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By William Arruda – Forbes

This summer, American unemployment rates dropped below 4% — lower than businesses have experienced in at least a decade. As a result, the tables have turned in favor of candidates. After all, today’s market is flush with position announcements and opportunities.

In an employees’ market, job seekers have the luxury of choosiness. They’re not limited to taking whatever they can get, which is a newfound shift in power for many people. It’s also a rare chance for potential employees to scrutinize everything from prospective managers to corporate cultures in an effort to increase their odds of being immersed in a positive, engaging work environment.

Putting Employers Under the Microscope.

How important is it for talent to get a read on a future boss and the inner workings of an organization before filling out W4s or direct deposit paperwork? For those who want a rewarding employer relationship, the answer is “very.”

Data released from Gallup shows that bad bosses were to blame for about half of all voluntary resignations. In other words, people who want to achieve their best outcomes aren’t sticking around in toxic work atmospheres. Even if pay is decent and perks are plentiful, one sour supervisor can spoil the environment. On the other hand, having a trusting, transparent connection with direct (and indirect) supervisor strengthens everyone.

One way to gain macro-level insights into what management values is to read between the lines on a company’s benefits package. Laura Casselman, CEO of JVZoo, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) affiliate marketing company, says a company’s benefits can put some employees at a disadvantage, which is why she actively promotes benefit packages that support working mothers and fathers, as well as other employees who have myriad responsibilities outside of the office.

“If you require all employees to clock a certain number of hours within the office per week, working moms may be forced to sacrifice a vacation day to care for a sick child,” she explains. “It’s important that company leaders acknowledge unintended consequences like this when they’re building benefits packages.” Inclusive companies should consider this as well as mental health needs and other factors when crafting their benefits packages. In short, you can learn a lot about your potential employer from what their benefits value.

Understanding a workplace on a macro level will aid you in examining your prospective boss on a micro level. After all, a company’s policies serve as a rulebook for its managers. If you’re someone who’s been scouring the Internet job sites for a different place to showcase your abilities, be sure to find out the answers to the following questions about your prospective boss.

1. What matters most to the boss?

You’re going to be evaluated as a worker; that’s to be expected. But what will bring you kudos as opposed to browbeating? During interviews, uncover how work is judged at the company, as well as by your potential direct support. Who gets promoted and why? Is recognition common? Are managers held to their own set of expectations? The responses you get will give you a better understanding of protocols at the corporation, not to mention the supervisor’s management philosophy.

2. How did the boss get there?

You can check out a possible boss’s LinkedIn profile and social media pages, but knowing the bare facts of her work history won’t give you the full story of how she moved from Point A to Point B. Get to know your interviewer by inquiring about her career journey. Not only will the information you hear help you understand her work path, but it may also provide common ground to bolster conversations. Another plus: Knowing insider details and shared experiences can be a wonderful catalyst for starting an employer-employee partnership off on the right track.

3. How does the boss communicate?

Have you ever had a manager whose communication style was vastly different from your own? Not only does this cause headaches and misunderstandings, but it makes work life messy and stressful. Consequently, ask your future supervisor about communication preferences. Is he someone who holds regular face-to-face team meetings on Mondays? Does he share only “need to know” information via Slack? Though you can’t give your interviewer a communications style assessment test, you can obtain plenty of insight by asking in-depth, pointed questions to gauge whether you should swipe left or right if you’re offered the position.

Landing a job is not the same as building a career. Looking for the latter? Be prepared to peel back the layers before making a commitment. The more you know about a manager, the greater your chance of experiencing true growth.

 

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