How To Answer Interview Questions About Your Last Boss

Answering interview questions well is the best fighting chance to getting a job. What would you say when the employer asks you about your former boss? Even with a former boss who was terrible you can still answer the question and land the job without having to lie.

Most job interviews will include a few inquiries about your bosses, both past and future. Common interview questions about supervisors include asking you to describe the best and the worst boss you’ve worked for, what you expect from a supervisor, how you handle a boss who’s wrong, and other questions related to relationships with your superiors.

How To Answer Questions About Previous Bosses

Above all else, no matter how much you disliked a previous boss, don’t say so! In fact, don’t say anything negative about your bosses no matter what your experiences were. Negativity, insults, or defamatory comments about a bad boss serve as a red flag for a potential employer who may view negativity as a reflection on you, more than a problem boss in the past.

You don’t need to lie about your previous supervisors. Be truthful, but frame your comments in a positive light. Provide answers that exhibit professionalism and insights about the circumstances you’re describing. The same holds true if you hated working at a previous company. Keep that information to yourself.

1. Be Very Careful How You Respond

An old boss might actually be a friend or acquaintance of the interviewer, especially if they’re in the same industry. Or he or she may be a client or customer of your prospective company. If you burn that bridge, you’ll probably destroy your chance at getting the job.

If you’re asked about a situation with a boss you didn’t like, take a breath, pause a moment, and prepare a positive, or at least neutral, answer. How you deal emotionally with these types of questions is equally important. This is not the time to fly off the handle and get upset, or to go into too many details about how bad your boss was.

2. Shoulder the Blame and Show Growth

There are at least two sides to every story. Have you had a conflict with a supervisor? Disagreements about your work? First, realize that nearly all employees have had some kind of difference of opinion with their manager, which is a normal part of a relationship, on or off the job.

It’s reasonable to talk about these types of situations as a way to convey what you learned and how the problem was resolved. In fact, dissenting opinions can be positive in that they lead to brainstorming new ideas and solutions that advance the company. Perhaps you could explain how a difference in opinion led to some sort of improvement.

In the end,

Tell the truth. Be honest and positive when answering this question. It depends with how your employer was. If it is negative, cover it with something positive on the top. Do not burn your bridges. Even if they were not good refrain from negative comments.

Don’t know how to answer interview questions? Reach out to our interview coach here for help.