Managers are very important in companies and businesses in any industry. They are the ones who ensure that operations go smoothly and both employees and clientele are satisfied. But, they are also the reason why some employees tend to resign because they are hard to talk to or they are too strict. As a result, you may see a big drop in your income because you have to keep replacing employees.
If you just hired a manager for your business, there’s no guarantee that they are the right manager you are looking for. So, how can you tell if you hired the right manager?
Here are some tips to help you determine if they are the right manager:
- Check your manager’s CV to see if they have the background necessary to handle your business. Aside from their academic background, you can reach out to their identified references to see if their track record is good.
- Your manager should be someone who can motivate any employee that is under them. If the employee doesn’t show the initiative to perform well, your manager must know how to get them to get the results you are looking for. If the employee is unable to keep up, the manager must be able to hold them accountable for their actions.
- An ideal manager must be able to communicate well with your employees outside their projects. They must be people whom your employees can reach out to if they are having trouble and provide the assistance your employees need.
- Aside from being open to employees, the right manager must be honest with them. If workers cannot trust their manager about what is going on with their project, how could they work with zeal?
- The ideal manager must also be ready to take on any challenges and think outside the box. Some decisions are hard to make if they are tricky to resolve, but if you can see what other options are available, that is ideal.
- The right manager must also be confident when it comes to the decisions they will make for their teams. Even if it is a tough decision they have to make, the right manager must be able to show their team that it is the way to go and they are ready to join the team in facing any setbacks.
- Businesses can experience slumps every once in a while which can put the entire operation on a standstill. The right manager will be able to get people together and see the positive side of each challenge your company faces. If they say they do not see any positive outcome to your situation, it will only cause your employees to worry.
- Finally, the right manager must show that they are committed to their position and assist the company’s growth. They are not looking for a new job on the sidelines and their focus is mostly on getting a promotion in the company.
These following qualities does not guarantee you the right manager
- Degree
Having an education is important but a piece of paper will never determine the quality of a person.
Would you rather have a Harvard graduate who is snobbish and not a team player or someone who doesn’t have a degree not because he isn’t smart but because life circumstances prevented him to get one and he had to quit school to provide for his family?
So who will be a better employee to join your company?
Read More: How to Become Your Boss’ Dream Employee?
- Interview
Some people are just good at interviews. So good that they sail through the interviews like a hot knife slicing through a piece of butter. They are that smooth.
The only way to tell is to throw them some random situational questions and hope the questions knock them off their feet and they can come up with a realistic answer. But even so, an interview or even several days of interviews will not be able to determine what kind of person the candidate is.
Interesting, right? Then why do we depend on interviews to hire so much?
- Gender
Male or female, it doesn’t matter which sex can make tough decisions or what sex are better with dealing with coworkers’ feelings. Both equally can do a good job and be the right manager. A male manager can be sensitive, compassion and charming at the same time that a female manager can be tough, decisive and driven.
We are in the 21st century, folks. We have to move past gender bias or sexual orientation bias because it is not right to judge someone based on colour, gender or sexual orientation.
- Salary
You pay peanuts you get monkeys, right?
Well, hiring someone is not as simple as that. Sometimes, you do get very good people even though you pay peanuts. I ditched a $2000 job for a $1200 job when I was in my early twenties because I wanted to switch from retail to a desk job in an office. It was the right decision and I was promoted to be a manager within 6 months.
Yet sometimes, you pay huge amount of salary but all you have attracted are the wrong talents. Sure, when the salary attractive, you get to pick from the cream of the corp.
The key question is do you know how to identify who is the real deal?
Read More: Whisper: I’m Being Paid to Do Nothing
- Last Position
Trailing on my own life experience above, I was just a retail staff. If my mentor hadn’t given me an opportunity to learn how to handle administration, I wouldn’t be able to prove to him and importantly, myself on how I can survive, never mind succeed in the corporate world. I found myself having a natural flair for managing people and being “ballsy” (as my mentor likes to put it) to make my own decisions.
