That’s what a recent survey suggested after interviewing over 3000 people. Considering my corporate experience, I’d whole heartedly agree.

A bad manager can lead to feelings of:
➔ Overwhelm – due to constantly shifting priorities and changing expectations.
➔ Suffocation – as a result of decreased autonomy, involvement in all your meetings, and requiring approval for minor tasks.
➔ Despair – you may begin to question your worth, skills, and abilities. (this can be very challenging to recover from)

On the flip side, a good manager can make all the difference in the world.
Proper mentorship, guidance, and support can be career altering in how they help your growth and shape your future.

If you’re actively looking for a new role, it’s critical to understand who you will be working for.

Here are some helpful tips to consider during your interview process:
➔ Ask them about their management style – request specific examples where they have demonstrated traits they discuss.
➔ While interviewing other members on the team, ask them what it’s like to work for your potential manager.
➔ Ask about the average retention rate for the team.
➔ Ask them to tell you about a time they helped advocate for a direct report’s promotion. What did the manager do to support them?
➔ Ask the manager how they approach feedback and career development.
➔ It can be helpful to ask other team members about manager turnover or how many managers they have had during their tenure. Although it’s not directly tied to the individual manager, it’s a helpful indicator for how chaotic it might be to work there.
➔ Finally, it may be beneficial to ask your potential manager about their own manager and how their career is being invested in. The behaviors of their manager could influence how they interact with you.