From the management level onwards, all IT companies require the appropriate technical know-how. It doesn’t matter whether you have a certificate for IT security or IT networks. The difference today is how you lead and motivate your team. Most IT companies no longer want to afford an authoritarian leadership style with strict hierarchies. Many of them, on the other hand, focus on concepts such as “servant leadership”.
With this topic too, candidates should take the lead in the interview instead of waiting for questions. So proactively address: Who am I as a person? What is my leadership style? What do I want to achieve with my team? Specific best or worst cases from the past can be helpful here.
Don’t just report on successes
It should not only be clear what someone has brought to successful projects, but also how they deal with difficult situations, whether in their professional or private life. This can range from interesting stays abroad to personal strokes of fate. And above all: How have I helped my employees in difficult situations so far: Companies like Cisco, for example, offer extensive help for all employees – including “Emergency Time Off” if there is a private emergency. If this is the company culture, then new managers must also support the “Be in service of your employees” attitude. But everyone has to decide for themselves which culture is suitable.
In addition to empathy, an important component of the leadership style is the type of communication, especially the choice of words. In the IT environment you have to have a lot of flexibility. It is therefore important to constantly motivate employees, praise them and allow them to have visions. Packaging this is the central task of an IT manager and requires well-trained communication skills.
At the same time, the daily tone is crucial: controlling from above or first listening and approaching others makes an enormous difference. Involving employees and having their own ideas implemented requires a lot of empathy and communication skills from the boss. It is helpful in the interview to describe cases from your own past and how you dealt with them.
It is still important to find out about the company’s projects, goals and culture in advance. But this is taken for granted in leadership positions and is not the subject of discussion. What is crucial is to take an authentic and honest position on this. You shouldn’t try to talk to the person you’re talking to, tell fantasy stories or gloss over problems. This is noticeable immediately and, above all, negatively. You should use the conversation as a stage, but not let it become a show.