If by the usual interview standards, I wouldn’t have make it pass the recruiter’s hands, not even a chance to interview with the hiring manager. I was introduced to my mentor by a friend on an off chance he was looking for someone diligent and honest while I was looking for a change in industry. Hence, I always emphasis that networking is very important.
Conclusion
If you want your business to succeed without you having to monitor your employees regularly, you need a great manager that you and your employees can trust.
It can be hard to find the perfect one, but if you know what qualities they must possess, your ideal manager will be easy to find.
For more hiring articles, here are some of my personal tips:
Fair Hiring Practices: Does This Even Exist In The Job Market?
Are You Ready To Start Hiring?
Hiring People Better than You
Hiring within or outside
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Handy tips Kally. Yes, hiring a manager can be tricky.
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Totally, Anil. Thank you for dropping in.
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Thanks for this post Kally.
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Thank you, Kritika!
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Pleasure 😊
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Kally , pearls of wisdom, and all on the money, and well proven from my experience.
Leading research and surveys still show the number one or two reason employees leave is because of their manager or equivalent. Rightly, or wrongly.
One of the defining moments that really kicked of my career was securing an industrial relations traineeship. I was the last of five to be interviewed and essentially told I wasn’t in the mix, but I had a good application and did those extra things that made them curious e.g. when I rang to inquire about the position on a Friday, I was told to ring back Monday and tell them why I wanted the job, and not to give them the usual responses. So, I had quite a tumultuous weekend trying to come up with something worthy. When I rang and said why, I was told okay.
So, halfway through the interview, they stopped it and said they were now going to depart from the usual interview process and asked me to do an impromptu presentation on whatever I liked. The only thing I could think of clearly was playing the guitar (so air guitar before it was a thing). All I can say it must have worked because I got the role and the opportunity of a lifetime ie to work with the best industrial team in the nation at that time.
I have tried all different types of interview strategies over the years. Some work well and others don’t. Yes, 80% of the successful applicants for senior roles do have the gift of the gab.
My great friend and mentor said to me one day don’t think about climbing the ladder, but move sideways and zig zag your way up – he even plotted out his own journey on the whiteboard to demonstrate what he meant. At that time I was a senior team member that occasionally acted as the unit’s manager. However, I took on his advice and found myself as a CEO six years later, and have been at that “level” ever since.
One thing we have always discussed re being a manager, executive or CEO – these roles do not come with the respective knowledge and skill you need when appointed. It’s not like some angel or other being descends from on high and anoints you saying you now have the required manager super powers. Supporting their training and development is so important once there, as is moving them on if they are not the right fit. When you have the right managers in place, you do notice the difference.
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Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Definitely an eye opener for me.
I agree with your friend aka mentor that you shouldn’t just move upwards. If opportunity opens, just take it if it means learning more. I have done zigzag and sideways before. It is not always about promotion or money. Of course, increase in salary will be great but increase in knowledge is awesome too.
I have developed managers in the past when I was a manager. After one month, I can tell who are the ones who will make great management materials and even go on to become great leaders. There are some who try their hardest but if they don’t have what it takes ie passion to teach and inspire, it is difficult to groom from nothing to something.
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Well formed words Kally, I want to mention another here that your name is nice!🙂.
I am hoping to read like this many Kally. 😀
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Thank you so much, Sharath. You’re sweet. Welcome to MiddleMe!
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Excellent points on making a realistic decision. Thanks for this.
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Thank you, Bryan!
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How can we hire the manager?the post of manager is depended on his qualities and interview.
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Not necessary on the qualities and interview, a lot of ways you can determine the right manager for your company.
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But how?
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I know many companies run tests like IQ tests, EQ tests, psych evaluation or team projects during the 1st interview round, from there they can eliminate non potential candidates. This is particularly useful when we have more than 10k applications but only 1 open position.
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Yeah.this is good method😊
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Great post! Having the right manager is worth its weight in gold!
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Absolutely, Cindy, I agree with you. It can really make or break the team.
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Totally. Thanks Kally.
