Interviews are a two-way street. One thing that can make or break their decision to join your team? You–specifically, how you lead. Yet so many hiring managers are humble or don’t know how to discuss their leadership approach, missing a huge opportunity to attract top talent who would thrive (or sink) under their management style.
The Impact of Leadership on Employee Experience
A manager’s style significantly shapes an employee’s workplace experience. Outstanding leadership inspires innovation, fosters growth, and creates a positive work environment. Conversely, poor leadership can lead to disengagement, reduced productivity, and high turnover.
Research consistently shows that employees don’t leave companies; they leave managers. This reality means showcasing your leadership strengths isn’t boasting—providing essential information helps candidates make informed decisions about their career paths.
Demonstrating Your Leadership Value
When courting talent, concrete examples speak volumes. Here are several authentic ways to showcase your management style:
Career Development and Retention Have team members under your leadership earned internal promotions? Do they tend to stay with the company? High retention rates and internal advancement opportunities demonstrate your commitment to developing talent and creating a positive environment where people thrive.
Empowerment and Autonomy Candidates value knowing how much independence they’ll have. Share specific examples of how you support autonomy, whether through flexible scheduling, self-directed project management, or decision-making authority within their domain of expertise.
Professional Development and Advocacy Highlight instances where team members have enhanced their skills or earned certifications under your management. Detail how you’ve advocated for your team, whether by securing additional resources, negotiating better compensation, or creating opportunities for organizational visibility and recognition.
Measurable Impact Numbers can powerfully reinforce your leadership narrative. Consider sharing employee engagement scores, client satisfaction metrics, average PTO usage (especially important if you offer unlimited PTO), and team performance indicators.
Communication Style Provide insight into your communication approach. Do you prefer daily stand-ups or weekly one-on-ones? How accessible are you for questions and feedback? This transparency helps candidates envision their day-to-day experience under your leadership.
What Type of Leader Are You?
In an article written by Rebecca Knight, the author explores 6 common leadership styles. While the advice suggests that great leaders adapt their style depending upon the needs of the team or individual, it’s even more important to understand the characteristics and actions that make up each style.
Handling Failure with Grace
Being transparent about your approach to failure can be a powerful differentiator when recruiting talent.
Creating a Culture of Psychological Safety and Learning Share examples of how you’ve built an environment where team members feel safe acknowledging mistakes without fear of blame. How do you model vulnerability by discussing your missteps? Provide specific examples of how you’ve transformed failures into learning opportunities rather than focusing on blame.
Distinguishing Between Failure Types and Supporting Recovery Explain how you recognize different types of failures and respond appropriately, whether through process improvement, systems thinking, or celebrating the learning from well-intentioned innovation attempts. Describe how you help team members bounce back from disappointments through additional resources, mentoring, or providing space to process before moving forward.
Normalizing Productive Risk-Taking Innovative organizations often expect a certain level of failure as part of the creative process. Share how you encourage appropriate risk-taking and protect team members who take bright chances that don’t always succeed.
How you react to failure communicates volumes about your leadership philosophy and how you view your team members. By articulating your approach during recruitment, you demonstrate emotional intelligence and create realistic expectations about working relationship dynamics.
Remember: Candidates Are Interviewing You Too
“People don’t quit jobs, they quit poor bosses.” Today’s job seekers are skeptical about the environments they join. By transparently showcasing your leadership approach—including how you handle both success and failure—you attract candidates who will thrive under your management style and demonstrate the self-awareness and confidence that characterize exceptional leaders.
Being open about your management philosophy isn’t arrogance. This insight gives potential team members the information they need to make one of the most critical decisions in their professional lives.
Are you highlighting your leadership strengths in your recruitment efforts? If not, you might miss a crucial opportunity to attract talent to your team.
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