People will continue to leave their jobs because of managers

A recent Gallup poll of more one million employed U.S. workers concluded that the number one reason people quit their jobs is a bad boss or immediate supervisor. Some 75 percent of workers who voluntarily left their jobs did so because of their bosses and not the position itself.

And we’ve seen that too. A staggering 70 percent confirmed this, and said so, from a poll we put to 500 candidates in the region.

Other findings from our survey were that only one in four employees asked felt the employer helped them grow “very well.” Around 77 percent of employees feel “on their own” to develop their careers at the company. A lack of career growth was also flagged as one of the biggest reasons workers leave their jobs, followed by low pay.

As such, for any hiring manager, the importance of getting your senior hires right has never been more critical. With this comes the importance of ensuring they display the openness, curiosity and learning agility necessary to take your talent with them on the journey.

Get it wrong, and you get a leader who ultimately turns the team toxic. You may well have been better off hiring no leader at all – such is the damage that a bad leadership hire can do.

Here are some of the qualities that I believe modern business leader needs:

Honesty. Without honesty, there’s no trust.

The ability to mentor staff and provide resources.

The ability to motivate.

A high EQ (emotional intelligence).

Trust.

The willingness to deliver open and honest feedback.

The ability to inspire.

Self-awareness.

So if you make that decision to move and are interviewing, what is the best way you go about it?

Here are impactful questions you can ask in a job interview. Asking the right questions is what separates exceptional job seekers from the average. It shows that you’re interested in the opportunity, not just the salary.

1. What do I have to do to succeed in this role?

2. Do you think I will be a good fit for the company?

3. What are some of the challenges that the predecessor faced in this role?

4. What are you hoping to see from the next person to fill this role that was missing in the last?

5. Do you have any reservations about my fit for the position that I could try to address? Is there anything that is missing from my CV that you need?

6. What would you like to see this role producing in the future? Are there any roles similar to this one that you’re looking to fill soon?

7. What is the company culture like? What is your favourite thing about it?

Display your strengths in an interview, don’t list them. When it comes to talking about yourself and your strengths in an interview, use real, relevant examples. So many people like to provide a shopping list of responses to what they can bring.

“Hardworking, dedicated, great team player…” But rattling off a number of bullet points rarely leaves a good impression and certainly doesn’t differentiate you from others.

When you’re talking about your strengths, think of some practical examples of how you use these strengths to add value. A good framework to use is “Situation, Action, Outcome.” This is what was happening, here’s specifically what I did, and this is what was achieved.

Justin McGuire is co-founder & CEO – MENA & APAC of DMCG Global