Micromanaging is when a manager closely supervises an employee’s duties. While you’re interviewing for a position, a hiring manager may ask you how you’d handle a supervisor who micromanages their employees. Understanding how to respond to this question can show the hiring manager that you can handle these situations assertively and politely. In this article, we discuss how to answer the interview question “What would you do with a micromanaging boss?” and provide example responses.
- “What kind of structures do you use to evaluate people’s work and give feedback?”
- “How often do people get feedback from you?”
- “Tell us about a time someone’s project wasn’t going well and how you handled it.”
- “What kind of person do you have trouble managing?”
7 TOUGH MANAGER INTERVIEW Questions & Answers!
What Not To Say
Examples of the Best Answers
Take a look at these examples of how to answer the question about former bosses. Note that when talking about a difficult former boss, its wise to shoulder some of the responsibility for the problematic relationship.
Example Answer #1
I didn’t see eye to eye with my last boss, and that led to a breakdown in communication. However, now I realize that this was also due to my lack of experience in the industry. At the time, I worried that asking questions would be perceived as weak and as an indication that I was unable to do the job.
Now Ive learned to ask questions immediately if I need further explanation, and I understand that doing so demonstrates my initiative and dedication to getting the job done right.
Why It Works: An answer like this frames a bad situation in a more positive way and shows that youve learned something that makes you a better employee as a result. While it’s clear you had a disagreement with your boss, you didn’t cast him or her in a negative light.
Example Answer #2
I had an incredibly productive relationship with my last manager. During our weekly one-on-one meetings, wed connect over the unresolved issues of the previous week, map out the weeks top priorities, and share a strategic approach. In a way, it was as if we were partners, which is my preferred way to relate to managers.
Why It Works: The candidate is clear about their preferred work style and reveals a lot about how they work.
Example Answer #3
My last manager had to achieve major goals for the company. Sometimes we had our differences when it came to the best approach to get there, but it was always clear that he was passionate about the company and the companys fiscal goals. Ultimately, even when we disagreed, I was able to learn a lot from his approach.
Why It Works: This answer is discreet while hinting at some potential disagreements.
How To Answer Questions About Previous Bosses
Be careful and thoughtful with your responses—particularly if you disliked a previous boss or had a challenging relationship.
Do not say anything negative about your bosses no matter what your experiences were.
Negativity, insults, or defamatory comments about a bad boss are red flags for a hiring manager, who may view negativity as a reflection on you more than on your problem boss.
Plus, its a small world. A hiring manager might be friends or acquaintances with your prior boss, especially if theyre in the same industry. Or a previous manager may be a client or customer of your prospective company. If you burn that bridge, you’ll probably destroy your chance of getting the job.
If you’re asked about a situation with a boss you didn’t like, take a breath, pause a moment, and prepare a positive, or at least neutral, answer.
How you deal emotionally with these types of questions is equally important. This is not the time to fly off the handle and get upset or to go into too many details about how bad your boss was.
Say that you’d address the supervisor’s perspective
You can begin your response by saying that youd address the supervisors perspective. This is an important element of your answer to this interview question, as it shows that you can empathize with your supervisors situation. They likely have a lot of responsibilities, and they believe theyre doing whats best for the companys long-term success. State these points clearly in your response to show the hiring manager you respect individuals in authoritative positions even if you dont agree with their management style.
Example answers for “What would you do with a micromanaging boss?”
Here are a few example responses for candidates answering how theyd handle a micromanaging supervisor:
Remain positive
As you deliver your answer to this question, its important to remain positive. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of micromanaging, state how addressing the issue could result in a happier, more productive workplace. You can also say that youd address the situation with a smile and a cheerful attitude to reassure your supervisor that you only have the companys best intentions in mind.
State that you’d provide feedback on how micromanaging affects you
After you address the supervisors perspective, you can proceed with your answer by stating that youd provide feedback on how micromanaging affects you. It may cause you to feel stress or anxiety, or it may result in the production of rushed or imperfect work. You can also state that micromanaging may lead to stifled innovation or decreased workplace morale. Stating how micromanaging affects you can help a supervisor realize it may not be the most effective management style for them to use.
The warning signs a hiring manager is going to be looking over your shoulder a lot.
Erin was in her early thirties (and, four jobs into her career) when she came to me with a not-so-simple question:
A string of bad experiences with bosses she felt had been overbearing and checking her work too often had left her frustrated and doubtful she could ever find a job where she could work independently. As we unpacked her career story, we found she had been drawn to her previous employers because they talked in-depth during the interview process about how they like to make sure each employee is successful. Lots of “training and on-going support” were marketed to her as part of the job opportunity. Unfortunately, as she got established in each role, she realized this was code for what she believed was excessive checks and balances. This is something I encourage every professional to understand about themselves when seeking employment. While that type of environment is great for some people. Others, like Erin, dont enjoy it. Its up to you as the job seeker to try to figure that out before you accept the job – or suffer the consequences.
How Do You Like to Give Constructive Criticism?
Make sure they actually do give their team feedback (you don’t want to work somewhere where you’ll never learn and improve) but also express care and concern when doing so.
The point of giving it is not only to help make their job easier (less oversight needed), but also to help you grow. So if they respond with, “Calling people out in front of the whole company to teach them a lesson?” Definitely a red flag.
How Can You Tell If A Boss Is a Micromanager?
Truthfully, the single best way to know for sure is to speak to current and former employees of the hiring manager. However, thats not always simple to do. Especially, when youre being put through a confidential hiring process. You may not have easy access to those individuals. And, you may not be in a position to spend time reaching out and trying to connect with them.
That said, heres one question you should ask in the hiring process that will help you tell if your potential boss is a micromanager.
When you ask this question, you give the hiring manager an opportunity to tell you what he or she doesnt want in an employee. At the same time, youre able to hear how they interact with employees theyre frustrated with. For example, which of these two responses would indicate this hiring manager is a micromanager?
ANSWER A: I had an employee once who never updated me on his progress on projects. I found myself having to email or stop by his desk constantly to make sure he was on track. Often times, I would review his work and realize he wasnt following our strict processes. I would either have to coach him to start over or do the work myself. I eventually let him go because I could never trust him to deliver the work properly.
ANSWER B: I had an employee once who struggled to take ownership. Each person is paid to do a job and I trust they will be resourceful and get their work done correctly and on time. If they need help or feedback, I expect them to seek it out proactively. In his case, deadlines would hit and wed find out he wasnt done. I eventually let him go because I could never trust him to deliver the work properly.
See the difference? Asking an open-ended question about someone who didnt succeed under their leadership will reveal all sorts of important information in terms of expectations. And more importantly, what theyre like as a manager.
FAQ
How do you tell your boss that they are a micromanager?
How do you deal with a difficult micromanaging boss?
- Talk to them directly about it and propose a plan. Ask your boss for a bit more autonomy. …
- Talk to colleagues about how they’ve handled it. …
- Talk to other managers. …
- Go above them. …
- Leave the company.
How do you say micromanage in a nice way?
- I’m going to do everything in my power to make you look good. …
- Your success is important to me. …
- Tell me how you like the work to be done. …
- I will do an excellent job for you. …
- I know you want to help me succeed.
How do you deal with a difficult manager interview question?
- Keep it positive: Share your experience objectively. …
- Brief is best: Explain the situation, then the resolution, along with anything you learned from the experience without rambling.
- Share how you handled the issue: Interviewers will be looking for your communication and conflict-resolution abilities.
