The New Interview Transparency

Today’s Job Seekers Value Transparency

Transparency hasn’t always been highly valued in the workplace.  Organizations kept finances, key decisions, and even the specifics or certain roles under wraps. However, as the expectations of workers have shifted and companies have amended their practices to keep up.  Forward-thinking workplaces are embracing transparency, especially in the interview process.

• 15% of job seekers report ghosting an interview process due to a lack of transparency.
• Job candidates agreed that salary transparency was the most important part of a job ad (something that best practices of yesteryear would’ve frowned upon).
• If you’re not transparent, job seekers are going to find out. A whopping 86% of employees and job seekers research company reviews and ratings (on sites like Indeed or Glassdoor) to decide whether to apply for a job.
• Transparency is also integral for retention. Almost 30% of job seekers left a job within the first 90 days of starting, which often indicates a misalignment between what they were sold and the reality of a role.

Since transparency is what will get applicants to apply and stick with the interview process, it’s vital that today’s forward-thinking organizations make their interview processes as transparent as possible. Here are our tips for doing that:

Tips for Making the Interview Process More Transparent

Ask “Real Questions”

Traditional job interview questions were often hypothetical, with candidates being asked to speculate on how they’d handle themselves in made-up situations with a team of unknown colleagues. This type of interview reveals very little about the candidate besides their ability to give glossy responses to classic interview questions (that they could easily look up online…how many times have you heard that someone’s greatest weakness is “caring too much?”).

Do Team Interviews

Group hiring shows the candidate exactly who is on the team and puts them together face to face. This approach is becoming increasingly popular due to the benefits and success of a more inclusive interview procedure that increases your chances of hiring the right individual.

Not only does a collaborative hiring process give you a better idea of how the candidate will fit into your company, but it also gives the interviewee a realistic glimpse into the inner workings of your organization. Seeing how the current team interacts and having a chance to ask them direct questions about the role is beneficial for the candidate as well.

Who Should Be There?

Besides the relevant higher-ups, there are other key players that may typically be overlooked but can add real value to the hiring process. Employees at all levels, including peers and subordinates, are important to have involved in hiring a new team member. These employees will work closely with the new hire and can provide valuable insight on what the group needs to function well. Don’t make the mistake of having a top-heavy interview panel when a well-rounded group provides a much more comprehensive view of the kind of candidate the role needs.

Let’s Talk Specifics: Great Interview Questions to Ask

A meaningful discussion lies in asking the right questions, and in collaborative interviews. Meaningful questions to ask include:

• What strengths can you bring to the existing group?
• What do you see as your role on the team?
• What potential conflicts might you anticipate as part of the team dynamics and how will you respond to these challenges?

Make sure you also give the candidate plenty of time to ask any questions they may have! Transparency is all about not holding anything back and telling someone everything they’d like to know, not just a glossed-over version of what you think they should hear.

Discuss Salary Early

LinkedIn found that 70% of professionals want to hear about salary within the first call from a recruiter. And while it’s starting to become more normalized, 50% of companies still don’t like to advertise salary in job postings or early on in the interview process. By being upfront with your salary offerings, you not only save both yourself and potential candidates from wasting time, but you also make yourself stand out in terms of transparency.

Salary is important to job candidates, and despite companies shying away from sharing it early, there's a real case for Including Salary in Your Job Postings.

Paint an Accurate Picture of the Role

Painting an accurate picture of what the role entails is important for two key reasons:

1. You want someone who actually fits the role as is, not as you think it should be marketed. You’re doing your organization and job seekers a disservice if you’re not hiring based on a role’s reality.
2. Retention! The best job candidates know they have other options and won’t hesitate to walk if the role they interviewed for is not the role they end up working. Hiring costs time and money. Save your organization both by being upfront about the day-to-day of every role, even the non-glamorous parts.

Transparency is Here to Stay

Work is becoming more and more employee-centric, and transparency is part of that change. Organizations that want to attract and keep top talent will work to ensure their hiring transparency is up to par.

Being transparent during hiring will increase your applicant traffic. Find out more tips for getting better candidates into your applicant pool by downloading The HiringThing Guide to Increasing Your Applicant Traffic today!

Related Resources

• The Case for Including Salary in Your Job Postings
• How to Avoid Getting Ghosted By Job Candidates
• The Importance of Being People Forward
• Five Tips for Improving the Candidate Experience

About HiringThing

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