On Our Minds

In Reconsidering the short tenure: A guide for hiring managers I shared some tips for developing an asset-based approach to engaging candidates with a few short tenures on their resumes. One of those tips was “provide a safe space for transparency,” and I think it’s worth diving deeper into what that really means.

It can be hard to navigate certain nuances in everyday conversations, and it only gets more complicated when you add the context of an interview. Being in charge of setting the tone means doing a bit of extra work to make sure the power dynamic doesn’t overwhelm a candidate’s ability to be honest. Here’s a short list of best practices to make the job a little easier. 

1. Explain your identity, values, and mindset. 
Candidates can feel a lot more comfortable if at the onset of the conversation you explain who you are and how you think. The tone of the conversation can change completely based on a little additional effort to do more than just basic introductions. In my approach, for example, I explain my experience, my identity (and how I engage with it in relation to others), as well as what draws me to this work. 

This is an excellent opportunity to share relevant beliefs to your interview approach, and give the candidate a sense of the values that are important to your organization. At On-Ramps, I can ground my perspective in my firm's equity-centered approach, and explain to candidates that it’s a safe space to share and navigate any concerns they might have. 

Candidates need to know that your views don’t make you an outlier at your organization. So when you introduce your beliefs, make the effort wherever possible to connect them to the general ethos of your workplace. If you start the conversation with a certain level of transparency, it allows the candidate to learn what you and your organization stand for and sets the stage for an open dialogue where they feel more confident to share their own values. 

2. Share your POV on short tenures. 
Short tenures might be the elephant in the room for a candidate that’s anticipating having to explain themselves. Like us, they come prepared, and they might have already practiced a measured response that keeps their short tenure from standing out in a way they fear could be negative. To counter that, share your understanding that there are a lot of factors involved in the decision to transition. 

You don’t need to, and shouldn’t be making any assumptions about a candidate’s story (that can be even more alienating). But you can and should volunteer that you’re considerate of different circumstances. Take the time to explicitly emphasize your interest in the real reasons they might have moved on from a certain position. This can help soothe a candidate’s concerns that short tenures are automatically red-flags, taking the edge off a scenario that’s already high-pressure even in the best circumstances. 

Here are a few examples of what that might look like in the interview:

• “I know there are often a lot of factors that contribute to making a switch—and I've heard them all. I'm really interested in understanding what you need to do your best work, so any additional context would be helpful."
• "From what I’ve heard about that kind of environment, it can be challenging to accomplish certain goals. Was there more to your decision to leave?” 
• “Looking back on where you've thrived and where you've not fully hit your stride, what are the factors or experiences that set you up for success? Have you noticed any patterns about where or how you've experienced challenges?”

3. Watch for vague language. 
It’s not an inquisition, but listen for places your candidate might be glossing over a more complete answer. It’s natural for candidates to avoid talking in too much detail about short tenures. But honestly, 90% of the time, if you just shine a little bit of light on things without being antagonistic, you spark up a conversation that paints a clearer image. 

You have to be aware of the power dynamic in the interview and how it often means you’ll need to prompt for more information rather than just say you’re interested in it. Candidates are trying to think two steps ahead, and it can be hard for them not to feel like open invitations are more courtesy than truth. When you hear vague or generic answers, open up the dialogue by saying something like “Tell me more about what sparked you to move from X to Y” or “I didn't get the full picture of that, could you tell me more?”

4. Explain the benefits of a complete picture. 
Make it clear that understanding a candidate’s full career arc helps you advocate for them better. I usually remind them that I'm not just doing a resume walkthrough; I'm really trying to understand where they’ve been and where they’re headed. At the same time you acknowledge the pressure they might feel around transparency, point out the value of it. 

Take the time to explain how this conversation allows you to highlight specific skills and values that could make them an excellent fit in your organization's dynamics. Where they might feel the details could ruin their chances, assure them that developing a fuller sense of what's motivated and inspired their transitions makes it much easier to understand them holistically as a person and develop an understanding of what you can offer each other.

The takeaway
While reconsidering our approach to short tenures gives us more opportunities to connect with good candidates, that doesn’t happen unless we also create a welcoming interview dynamic. In order to get full stories from candidates, we have to make the effort to make honesty as comfortable as possible. 

Interviewing with a nuanced perspective isn’t a skill someone can teach in a blog post, but the work of getting more competent at handling diverse experiences is constantly expanding. There’s always more to learn, and I hope these tips can help ground you in a desire to grow and act from understanding. 

Meet Robert Mayer
Rob has been with On-Ramps since 2010. As a Partner, he leads client engagements across a broad range of issue areas including policy and advocacy, education, and philanthropy. He also leads the firm's client development work. Connect with Rob and the other On-Rampers at info@on-ramps.com.