My favorite quote about statistics is, “If you have one foot in scalding hot water and one foot in freezing cold water on the average you are comfortable.” With this quote in mind, according to a Hudson Survey, 75% of all employees surveyed label their interview experience as either good or excellent. Only 5% rate the interview as poor. However, and here is the other foot, 20% say the job they took did not match the job they were told about in the interview. And a similar number, 19%, say they did not meet their boss before joining the company. A Hudson representative concluded, “There is room for improvement;”you think!

Unrealistic job expectations
Another survey by the Novations Group finds 33% of surveyed companies lost 25% of their new employees in 12 months, and 11% of those surveyed lost 50% of their new employees in the first 12 months. The number one reason, say 48% of respondents (drum roll, please) is due to unrealistic expectations of the job. Interestingly, an additional 33% of the employees could not get along with the (unmet previous to employment?) supervisor, while 23% of the candidates did not have the skills to do the job. I think the combination of these two surveys have clearly identified a communication chasm in the interview process.

The employment interview presentation
I am an avid proponent of the employment interview presentation. The cornerstone of the presentation is the first section in which the candidate addresses their understanding of the critical requirements of the job. These requirements include the tasks, functions, success metrics, and immediate goals of the position. Using this visual list of requirements, the candidate and the hiring manager engage in a productive conversation during which a clear expectation of the position can emerge. Once this clear expectation emerges, the candidate continues the presentation by talking about how their background, skills, education, and experiences match the requirements of the job.

As the candidate goes through the section addressing how their background, skills, experience, and education match the requirements, it becomes clear whether they fit the job. Because the presentation is structured, visual, and each requirement is addressed, the job fit decision becomes obvious.

It is incumbent upon the hiring company to first determine the requirements of the position and then provide a first class job description to job candidates. Unfortunately, this is the exception not the rule. Fortunately, though, a job candidate does not have to take this omission passively in the interview. By preparing an employment interview presentation with a list of job requirements as they understand them, the candidate guides the interview into a conversation that will address the requirements. During this conversation either the requirements will be clear or it will become obvious the company is confused about what the candidate will be doing once they are at their desk. This is important information for both the hiring company and the candidate who is deciding to take the job if offered.

The employment interview presentation effectively and efficiently addresses the two most glaring interview miscommunications: mismatched job expectations and the candidate’s ability to do the job. And if the hiring manager is at the interview, the candidate and the hiring manager both will find out if “we can all just get along.”