Job Search or Boss Search: Did You Choose The Right Boss?

You have identified and shortlisted the companies you want to work for and have started the job application process. A well prepared resume reflecting your achievements, education and experience lands you a few interviews. You are excellent at the interview and are offered a dream position in one of your favourite companies.

A few days after joining the organization you realized that your manager is not good. It could be due to various reasons such as he is very arrogant or he does not treat his subordinate with respect or lacks integrity and thus cannot be trusted. Other reasons where the employee does not get along with his manager is when the manager is not supportive of his staff or lacks sufficient knowledge to perform the job. As a result of one of those reasons you find that you are not enjoying your job and thus it is stressful and has an impact on your health.

The above factors make it very important to take an additional step of finding out who you are going to report to when you are offered a job. If you have friends or colleagues in the organization find out from them how the boss is. Before joining try to meet other staff already working in the organization to find out about the work culture and whether they are satisfied working for the organization. Other ways of knowing is by finding out whether the staff turnover in the organization is high. This can be verified by keeping an eye for how frequently the organization advertises for the same type of vacancy. Also you can ask during the interview the reason for the vacancy; example is it a new job profile or is the vacancy due to a promotion or a transfer of an employee to another department. Answers to these questions will give you some idea about the work culture within the organization.

Let us consider a couple scenarios where job seekers tend to take the wrong decision in joining an organization and then repent later.

In scenario 1, the job seeker was offered a job in an organization where he knew that the Boss was excellent through a friend who worked there. The work environment was good and the organization treated staff with respect. However the job seeker chose another organization since it was a much bigger organization and the pay was better. In this organization he was not treated with respect by his boss and colleagues. Since the opportunity at the first organization was filled, he missed out on joining a better organization by accepting the offer at a bigger one.

In scenario 2, you were employed at an organization where you enjoyed working. You were respected and the staff was like a big family. Each helped out the other and knew their job well and everyone’s responsibility was well laid out. Although the pay at this organization was good enough, you decided to move on with your career and took up an opportunity at a senior level with a better pay. Because there was growth you skipped the step of finding out how your new boss was. After joining the new organization you realized that you more satisfied with your previous job and organization. 

Most people leave organizations not because their salary is not good but because of the work culture or because who they report to is not cooperative. Thus it is also important to find out about your new boss where possible before joining an organization. If the boss is ethical and works with integrity and high standards it would be more fruitful to work with him. This will encourage you to go above and beyond in your job.