Being posed with the question of whether or not you like your job is quite common. This question can be asked by friends, colleagues, family, and others. But the catch is when your boss asks you if you like your job. You’d have to beware as this is a trick question and you cannot afford to go wrong on this, as your job may depend on your answer. Let us know ‘When Your Boss Asks If You Like Your Job?’
When Your Boss Asks If You Like Your Job?
The question of you liking your job isn’t just about the work that you have to do or the salary that’s paid for you, but also the work environment, allowances and holidays that you get. It’s an all-inclusive question, you see?
When your boss asks you if you like your job, you have to ensure your answer is the best, because sometimes this is a more vital question in your career than the ones in your interview. When your boss decides to ask you this question, you can gradually notice that he/she is probably asking this to all the employees and is doing so often too. This is a million-dollar question that has the potential to either get you fired or even get in the good books of your boss.
This question may be to know if you are content with your job and its allowances and perks. It may be to know if you are thinking of joining another job elsewhere and if the company should be ready for that. It may be to genuinely try to figure out your problems and solve them for you. You may never know the intention behind this question but you have to do your best to answer it.
Why am I Being Posed this Question by my Boss?
To see if You are a Good Fit:
This question can be asked by your boss, manager, or supervisor for a variety of reasons. They can ask this question to see if you are a suitable person for the job. They can evaluate whether or not you are a good fit for that particular job with your response. If you are not a good fit for the position that you are currently holding, you would be better off with a job more suited to your personality and the company would be better off having someone more suited for the job. In this case, it’s neither the employer’s nor the employee’s fault. You could be more effective in some other job that suited your skill set more. This can also be to know if the job description suits what you are doing currently and if you have adapted well to the job.
The question of liking your job is most often asked of new employees for obvious reasons. Old employees are rarely asked this question.
To see if You can fit Better in other Positions:
Another reason to ask this question might be to see if you would be willing to try for another position within the same company. For instance, if you are working in the accounts department and if you are not satisfied with your job and your boss feels placing you in the human resource department will do both you and the company good, he/she might offer that to you. Answering the question will be based on your experience with the current position that you hold and if you seem like you would be more satisfied with another position, you may be offered it within the same company. It might also be because the company sees some potential in you for the other position.
To Find out if You have any Plans of Resigning:
On the other hand, this might also be to know whether you have plans of resignation because you are dissatisfied with the job you hold. This will put the company in a frenzy because they will have to hire someone else and having prior notice before your resignation will prepare them as well. Supervisors generally ask this question to newly hired employees to ensure they can be prepared in case of a resignation or other things.
You Might have given a Hint that You are Dissatisfied:
One of the other reasons this question may be posed by your supervisor or boss to you is that something you may have said or done might have given them a feeling that you are not satisfied with your job. It may also be a chance for your superior to create small talk with you or to ensure that he/she doesn’t need to worry about you. Establishing trust is important in any teamwork and while it is easily achieved between colleagues, it is not that easy between a boss and an employee. Thus, your boss may try to stir some talk with you to prove himself/herself trustworthy.
The effectiveness of employees increases when they are happy with their jobs and your boss must ensure maximum effectiveness.
To Evaluate Themselves:
For all that you might know, it might also be to ensure that they are doing their work properly and making it easier for you. It may be a hidden feedback session that he/she is looking for. You can be honest with this option and compliment him/her or provide constructive criticism on his/her work. But providing criticism is best when you know your boss would take it and address it rather than trying to blame you or make the work difficult for you.
The one scenario that’s the worst of all is a subtle hint at dismissal through this question. In this case, although you are helpless, you can try to increase the odds of you staying in the job by giving a well-thought-out and clever reply. You have to be proactive and engaging in your workplace.
What Should be my Answer?
This has two sides to it. If you truly like your job, it should be an easy question for you to attempt. You can easily tell your boss that you like the job and why you like the job. You needn’t worry about the question being posed to you because you don’t have a problem with the job.
The catch is when you don’t like your job. What to do then? Well, there are two sides to this again. You can either prioritize staying in the same place and lying through your teeth about the job or you can be frank and hope your boss doesn’t sack you. If you choose to be in the same job and lie to do that, you can still be honest by first telling what you do like about your job and then going on to the more negative aspects. Rather than being too direct about your opinions and thoughts, you can try to rephrase them more politely and suggestively.
But if you choose to risk the job, you can go for a more honest and direct approach, but after having ensured that you have a backup to make your ends meet. Even then, it is advisable to be polite and suggestive rather than being too direct about it. But in some chances, being honest about it won’t leave you bereft of a job either.
One of the other reasons this question may be posed by your supervisor or boss to you is that something you may have said or done might have given them a feeling that you are not satisfied with your job. It may also be a chance for your superior to create small talk with you or to ensure that he/she doesn’t need to worry about you. Establishing trust is important in any teamwork and while it is easily achieved between colleagues, it is not that easy between a boss and an employee. Thus, your boss may try to stir some talk with you to prove himself/herself trustworthy.
The effectiveness of employees increases when they are happy with their jobs and your boss must ensure maximum effectiveness.
For all that you might know, it might also be to ensure that they are doing their work properly and making it easier for you. It may be a hidden feedback session that he/she is looking for. You can be honest with this option and compliment him/her or provide constructive criticism on his/her work. But providing criticism is best when you know your boss would take it and address it rather than trying to blame you or make the work difficult for you.
The one scenario that’s the worst of all is a subtle hint at dismissal through this question. In this case, although you are helpless, you can try to increase the odds of you staying in the job by giving a well-thought-out and clever reply. You have to be proactive and engaging in your workplace.
Yet another angle to this can be that your boss is happy with your service and wants to continue with what you give to the company and so he/she genuinely wishes to keep you happy with your job. This is a great thing because while it also means you are excelling at your job, it also means that the chances of you being fired are very less and you can be content about that for a while.
The bottom line is that when your boss poses you with this question, it may be for a variety of reasons with varying intentions and you will have had to know your boss well to know what he/she meant.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What is the best way to answer this question if I expect something more?
Start your reply with what you like about the job and then go on to politely tell them that you expect other things. But be sure to make your expectations clear, in a suggestive manner. And finish off by saying that you are happy and you would be happier if your expectations were met.
- How often will I be asked this question?
As a new employee, you will be asked this question regularly and as time goes on, the frequency of this question goes down as well.
