣人”？——加州好奇者     親愛的好奇者：確實有一些問題的答案可以幫你明確與潛在上司共事的效率，甚至可以據此判斷出你能在新工作崗位工作多長時間。紐約市金融與IT業獵頭公司Harris Allied的執行董事凱西•哈裡斯表示：“人們加入公司，卻因為上司而離開公司。就算公司提供室內體育館和免費午餐這些誘人的福利，也無法彌補上司不深入瞭解下屬，或者無法給下屬提供支援所帶來的負面影響。”     哈裡斯建議，下一次求職面試時（不論是在什麼時間），求職者可以問三個問題。說起第一個問題，你可能後悔為何沒能早點想到。她說：“在談話過程中，挑選合適的時機詢問潛在上司的背景。仔細傾聽，尋找與自己相匹配的經曆。例如，潛在上司是否與你一樣，也是從一線一步步走到當前的位置？他（她）在這個職位上工作已有多長時間？”     當然，每個人的職業都存在些許差別，但你也注意到了，如果上司從來沒有從你的立場出發看待過問題，或者說他只是在很久以前從事過你現在的工作，對於這個崗位存在的問題與挑戰早已不甚了了，你就會發現很難與他們溝通。     哈裡斯稱，第二個問題是：“自己思考一些與潛在上司相關的關鍵問題。你想從這位上司身上學到什嗎？你可以把他（她）當作導師嗎？如果一位管理者無法給下屬帶來職業價值，下屬與他共事的時間通常不會太長。”     之後，哈裡斯建議：“詢問潛在上司注重的關鍵品質。成功求職者的哪些素質更適合這份工作？類似‘厚臉皮’或者‘會反擊’這類答案，可能意味著這位上司並不好相處。”不過，上司不好相處不一定就是壞事。哈裡斯稱：“具有挑戰性的上司如果與下屬的個性和風格契合得當，能夠最大限度挖掘下屬的潛力。”如果一名管理者認為自己要求很高，並且願意承認（甚至炫耀）這一點，求職者提前知道總好過最後大吃一驚。     要想知道潛在上司注重的品質，還有另外一種方式，就是讓他描述自己最鐘愛的前任或現任下屬。美國帕薩迪納市國際企業培訓公司（Corporate Coaching International）負責人洛伊斯•法蘭科認為：“通過一個問題，比如‘您能跟我講講符合、甚至超出您預期的員工所具有的特點和行為方式嗎？’這樣，你就能瞭解管理者最注重的品質。如果他們的回答是：‘為了完成工作，他們每天晚上都會工作到8點，而且從無怨言。’而你則非常重視自己的個人時間和家庭，這時你就會知道，這位上司並不是自己的最佳選擇。”     法蘭科說，第五個問題是：“詢問你能否與該管理者的一到兩名直屬員工交流。比如‘您能否告訴我，與這位上司共事和在這家公司工作，您最喜歡的是什嗎？最不喜歡的又是什嗎？’這些問題可以給你提供必要的資訊，幫你做出明智的決定。”

