Sharing the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Job Roles

Hearing the truth is rarely easy but finding out the truth after the fact is much harder. So, why do recruiters and job candidates skate around the truth in a job interview? A candidate tells a recruiter what they think they want to hear, and recruiters delay telling an applicant the truth about what’s necessary in a job. Such evasion is a detriment to both parties.

Create a Dialogue
If we’re honest, most job roles have core tasks that can be boring, and many jobs require lengthy hours away from family and friends. If either party fails to honestly acknowledge what’s needed to be successful in a role both the recruiter and the new hire are in danger of failing. Knowing if an individual is up to the task long-term is a critical part of the hiring equation.

For a job recruiter, a lack of honesty could mean being right back in the same position, hiring someone else for the same role months or even weeks later. For the job candidate, it means having to explain why they’re looking for a job again and why the last one didn’t work out. An honest discussion gives both parties a chance to ask questions and decide if the job is a good fit.

Pull Back the Curtain
A Harvard Business Review article encourages those who hire to “Show candidates your warts.” The authors smartly warn that hiding things from candidates in an age of social media will only backfire. Savvy candidates have a host of research options to choose from including Glassdoor, LinkedIn, alumni sites and social channels.

Plus, a candidate who feels duped by a recruiter’s word will be less inclined to give their best. Beginning a potential relationship with transparency sets the tone for a better working relationship moving forward. Be honest about the workplace and the company. Share what motivates current employees and be aware that what’s an asset for one person may not be a good fit for someone else.

Be Blunt
Approach these discussions by directly asking if the candidate would be happy with [fill-in-the-blank potential drawback]. This could be anything from a high percentage of travel to long work hours or less-flexible scheduling options. Honest questions are more likely to produce honest answers, even if the answer isn’t what the other party wants to hear. It’s much better to know the answer now than discover these things post-hire.

Putting it into Practice
At Staffing Kansas City, we believe in asking the tough questions up front. As a result, our placement ratio is higher than the industry standard and we have many candidates we helped years ago that continue to grow with the companies where we initially placed them. Some even work with us today as hiring managers. We know it’s important for us to be on the same page with our clients and our candidates, sharing the good, the bad and the ugly. Our success rate proves that.