Question

An organization is experiencing a problem with new hires for a specific position leaving the company within the first six to nine months. They previously had several long-term employees in this position, but those employees have retired.

The HR director performs research and determines that several of the employees have joined a competitor. The HR director decides to employ a third-party firm to conduct a salary survey and do a complete review of the job description and a job analysis for the position. Additionally, the HR director performs an internal employee opinion survey in which employees share their belief that the current benefits package lags that of other companies in the area. The results from the third-party survey confirm that the company is lagging the competitor by a large margin in terms of compensation and that the benefits package is no longer competitive.
It has also been discovered that managers are not providing candidates with an accurate representation of the day-to-day activities in the positions they are interviewing for. Which action should the HR director take to help hiring managers understand the criticality of a realistic job preview?

A. Recommending that all hiring managers be placed on a performance improvement plan for their interviewing shortcomings
B. Conducting refresher training for experienced managers and more in-depth training for new managers on effective interviewing
C. Partnering with managers to review current job descriptions to create a representation of the typical workday
D. Discussing with managers the importance of accurate representations in the interview, turnover costs, and their questions

Answer 1

The HR director should address the high turnover in a key position by providing a realistic job preview during the interview process. This can include refresher training for managers, updating job descriptions, and explaining the costs of high turnover.

Step-by-step explanation:

An organization is grappling with a high turnover rate for a key position, and research suggests that the issue may stem from non-competitive compensation, benefits, and possibly a misrepresentation of the job's responsibilities during the hiring process. To address this, the HR director should consider multiple actions to improve the situation. First and foremost, the HR director can provide a realistic job preview, ensuring that the hiring managers accurately portray the day-to-day activities of the role during interviews. This can be achieved through different strategies:

• Conducting refresher training for all managers on effective interviewing techniques, emphasizing the importance of presenting a realistic and accurate job description during the hiring process. This includes in-depth training for new managers.

• Partnering with managers to revisit and update current job descriptions to better reflect on-the-job experiences.

• Discussing the fiscal impact of high turnover and the potential costs associated with it, to underline the significance of a truthful portrayal of the position from the outset.

Implementing these actions should thus help the hiring managers understand the criticality of a realistic job preview, which in turn may reduce early turnover and improve the likelihood of attracting candidates who are a better fit for the job and more likely to stay with the company long-term.