A job interview isn't just about what the employer thinks of the applicant. Job applicants have to make sure they feel comfortable with their prospective boss, too.
The most significant cause of workplace unhappiness isn't salary or vacation days, it's having a bad boss. A bad boss, according to leadership experts, is often unkind, micro-manages employees, is a bad communicator, is absent, doesn't really seem to care about employees' well-being or is guilty of all of the above.
Here are five things to look out for in a job interview that can help you spot a bad boss:
1. You had a bad gut feeling
Psychologist Amy Cooper Hakim, an expert on employer-employee relationships, encourages professionals to pay attention to their innate reaction.
"Go with your gut," she tells. "If you feel uncomfortable during the interview, there's probably a reason why." "Does she not make direct eye contact when speaking? Does she appear 'too busy' for you?," says Hakim, co-author of "Working With Difficult People."
Managers who come across as arrogant or say things like "that's the way things are done around here" may very well end up being micro-managers or impolite, she says.
