I have been oversold on every job I ever had. Earlier in my career, when I was naive enough to believe some of the story, I ended up disappointed. Restlessness set in soon after that and within a year or eighteen months I was on to the next thing. One way to look at a person like me is to say they are a job-hopper - which is factually true. But a closer look would reveal that they had a series of breakups from short-lived relationships that is very much the norm of the dating life. That very same person when the meet the one they are meant to be with, does settle down. They get off the dating market and start a family.
So is the case with a serial job-hopper - they have been lied to early on in their career much like the person who got off to a rough start with unsuitable partners, then they get a taste for change of scenery and develop a propensity to look around all too soon and with little provocation. As does the woman who had a series of bad dates and questionable boyfriends - she comes into a new relationship with a bit of prejudice - small things can set her off.
As with relationships, it is in everyone's best interest to present the facts of the job the person is interviewing for - no sugar-coating, no half-truths and no white lies. It's a shit job but high visibility, your predecessors did not last more than a year, the prospects of growth are limited, there are things you can learn here that are fairly unique and valuable in the market, leadership is confused and trying to figure out a plan for the company, the money is pretty decent, work-life balance is great and as a boss I promise to stay out of your way and let you do your thing. These things are all true for some of the jobs I have had. If I had been told all this upfront, I might have still taken the job but come in better calibrated as far as expectations and stayed longer - the company could have avoided all the problems this article talks about.
The problem is that many hiring managers seem to forget the conversations they had during the interview once a new hire is onboarded. So stay tuned into what's going on with those you hire and help keep them on the path you previously discussed.
Whether hiring or dating, the truth may not always paint the prettiest picture. But in the long run, it doesn't matter how great something initially appears if it was all smoke and mirrors. In business, it leads to unhappy employees and higher turnover rates--a big price to pay for 'little' white lies.
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