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Having the right manager is every bit as important as having the right CEO and CFO.
Having spent most my working life in Management positions; I feel somewhat qualified to add a few comments here.
I loved and AGREE with the comment that if “you pay peanuts; you’ll get a monkey.”…So DON’T
I loved the interviewing technique of Sean Fletcher.
A Effective manager ought to be an “out of the box thinker.” GREAT communication skills ought to be a primary talent. Secondly; I’d be looking at past experiences and WHY they are in the job market….Experience ought to supersede “formal education,” which too ought to be considered; but secondary to other more relevant attributes. Lastly I would be seeking a candidate who is HIGHLY self- motivated. A STARTER, eager for a challenge.
Lastly, and of Critical important is moral integrity. Honesty and a strong religious life would mean much in who I choose “to govern.”
Another terrific one Kally; keep on-KEEPIN-ON!
God Bless,
Patrick
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Awesome! Thank you for sharing your advice, Patrick. Your wisdom is precious. Stay blessed.
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Certainly, Kally, hiring the right manager is crucial, as that person will be your surrogate, representing you, both to employees and to clients. Choose wisely.
Fortunately, you provide lots of great advise to do precisely that.
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I agree one must choose wisely. Not only managers but all employees as well.
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Great post, an advice. You and your readers may enjoy this post on a similar topic
https://reallifeofanmsw.com/2020/05/18/skills-employees-say-managers-need/
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Thank you for sharing!
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Great article!👍You are so right about hiring the right manager! I worked 25 years for a major corporation that hired terrible managers. Company morale was very low with lots of complaints from staff underneath them.😣👣
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It must be so frustrating and horrible for you to work in a company that hires terrible managers. I can’t imagine myself lasting long in that place. You are one brave woman, Georgetta!
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Actually, during my working days, I was a single parent of 3 children with limited job opportunities. I worked as an Administrative Assistant and then moved into IT in software and security. Once I went into IT the working environment changed somewhat because they now needed my assistance. But overall management I believe are trained to be beast to those that report to them, especially doing evaluation time😣!
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Ah! Revenge story! Haha. But good for you that you have worked yourself way up. I admire your spirit.
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Thank you Kally, and thanks so much for your informative and helpful posts to encourage and direct us on the right path.
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Amazing post
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Thank you and welcome to MiddleMe!
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👍
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Kally plz do follow me also
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Followed!
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Sailors of the ship should understand language of sea. The better he understands business the better manager he will be. I loved your thoughts as it even made me realise how I should sail my ship better. Nicely written.
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Thank you very much for your comment, Avran. And welcome to MiddleMe!
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It is my pleasure to be part of your blog.
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I’ve known a few managers who fit your description: great at motivating people individually and collectively. They are truly amazing to work with!
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They are a rare bunch, hold on to them tightly, even if you don’t work with them, they make a great mentor!
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Good morning!
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Good morning!!!
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Thank you for sharing this out.
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Great post dear
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Thank you very much!
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Good managers have always struck me as a paradox. On one hand, they have to communicate a serious expectation that others might not appreciate. On the other hand, the people who work for them have to feel that they’re “on their side”. In my admittedly limited encounters, the people who always seemed to do the best were those who’d worked their way up from the inside. In effect, their expertise demanded a certain respect because it was at least perceived as “authentic”. Conversely, I recall once hearing the expression, “Piled higher and Deeper”, to describe an Ivy League PhD. She lasted about six months.
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Hmm.. I don’t get the expression of “Piled higher and deeper” though.. I do agree that those who worked their way up tend to be good managers unless they kisses arses along the way (it happens).
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Agreed about the lip-service… a good example of “Peter principal” by social promotion.
The “PhD” remark was in reference to something one might shovel out of a horse’s stall. Competent employees familiar with practical limits can have little regard for managerial appeals to academic authority. It can even work against managers who become perceived as existing in an “ivory tower”, operating by theory while isolated from reality.
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Ah now I get it. I have met quite a number of those people before.
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