How to check out a prospective boss

What's the best job you've ever had - and why was it so great?

The chances are, it wasn't because of the salary; it probably wasn't even the nature of the work. For most of us, our colleagues, our boss and even our commute are more important to job satisfaction than the pay.

You may be married; you may be a parent. But in some ways your boss is the most important person in your life. You could be spending eight hours a day in their company, and even toddlers don't tell you what to do *all* the time. Similarly, getting on with your co-workers is a must.

Indeed, in a survey of 2,000 workers last year, the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) found that eight out ten would turn down a big salary increase if it meant working with people or in an environment they didn't like.

"It just goes to show that there is more to work than just money as the common perception can be," says Olivia Hill, head of HR at AAT. "People don't want stress in their lives and a great way to stay stress free is to work in an environment you find comfortable, with people you like and with a manageable workload."

But achieving this is easier said than done. While you'll know most things about a new job before committing yourself - pay, location, perks and the rest - your boss and colleagues can be a completely unknown quantity.

How can you check them out before you accept the job?

LinkedIn
Business network LinkedIn is a good place to start your snooping. You can check out your prospective boss's career path so far and look at comments and endorsements from former colleagues and staff. If they've joined any groups, you may be able to glean an idea of the way they like to interact with others. However, bear in mind that the people you're looking up may be able to see that you've been checking out their profile - and while your new boss may see this as a sign of thorough research into the company, it might look a bit creepy to potential colleagues.

Jobs websites
Glassdoor and Indeed encourage people to post their experiences of working at particular companies - which is of course enormously helpful. There are a couple of caveats, though. First, remember that corporate culture can vary from office to office, so reviews of a particular location may not be all that helpful. Second, there's a natural human tendency to make more of a fuss about bad experiences than good ones, and reviews are inevitably slanted towards the negative - so don't let disgruntled ex-employees put you off too much.

Google
It's all very well doing a Google search on your prospective manager's name, but you'll probably learn nothing from the front page of results - unless they're a serial killer, that is. It's worth keeping going for several pages, which is where any really interesting stuff will turn up - lawsuits and the like. You may also get an idea of what your new boss gets up to after work - participation in societies and sports, for example.

Facebook/Twitter
The extent to which you can snoop on Facebook, of course, depends on you boss's privacy settings. You should at least, though, be able to see photos, likes and groups, which may well give you some idea of the sort of person you're dealing with. Twitter is easier, as you can check out a person's account without actually following them. And if you type their name into the Twitter search bar - fingers crossed, they won't have too common a name - you can see tweets that mention them too.

Arrive early
If you get an interview, arrive early - you can claim you were expecting bad traffic and got lucky. Sit in reception, visit the loo - and look and listen. Do people seem laid back and relaxed, or are they scurrying around looking anxious and pressured? If you're shown around the department as part of the interview, check out the way other staff interact with the boss - do they seem friendly and confident? Do they chat easily with the boss?

Ask
Interview candidates are always given the chance to ask questions, and one of yours should be 'What's this department like to work in?' Of course, no boss is likely to answer 'High-pressured and bitchy', but if this is the case there will probably be other warning signs, such as defensive body language or vague answers.

And if all else fails, you could try disguising your face, putting on a pinny and walking into the office with a tray of sandwiches...

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