A reader asks:
I work in biotech and am in the process of interviewing candidates for an opening on my team. I’ve gotten quite a few resumes from people who are managers in a related field looking to pivot or expand their skill set. The job description makes it very clear that the role has no managerial component and the work is 100% labwork. These candidates are under consideration because they have the correct educational background, some relevant skills, and industry experience in their favor. However, they would need a lot of training from me to get them working independently.
I interviewed two of these former managers and was a little thrown by some of their statements. I got the impression from both of them that they preferred directing the action. It was clear that one candidate in particular loved being a manager at his last job and referred to his lab employees as “worker bees” — and I wondered if he thought being one of these lab workers was a bit beneath him now.
Bottom line, I’m not sure how these former managers would take to being managed by me in this role. Is there anything I can ask during interviews to help me gauge an applicant’s willingness to be led, after being the person in charge? Do you have any thoughts about managing former managers who have to start at the (near) bottom after a career change? I’m sure I’ll be interviewing a few more soon.
I answer this question over at Inc. today, where I’m revisiting letters that have been buried in the archives here from years ago (and sometimes updating/expanding my answers to them). You can read it here.
The post how can I know if a candidate will really be OK taking a step back? appeared first on Ask a Manager.
