Interviewing to Be the World’s Best Boss - by Nikkie Handy

Interviewing to Be the World’s Best Boss

By Nikkie Handy

Historically speaking, the interview process was a one-sided game. The interviewer held all the power—able to say yes or no, offer great pay or withhold opportunity. But in today’s labor market, you may have noticed the shift. Employers need the right people in the right seats now more than ever—and locking in high performers has become unexpectedly tricky.

So here’s the flip: when that top candidate walks through the door (or logs onto Zoom), you’re not just interviewing them—they’re interviewing you. If you want to secure great talent, you need to nail your half of the interview, too. Because, my friends, you’re interviewing to be the world’s best boss.

Step 1 – Make It Good (Like Seriously)

Let’s start with the obvious: if you want to be the world’s best boss, start acting like it.

Are you regularly measuring employee satisfaction? No? Start now. Are you listening to employee feedback? If you’re surveying your staff and your Net Promoter Score still stinks, it’s time for a gut check. (Spoiler: It’s almost never because there’s no Coke machine in the break room.)

Do you even know who you vibe well with? Get curious about your top performers. In ECCE, we spend so much time figuring out who our high-value customers are—why wouldn’t we apply that same curiosity to our high-value team members? If you don’t know what drives them or what they value, how will you find more people just like them?

Step 2 – Go Find Them!

Once you know who your best people are, go find more like them. Seriously—be intentional. An HBR article called “Why Employees Quit” calls out that, “Trying to retain employees without understanding what motivates them as individuals is like grabbing a flathead screwdriver out of your toolbox before checking whether the screw that needs attention is a Phillips head.” Let’s apply the concept to recruitment now. When you know what drives (like a screwdriver - you see what I did there?) your best people, you have a map to take you to the source.

Where are they coming from? A pin scatter map of current staff origins can be shockingly insightful. Where do they consume content? If you’re hiring for entry-level roles, and your recruiting strategy ignores platforms like TikTok, you’re missing the mark.

What do they care about? If weekends and holidays off are high on their wish list, does that show up in your messaging? If career growth matters, are you making that visible? A little #GRWM to show how you climbed the ladder from classroom to leadership? That content slaps.

And if you keep saying, “I just can’t find the right applicants,” maybe it’s time to rethink the whole exercise.

Step 3 – Humble Brag

(Cue the “World’s Best Boss” mug)

When a top candidate hits your interview pipeline, don’t just assess them—sell yourself. Yes, you're listening for attributes and behaviors that make them a great fit, but you’re also showing them why you are worth working for. Patty McCord, chief talent officer at Netflix from 1998 to 2012 said, “The interview and hiring process gives a powerful first impression about how your company operates, for good or bad.”

We spend tons of time training hiring managers to follow HR best practices, stay compliant, and identify qualifications. But in all my conversations with ECCE leaders, one thing is almost universally missing: interview messaging strategy.

How should we communicate “this is a great place to work” in an authentic, compelling way? Should you literally buy the mug? (Honestly, yes.) Should you study body language? (Double yes.) Should you weave your center’s culture into the conversation? Absolutely.

I hope I’ve got you thinking. Now get out there and be the boss you’d want to work for. Your next high performer is waiting.

In solidarity (and high-top sneakers),

Mrs. Nikkie Handy

References:

1. Goler, L., Gale, J., Harrington, B., & Grant, A. (2024, November 1). Why employees quit. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2024/11/why-employees-quit

2. McCord, P. (2018, January 25). How to hire. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2018/01/how-to-hire

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