亲爱的安妮：您在最近一篇关于文化“契合度”的专栏文章结尾引用专家的话称，大部分求职者问的问题不够充分。那么，求职者在面试时、尤其在面对潜在上司的时候，到底应该问哪些方面的问题？我06年大学毕业，现在从事的已经是我的第二份工作了，虽然大多数情况下，我和上司相处得还算融洽，但我总感觉我们之间还是有些隔阂，或者说并没有真正了解彼此。我认为很大程度上这是由于我们之间的共同点太少，所以在向他解释我的工作方式时，我禁不住会想，如果我们拥有更多类似的背景，这类问题根本就根本不需要解释了。虽然我还没开始找新工作，但如果我打算跳槽的话，在求职的时候，我需要问哪些具体问题，才能确定潜在上司就是自己的“有缘人”？——加州好奇者

    亲爱的好奇者：确实有一些问题的答案可以帮你明确与潜在上司共事的效率，甚至可以据此判断出你能在新工作岗位工作多长时间。纽约市金融与IT业猎头公司Harris Allied的执行董事凯西•哈里斯表示：“人们加入公司，却因为上司而离开公司。就算公司提供室内体育馆和免费午餐这些诱人的福利，也无法弥补上司不深入了解下属，或者无法给下属提供支持所带来的负面影响。”

    哈里斯建议，下一次求职面试时（不论是在什么时间），求职者可以问三个问题。说起第一个问题，你可能后悔为何没能早点想到。她说：“在谈话过程中，挑选合适的时机询问潜在上司的背景。仔细倾听，寻找与自己相匹配的经历。例如，潜在上司是否与你一样，也是从一线一步步走到当前的位置？他（她）在这个职位上工作已有多长时间？”

    当然，每个人的职业都存在些许差别，但你也注意到了，如果上司从来没有从你的立场出发看待过问题，或者说他只是在很久以前从事过你现在的工作，对于这个岗位存在的问题与挑战早已不甚了了，你就会发现很难与他们沟通。

    哈里斯称，第二个问题是：“自己思考一些与潜在上司相关的关键问题。你想从这位上司身上学到什么？你可以把他（她）当作导师吗？如果一位管理者无法给下属带来职业价值，下属与他共事的时间通常不会太长。”

    之后，哈里斯建议：“询问潜在上司注重的关键品质。成功求职者的哪些素质更适合这份工作？类似‘厚脸皮’或者‘会反击’这类答案，可能意味着这位上司并不好相处。”不过，上司不好相处不一定就是坏事。哈里斯称：“具有挑战性的上司如果与下属的个性和风格契合得当，能够最大限度挖掘下属的潜力。”如果一名管理者认为自己要求很高，并且愿意承认（甚至炫耀）这一点，求职者提前知道总好过最后大吃一惊。

    要想知道潜在上司注重的品质，还有另外一种方式，就是让他描述自己最钟爱的前任或现任下属。美国帕萨迪纳市国际企业培训公司（Corporate Coaching International）负责人洛伊斯•法兰科认为：“通过一个问题，比如‘您能跟我讲讲符合、甚至超出您预期的员工所具有的特点和行为方式吗？’这样，你就能了解管理者最注重的品质。如果他们的回答是：‘为了完成工作，他们每天晚上都会工作到8点，而且从无怨言。’而你则非常重视自己的个人时间和家庭，这时你就会知道，这位上司并不是自己的最佳选择。”

    法兰科说，第五个问题是：“询问你能否与该管理者的一到两名直接下属交流。比如‘您能否告诉我，与这位上司共事和在这家公司工作，您最喜欢的是什么？最不喜欢的又是什么？’这些问题可以给你提供必要的信息，帮你做出明智的决定。”

    Dear Annie:At the end of your recent column about cultural "fit," the expert you quoted said that most job candidates don't ask enough questions. But what should interviewees ask, especially when talking with a prospective boss? I'm now in my second job since graduating from college in 2006 and, while my boss and I get along all right most of the time, I can't help feeling like we don't connect very well or really understand each other. Part of it might be that we just don't have that much in common, so I find myself explaining things about my approach to my work that I think would be self-evident if our backgrounds were more similar. I'm not job hunting right now but, in case I decide to make a move, are there specific questions people can ask in a job interview to determine whether they and a potential boss are a good match? — Curious in California

    Dear Curious:Indeed there are, and the answers can help you pinpoint how effectively you could work with a given boss, or even how long you will stay in the job. "People join companies, but they leave managers," says Kathy Harris, managing director at New York City-based financial and IT executive search firm Harris Allied. "Even great perks like onsite gyms and free lunches can't make up for a boss who isn't engaged with, or supportive of, his or her people."

    Harris suggests three questions you could ask in your next interview (whenever that may be), beginning with one you might wish you had thought of before taking the job you have now. "At an appropriate point in the conversation, ask your potential boss to tell you about his background," she says. "Listen for experiences that match yours. For instance, did the person come up through the ranks in a hands-on role similar to yours? How long has it been since she worked as an individual contributor?"

    Of course, everyone's career is a little bit different but, as you've noticed, it can be hard to communicate with someone who has never stood in your shoes, or who did your current work so long ago that the issues and challenges involved have been lost in the past.

    Second, says Harris, "ask yourself some critical questions about the person you'll be working for. What do you hope to learn from this boss? Can you see him or her as a coach or a mentor? It's often difficult to work for long with a manager who has little professional value to bring to the relationship."

    Then, Harris advises, "Ask about the key attributes they're looking for. What would a successful candidate bring to the job? Answers like 'thick-skinned' and 'able to push back' may mean this boss will be difficult to work with." Not that that's always a bad thing: "Challenging bosses have been known to bring out the best in their people if their personalities and styles mesh well," Harris notes. But if a manager sees herself as highly demanding and is willing to admit it (or even brag about it), you're far better off knowing that ahead of time than having it come as a surprise.

    Another way to ferret out the same information is to ask the manager to describe his favorite underlings, past or present. "A question like, 'Can you tell me about the characteristics and behaviors of an employee who met or exceeded your expectations?' will give you some useful insights into what this manager values most," says Lois Frankel, head of Pasadena-based Corporate Coaching International. "If the response is, 'They worked every night until 8 p.m. to get the job done, without complaining,' and you value time with your family, then you know it won't be a good fit."

    A fifth question, Frankel says: "Ask if you can speak with one or two others who report to this person. Something like, 'Can you tell me what you like best, and what you like least, about working for this boss and this company?' should help you get the answers you need to make an informed decision."