Finding a qualified candidate to hire is hard, especially in our current job market. According to Glassdoor, the average company in the United States spends $4,000 to hire a new employee, taking up to 52 days to fill an open position. Filling vacancies is vital to sustaining and growing your business. So when you interview and hire a job candidate, you want to retain them.
When interviewing, the hiring managers set out to whoo job candidates. They highlight excellent training, work-life balance, competitive benefits. They go on and on about purpose, mission, vision in an attempt to incite a candidate’s desire to be a part of something bigger. Hiring managers talk at length about how they use the latest and greatest technology that is designed to set their employees up for success. Furthermore, they introduce candidates to their happiest and most passionate employees to prove all they’ve said.
There are the standard interview questions and interview guides to evaluate a job candidate’s fit for the team. You review their experience, skills, and education. Despite these efforts, you aren’t retaining new hires. Try this approach to interviewing job candidates to increase new hire retention.
Be honest about your leadership style during the interview.
As the hiring manager, be honest during the interview with a job candidate about your shortcomings. In doing so, you not only help the candidate understand what they will face working for you; you will discover how they could complement those weaknesses. Remember you are your harshest critic. Your shortcomings probably aren’t as bad you portray. Better to underpromise and over deliver in this area. Being honest about your leadership style will retain new employees.
Don’t lie to job candidates about your technology.
It seems these days everyone is a tech company. It has become such a buzzword, and there is no shortage of FOMO in this area. Don’t exaggerate the technology the candidate will work with daily to do their job. Explain the tools that will enable, or hinder, their success. Furthermore, if you have a slew of manual processes or systems, they have to build themselves, be honest about it when interviewing job candidates. Giving an accurate portrayal of your technology increases new hire retention.
Tell job candidates the truth about work-life balance in your organization.
Here again, everyone wants to tout work-life balance, because employers know that is what candidates desire. When the reality of your department is long days, weekend work, and an expectation of always being connected and available then don’t leave that out of the interview. Be honest when interviewing job candidates when the role requires more than an 8 hour day.
Be upfront about the real pressures of the role when interviewing a job candidate.
While this typically isn’t a lie told by hiring managers, it is something that is not brought up. So, bring it up and put it on the table when interviewing job candidates. If the role is under pressure to perform or deliver, explain why there is pressure and how their knowledge or skills can help.
Don’t paint a fairytale version of the organizational culture if it isn’t one.
Corporate culture has been a popular point of discussion for the past 20 years or so. There are the best places to work awards, and celebrity CEOs ranked due to their organization’s culture. Many job postings start by trumpeting they are a fun and innovative place to work. Painting a fairytale version of your organizational culture is the most damning lie of all to tell when interviewing job candidates.
The thing about having an honest interview with job candidates is this. Don’t just admit the flaws and tarnish. Explain how you recognize these are issues and outline what you are doing to correct them, provided you are. If a job candidate still wants the job after you try to dissuade them with honesty, you increase the likelihood of new hire retention.
Why lying to job candidates during the interview is so baffling is that it won’t take long for them to see the truth. By being honest, you have a higher likelihood people will be happy and engaged in the relationship. They won’t feel the need to pretend to be things they aren’t. They won’t despise you for being what you said you aren’t. As with any relationship, start it off with truthfulness and transparency.
