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Let’s Be Clear—Retention Begins with the
Interview
(By Melinda Pittman)
If
you’re reading this article, it’s because you are in a
position of interviewing and hiring for your
organization. That, in itself, is a huge responsibility,
and my goal is to offer you a few new concepts to consider for
the next interview in which you’re
involved.
Your
days are so full and you just don’t seem to have the time for
a lengthy interview process, but the “clearer” you are
in the interview, both over the phone and in person, the
better your chances of keeping a new employee for a very long
time. Retention is not just a buzzword these
days; it’s a vital part of company growth and
profitability.
According to a recent survey conducted by the
Hudson Employment Index, 75% of all employees surveyed labeled
their interview experience as either good or excellent.
Only 5% rated the interview as poor. However, of the
candidates who believed the interview was a good one, 20%
still indicated that the job they accepted did not match the
job they were told about during the interview process, and 19%
said they did not meet their boss before joining the
company!
According to another survey by the Novations
Group, a global consulting firm based in Boston, 33% of
surveyed companies lost 1/4 of their new employees within 12
months. The top reasons included unrealistic
expectations for the job, the inability to get along with the
supervisor, and not possessing the proper skills for the
position. I think the combination of these two surveys
has clearly identified a lack of clear communication
during the interview
process!
The interview
presentation
When I
say the word “table,” what comes to your mind? Is it
your kitchen table, is it your picnic table, is it a table at
your favorite restaurant, or is it a table in a
document? Word choice and word pictures conjure
something different in every individual’s thinking. The
same thing happens when you use the phrase “heavy work
load.” It will be different for everyone. So let’s
look at how to make our choice of questioning “clear” during
the interview process. The best advice is to keep asking
questions about a
statement.
Have
the potential candidate present to you their understanding of
the particular job description and how they see themselves
doing the job. This process will be very revealing to
you. Keep asking questions about what they’ve just
stated, until you are BOTH clear on job specifics, as well as
personal fit. (Again, I refer back to the
TABLE.)
One
more suggestion: share the process. I recommend
that you have one other person, perhaps your direct report,
participate in the entire process. Make certain everyone
involved in the interview is clear on the requirements and in
agreement. Being clear from the start—inside the
organization and with the potential new hire—will result in a
better fit for you, the new hire, the department, and the
company . . . and retention will soar. Retention
begins with the
interview!
(So
now that the interview is over and you’ve identified the ideal
candidate for the position, what’s next? The offer of
employment, of course, but is the offer you’re going to make
the complete offer? In our next
issue, we’re going to address and analyze the various
components of the employment offer, as well as discuss why
presenting a complete offer is vitally important in a
competitive talent
market.) | 