Questions to Ask in a Job Interview | Determine if the Boss Provides Growth Opportunities

Key Concepts:

• Employee Development
• Training Programs (Formal & Mentoring)
• Career Aspirations
• Skill Gaps
• Growth Opportunities
• Communication
• On-the-job Training
• Paid Training
• Self-Study

Determining a Boss's Commitment to Employee Development

The core idea is to assess a potential boss's history and approach to developing and training employees. The speaker emphasizes the importance of determining if the boss has a proven "track record" of helping trainees advance, grow, and get promoted.

Asking the Right Questions

The speaker suggests phrasing questions to gauge the boss's commitment. For example:

• "I want to work on a team that's given great opportunities to grow."
• "I'd love to be challenged."
• "I'd love to understand how your team gets their training, whether it's formal or mentoring from you. How do you ensure that your people get to grow?"

The goal is to prompt the boss to elaborate on their methods and philosophy regarding employee development.

Expected Response and Key Indicators

The speaker outlines what a comprehensive response from a committed boss might sound like. The response should cover multiple components:

1. Communication: The boss should emphasize the importance of understanding each employee's goals, aspirations, and areas they want to develop. This involves direct communication to identify individual needs and career aspirations.
2. Mediums for Skill Development: The boss should describe the various methods used to help employees gain skills.
3. Opportunity Alignment: The boss should explain how they ensure employees have opportunities to apply their skills. The speaker highlights that skill development and opportunity must be aligned; one without the other is insufficient.
4. Strategic Projects: The boss should mention providing strategic projects to employees to enhance their skills.
5. Skill Gap Analysis: The boss should describe the process of identifying skill gaps and providing targeted training to address them.
6. Training Modalities: The boss should outline the different types of training offered, including on-the-job training, paid training, and self-study.

Looking for a Comprehensive Explanation

The speaker emphasizes that the ideal response should be a detailed walkthrough of the boss's employee development process. The listener should look for someone who can "explain all this to you" in a structured and comprehensive manner.