What happened
A viral LinkedIn post about a bad boss has put the risks of hiring the wrong person into a manager's seat back in front of employers, as reported by Canadian HR Reporter. The article asks whether employers are doing enough to choose the right managers.
The report also brings in an expert who offers tips on how to make a better choice. The specific tips, the name of the expert and the details of the post are not covered here, so read the original for those.
The core point is plain. Employers feel the cost of a poor management hire quickly, and workers are now willing to talk about it in public.
Why it matters if you are hiring
A manager sets the daily experience of everyone on the team. When the wrong person gets the job, the damage shows up in the people who report to them, and often in who decides to leave.
Most hiring mistakes at this level come from the same few habits. Employers promote the strongest individual performer without checking whether that person can lead. They rely on a short interview and a good first impression. They skip reference checks that ask how someone actually treated the people who worked for them.
In Canada, this applies across the board: a shift supervisor in a plant, a team lead in finance, a sales manager, an operations manager. The title changes, but the question does not. Can this person direct work, give honest feedback and keep good people?
It also matters for your employer brand. A public post about a poor boss can reach candidates you are trying to attract. Anyone researching your company before an interview may see it.
One thing to do this week
Pull up the last three management hires or promotions you made and compare what you assessed with what the job demands. If you tested technical skill but never asked for examples of coaching, handling conflict or delivering bad news, add those questions and a reference call with a former direct report to your next management search.
Traverse has placed operations, finance, sales and manufacturing professionals since 1997, and we help employers find supervisors and managers who can lead as well as do the work.