Hiring Hints for Avoiding Horrible Managers

by Mark S. Fulton

I managed a 24-hour telephone crisis counseling center for four years in the 1980s. It was a challenging and rewarding job that introduced me to some of the most wonderful people I've ever met.

The staff consisted of paid and volunteer counselors, administrative assistants and supervisors. The nature of our work required all our employees to be sensitive and compassionate. Hiring paid counselors andsupervisors was especially challenging because of the special traits and skills

I expected them to possess. Choosing the right people to be supervisors was even more crucial due to their added leadership responsibilities.

As a relatively young manager, I had little experience in hiring and promoting people. This became painfully evident with the first two evening supervisors who worked for me, both of whom came from the paid counselor ranks.

My first evening supervisor (I'll call her Medusa, not her real name) was a very authoritative and self-motivated counselor. She leaped at the opportunity to be in charge. At first, she worked well with the people on her shift, encouraging and guiding them with firmness and fairness. However, it wasn't long before she faced her first challenge –– a female counselor who was falling asleep on the job.

Rather than explore why the counselor was so tired at work, Medusa jumped in her face and told her to stay awake or get a day job. It wasn't long before the rest of the team became petrified of Medusa and began exhibiting passive/aggressive behavior.

When I tried to counsel her about her management tactics, Medusa became defensive and hostile. I eventually had to fire her because she began to purposely undermine my authority at the center.

The fellow I hired to replace Medusa (I'll call him Houdini, again not his real name) was nothing at all like his predecessor. Mild-mannered, upbeat and kindhearted, Houdini was immediately popular with his crew. The first time Houdini disappeared from the job was troubling but understandable. His car broke down and he had to get it fixed. Soon he was not showing up because he felt ill.

When he did appear at work, Houdini often encouraged the other counselors to share their personal burdens with him and each other. Before long, the phones were going unanswered because everyone was involved in a group encounter meeting. The first few times I confronted him with evidence that callers weren't getting through to us, Houdini neatly escaped from his predicament by appealing to my concern for my employees' emotional health. Finally, I told him to take his act someplace else.

Have you ever found yourself saddled with a manager that made a great first impression, looked good on paper but left you wondering if you hired Lucy Ricardo or Barney Fife? Here are some warning signs that the next management applicant sitting across from you might be a problem looking for a place to work:

Errant energy. High energy applicants can make an excellent first impression. But do they use that energy to achieve their goals or avoid responsibility? Be aware that a go-getter may put more vigor into getting out of jams than going the extra mile.

Telltale laughter. What makes applicants laugh? If they chuckle when you talk about difficult aspects of the job or joke about meeting your expectations, they may be harboring some hidden anxiety. That's when you should probe deeper.

Criticism of others. Applicants who talk about mistakes made by their former employers or colleagues may be masking their own role in the blunders. They might be trying to preempt criticism you'll find when you check into their background.

Crowded work history. A plethora of positions on a resume may indicate the applicant excelled quickly and moved to increasingly more responsible assignments. But it also may mean that he couldn't cut the mustard and got shifted to jobs where he could do less damage. Check to see if the positions appear to increase in complexity or scope.

Overqualified or too smart for the position. There may be an excellent reason why a management applicant would seek a position that is beneath her level of expertise, but you should be cautious. Ask: “Why have you decided to change jobs?” and “What did you like least about your last job?” Listen for answers that might indicate an inability or unwillingness to deal with the details of a job.

History of self-employment. Entrepreneurs may be worthy management prospects. Their experience running their own company could be valuable in the job they seek with you. But they could also be people who aren't comfortable in a corporate setting. If things don't go their way, they could develop a hankering to pilot their own plane again - and bail out on you.

Author Lawrence Peter formulated this organizational rule, which he calls the Peter Principle, to explain occupational incompetence: “In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.” By following the suggestions above, you may just keep a loser from reaching that level at your expense.

Copyright 2002 © Mark S. Fulton