Let\u2019s say an employer or hiring manager asks you this as an interview question.<\/p>

\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t $\"quote$ <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Well, to be honest, my previous boss was terrible<\/strong>! He was disrespectful and completely unqualified to run the branch… He is a big reason I am here today seeking a new career.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>
Don\u2019t do this.<\/strong><\/p>
That is a very good example of how NOT<\/strong> to answer the interview question, “What do you think about your previous boss?”<\/p>
Even if you think this might be flattering to the hiring manager, there are a hundred better ways to respond.<\/p>
Can You Relate?<\/h2>
Chances are, you are going to have a supervisor that you don\u2019t like throughout your career.<\/p>
It\u2019s just one of those unavoidable facts of life.<\/p>
Maybe they were too strict, too careless, or you simply didn\u2019t get along.<\/p>
That\u2019s okay, and it\u2019s completely understandable.<\/p>
But whatever you do, DO NOT word your response like the above statement.<\/p>
This type of response will highlight your very worst traits as an employee.<\/strong><\/p>
No need to worry.<\/p>
We got your back.<\/p>
If you follow the below guidelines, you will be able to navigate through this cryptic question.<\/p>
Remember, your response gives the hiring manager a fairly accurate picture of the type of employee you will be!<\/p>
Why Does the Hiring Manager Ask This Question?<\/h2>
With this in mind, it can seem a little confusing why the employer or hiring manager would ask this question.<\/p>
It really does seem like they are opening the door for you to complain about your previous employer.<\/p>
It almost sounds like the employer is asking:<\/strong><\/p>
What\u2019s so horrible that you just had to leave?<\/li>\n\n
What annoyed you most?<\/li>\n\n
Why didn\u2019t you and your previous boss get along?<\/li><\/ul>
This is simply not the case.<\/p>
If you respond with the above in mind, it will call your character into question.<\/p>
Your potential employer may become concerned about:<\/strong><\/p>
Your loyalty to the company<\/li>\n\n
Your ability to work with others<\/li>\n\n
Your social skills<\/li><\/ul>
These are all things the employer will be looking for.<\/p>
Do not take the opportunity to complain about your previous job and boss.<\/p>
It opens the door for another applicant to give a better answer.<\/p>
So if this isn\u2019t really an opportunity to companies about your boss, how can you answer this tricky interview question?<\/p>
Don’t Complain<\/h2>
“If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”<\/p>
This saying holds true to this question, but unfortunately, you have to say something!<\/p>
Do your best and resist spewing a bunch of complaints about past disagreements you had with your boss.<\/p>
Believe it or not, this will most likely have a negative impact on your interview.<\/strong><\/p>
Most companies have that overly critical employee that states he or she can do a much better job.<\/p>
Even if you are not this type of person, a negative answer can portray you as such.<\/p>
That\u2019s one of the last things you want!<\/p>
You should be able to spin any character traits or performance of your previous boss in a positive light.<\/p>
If you have nothing nice to say, it is best to stick to the basics:<\/strong><\/p>
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t $\"quote$ <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
My last boss was goal-oriented and this helped me focus and crush my sales quotas and deadlines!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>
or…<\/p>
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t $\"quote$ <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
She really allowed her employees to use their strengths to accomplish their tasks. She did not micro-manage each position, which helped create a high level of self-confidence for my coworkers and me!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>
Not only does this mean you won\u2019t be complaining to a potential new employer.<\/p>
It also frames you as an optimist and go-getter.<\/p>
This interview question is very similar to \u201cWho Was Your Favorite Manager And Why<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>
We recommend you check this out after!<\/p>
Put It Into Numbers<\/h2>
Hopefully, regardless of how your previous boss performed, there was a certain amount of success that you can quantify.<\/p>
It is always helpful to use percentages and dollar figures in your interview.<\/p>
Some possible successes you can consider include:<\/strong><\/p>
Actions you took to cut company costs and by how much<\/li>\n\n
Large budgets you have managed\/overseen<\/li>\n\n
Took actions to boost company production and by how much<\/li><\/ul>
If you do not have any known facts or statistics that you can share in your response, that\u2019s okay.<\/p>
Simply consider other work-related accomplishments.<\/p>
This is just another reason why it\u2019s a good idea to think about this answer before your interview.<\/p>
There might be numbers related to your professional accomplishments that you may not have thought of on the spot!<\/p>
We would strongly suggest not making them up.<\/strong><\/p>
Whatever you do, don\u2019t make up outlandish numbers as this will be a dead giveaway that you are lying!<\/p>
It\u2019s best to let you real work speak for itself.<\/p>
This Question Is About You!<\/h2>
No matter your feelings towards your previous employer, there is a right and wrong answer to this question.<\/p>
A successful candidate will not just answer this question, but use it to their advantage.<\/p>
This question can be used to highlight your:<\/strong><\/p>
Accomplishments<\/li>\n\n
Work ethic<\/li>\n\n
Personality traits<\/li><\/ul>
A clever job seeker will not just consider the above.<\/p>
They will talk about these qualities that align with the open position.<\/p>
Although this question involves another person, you should always redirect the conversation.<\/strong><\/p>
Use it to discuss why you are the right person for the job!<\/p>
If you had a great boss prior to the interview, you should have no problem avoiding the pitfalls of this question.<\/p>
Make sure to keep it professional rather than describe why your boss was your best pal.<\/p>
You are reading this for a reason.<\/strong><\/p>
If it\u2019s to prepare, make sure you prepare a response to any question relating to your previous employer.<\/p>
YOU GOT THIS!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Let\u2019s say an employer or hiring manager asks you this as an interview question. You might take a moment to think about it. You might smile when you think you have thought of a great answer. You might take a deep breath and confidently reply: Don\u2019t do this. That is a very good example of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21979,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"non-tsap-single.php","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"author-detail":[48],"class_list":["post-2846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interview-questions-tips"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2846"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2846\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2846"},{"taxonomy":"author-detail","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/author-detail?post=2846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}