“Can they do the job for us?” is the central question the hiring process has traditionally focused on. Does the candidate have skills and experience with x, y or z?

Yet when an employee quits or is terminated, how often is their departure related to this qualifying skill or experience? Rarely.

As a recruiter I ask every candidate why they’re considering a new role (and quitting their current one). It’s almost always related to something they’re not getting from their employer–advancement opportunities, support or a certain nuance of company culture.

So if we want to increase employee tenure, our hiring process needs to ask “Are we the right employer for this candidate?”

Yes, we still need to vet our candidates for hard skills. But we need to devote equal bandwidth to determining those intangible things that make individual candidates happy and productive. And we need to thoughtfully consider whether our organization possesses those things.

Here’s a few strategies you can use to accomplish this:

Dig into their work history. For organizations that they spent the greatest amount of time at, ask “It looks like you stayed at Acme a while. What did you like about it?” For every job in their recent past, you need to dig into the reasons they left it. “You weren’t feeling supported?” Dig deeper. “What was missing?”

Ask what they’re looking for. This can be as simple as asking them the top 5 things they want at their next job and company. Practice curiosity with the answers. If they mention work-life balance, ask them what that means to them. If they mention company culture, ask them to explain what that looks like.

Uncover long term career goals. What are they hoping to learn and do in the future? Are they looking for a particular title? Do they have long-term commitment to their industry and field?

Once you have this information you need to ask whether your company can meet their needs. Is your culture a match? Can you provide the mentorship and/or growth they’re desiring? If you have any concerns, be sure to clear them with the candidate before proceeding.

If hiring for retention is important to you, here’s 3 reasons why you might consider a 3rd party recruitment partner:

Candidates tend to be more open and honest with third party recruiters. More is revealed to a third party than the company that’s hiring.
Recruiters offer an outside perspective on your company and whether it’s a good match for the candidate.
Good recruiters back their placement with a replacement guarantee. Matchmaking questions weigh heavy on us and it’s in our best interest to get them right.

Feel free to contact me with any recruitment or retention questions.