Let's Be Honest in Interviews

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.