
Let's Be Honest in Interviews - chipzimmus
http://dandonahue.net/professional/2016/01/15/lets-be-honest-in-interviews.html
======
shostack
This post really resonated with me. In a past life I was involved in most of
the hiring for a large functional group in the ad agency world. Ad agencies
are notorious for their poor work/life balance, and this shop was no
different. As I was often the last person to interview (once they'd made it
through everyone else), I'd typically ask some question to the extent of "has
anyone discussed the workload and typical hours with you?" People with a
couple years experience would often say "no, but I expect they are typical for
agencies" indicating they knew what the game was. Entry-level candidates
needed it spelled out though, which I did.

The ones that accepted the offers inevitably all told me at some point down
the line that they appreciated that I didn't sugar coat things in the
interview. I also found that it helped them be happier in the role because the
job better aligned with their expectations for it.

What candidates did not see were the battles I fought behind the scenes to get
more resources, push for SOWs that were actually reasonable based on the team
allocations, etc. That said, the fact that there's really no changing that in
a low-margin service-based industry was a large part of why I decided to go to
a a healthy product-based company that didn't react negatively when I stated
one of my top requirements for a company is a healthy work/life balance.

That's just one example, but there have been other hiring situations I've
experienced throughout my career where I wish I could have been very candid
about things like:

"You would be filling a hole in a team with constant churn because of poor
management"

"The client you will be on is a real asshole who yells at everyone and has
unrealistic demands"

"We typically pay below market because everyone wants to work on our clients
and we know you'll be gone in 1-2 years anyway"

The list goes on. I've also been on the receiving end of some of this when
looking for a job. I'm fortunate that I'm accomplished enough in my career to
have the luxury of being pickier in where I work, so I'm able to ask some
pretty blunt questions that others might frown on to get to the root of these,
and the answers are always enlightening, and I avoid situations that almost
certainly would have been miserable. But I also get the hiring manager's
perspective...if you are resource starved and drowning, sugar-coating things
is more likely to get people accepting the offer and being there at least in
the short term. It can be really hard to put the long-term health of the
company ahead of your personal pain when you are just an overwhelmed cog in
the machine. Being honest and upfront about these things takes bravery, and
will inevitably grow your team with people whose expectations match the
reality.