Dear Annie:At the end of your recent column about cultural "fit," the expert you quoted said that most job candidates don't ask enough questions. But what should interviewees ask, especially when talking with a prospective boss? I'm now in my second job since graduating from college in 2006 and, while my boss and I get along all right most of the time, I can't help feeling like we don't connect very well or really understand each other. Part of it might be that we just don't have that much in common, so I find myself explaining things about my approach to my work that I think would be self-evident if our backgrounds were more similar. I'm not job hunting right now but, in case I decide to make a move, are there specific questions people can ask in a job interview to determine whether they and a potential boss are a good match? — Curious in California     Dear Curious:Indeed there are, and the answers can help you pinpoint how effectively you could work with a given boss, or even how long you will stay in the job. "People join companies, but they leave managers," says Kathy Harris, managing director at New York City-based financial and IT executive search firm Harris Allied. "Even great perks like onsite gyms and free lunches can't make up for a boss who isn't engaged with, or supportive of, his or her people."     Harris suggests three questions you could ask in your next interview (whenever that may be), beginning with one you might wish you had thought of before taking the job you have now. "At an appropriate point in the conversation, ask your potential boss to tell you about his background," she says. "Listen for experiences that match yours. For instance, did the person come up through the ranks in a hands-on role similar to yours? How long has it been since she worked as an individual contributor?"     Of course, everyone's career is a little bit different but, as you've noticed, it can be hard to communicate with someone who has never stood in your shoes, or who did your current work so long ago that the issues and challenges involved have been lost in the past.     Second, says Harris, "ask yourself some critical questions about the person you'll be working for. What do you hope to learn from this boss? Can you see him or her as a coach or a mentor? It's often difficult to work for long with a manager who has little professional value to bring to the relationship."     Then, Harris advises, "Ask about the key attributes they're looking for. What would a successful candidate bring to the job? Answers like 'thick-skinned' and 'able to push back' may mean this boss will be difficult to work with." Not that that's always a bad thing: "Challenging bosses have been known to bring out the best in their people if their personalities and styles mesh well," Harris notes. But if a manager sees herself as highly demanding and is willing to admit it (or even brag about it), you're far better off knowing that ahead of time than having it come as a surprise.     Another way to ferret out the same information is to ask the manager to describe his favorite underlings, past or present. "A question like, 'Can you tell me about the characteristics and behaviors of an employee who met or exceeded your expectations?' will give you some useful insights into what this manager values most," says Lois Frankel, head of Pasadena-based Corporate Coaching International. "If the response is, 'They worked every night until 8 p.m. to get the job done, without complaining,' and you value time with your family, then you know it won't be a good fit."     A fifth question, Frankel says: "Ask if you can speak with one or two others who report to this person. Something like, 'Can you tell me what you like best, and what you like least, about working for this boss and this company?' should help you get the answers you need to make an informed decision."

法蘭科認為，還有一件事情對求職者大有協助，那就是注意觀察一些非語言線索，比如管理者辦公室的裝飾布置。她說：“如果你認為自己是‘喜歡交際的人’，在充滿溫情的、學院派氛圍內工作效率最高，而潛在上司的辦公室卻沒有任何私人物品，比如家人或者寵物的照片、紀念品或其他與工作無關的東西。這可能表明，你與這位潛在上司之間，不太可能建立起能讓你發揮最大潛能的工作關係。”     如今，就業市場並不景氣，求職者真的有條件這麼挑剔嗎？法蘭科認為，求職者必須如此，否則將會付出更大的代價。她說：“通常人們都只關心能否找到一份工作，而不太關心找到的工作是否真的適合自己。實際上，只有找到真正與自己契合的工作，才是成功的關鍵。雖然目前經濟低迷，但求職者仍要以挑剔的眼光來找工作。否則，最終的結果要麼是不停跳槽，要麼就是在一個無法發揮自己才能的地方抑鬱終老。     反饋：面試過程中，你提問過哪些問題，協助自己明確了為某位潛在上司工作會將會是怎樣的情形？哪些問題你後悔當初沒有提出來？歡迎留言評論。     翻譯：劉進龍/汪皓

One more thing that will tell you a lot, Frankel adds, is simply paying attention to nonverbal cues like how this manager's office is decorated. "For example, let's say you consider yourself a 'people person' who's motivated to do your best work when you have warm, collegial relationships with colleagues," she says. "If a prospective boss's office is devoid of anything personal -- like family photos or even pictures of a pet, memorabilia, or anything else non-work-related -- this may be a clue that you're unlikely to connect in a way that will bring out the best in you."     In this iffy job market, can you really afford to be so picky? Frankel believes you can't afford not to be. "Too often, people are so intent on landing the job, they aren't concerned enough with ensuring the right fit, which is critical for success," she says. "Even in this tough economy, being selective is important if you don't want to end up hopping from one job to another" -- or stuck in one where you can't really shine.     Talkback:What questions have you asked in job interviews that gave you a clear sense of what it would be like to work for a particular boss? Which questions do you wish you'd asked? Leave a comment below.