Are you taking an interview any time soon?
Remember that in many cases, the recruiters are equally driven to bring on board a specific individual on-board, especially if they believe that he or she will be major asset to the organisation. In order to make that happen, they may often resort to inflated promises and sugar-coated untruths to convey the idea that their workplace is the most ideal for the candidate.
However, once the candidates finally begin the work, they may find themselves in a drastically different situation. This disillusionment may cause have severe consequences at the workplace.
It is important to identify these untruths and tackle them effectively in the first interaction itself to avoid any future complications.
In this article, Team YLCC brings you exclusive insights on the 7 common untruths that employers usually tell employees and how you can deal with them in an effective manner. Read on!
- THERE IS A MASSIVE SCOPE FOR GROWTH AND PROMOTIONS
It is typical behaviour by companies to lure talent to their ranks by promising them ample opportunities to grow within the company. Although it some cases it is true, for most cases it turns out to be a massive exaggeration of the actual opportunities available. Although it may seem like a compliment to your potential, it is important not to be easily convinced.
How To Handle This– To find out whether their promises of growth are genuine, the candidate may choose to ask the interviewer a simple open-ended question towards the end of the interview.
‘Can you give me an example of someone who was recently hired recently within the last few years who has been promoted? Someone with a profile similar to mine? Also, what did he/she do to accomplish that?’
Asking this question is likely to compel the recruiters to come up with a genuine answer on the true state of affairs. If their answer attempts to circumvent or is not very convincing, the candidate may infer that the promise was a façade.
- YOU WILL HAVE COMPLETE DISCRETION OF THE PROJECT
For those candidates who are core professionals especially in technical fields, recruiters tend to promise that they will near-absolute control of the project. This is an incentive for those candidates who are independent and self-driven and who have an inclination to take ownership of projects by adding their ingenuity to it.
Although this sounds exciting; this statement may be partially or entirely false. Regardless of the nature of the project or the designation of the employee, a certain degree of oversight is omnipresent- that is simply how an organisation works.
How To Handle This– Inquire on this promise by asking for further details.
‘Can you elaborate when you say ‘complete ownership’? Also, can you give me an example from your current team members who have full ownership of projects? And what kind of projects are they?’
If the recruiters are unable to substantiate their statement through case studies, they are likely to be selling you a lie only to motivate you to take the job.
- THIS JOB COMES WITH A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY AND WORK FROM HOME IS PERMITTED ON CERTAIN OCCASIONS
Sounds too good be to be true? It might as well be!
In a post-pandemic environment, where job flexibility and WFH options are immensely sought-after options by candidates, recruiters may use this promise to make the position more attractive for a candidate.
How To Handle This– Some companies may offer either flexibility or work from home, it is on very rare occasions that they offer both. If a recruiter promises you this, you may try to obtain more information by asking them the following questions-
‘How do employees apply for work from home? Is it for limited days? How is flexibility managed at your company? Is there someone I can speak to who can guide me how they meet company goals while keeping work flexibility?’
If they do not respond to this with a lot of conviction or indicate that they do not have a proper structure in place for providing WFH, chances are these assurances are little more than a hoax meant to tempt you into joining.
- DO NOT WORRY, YOUR ANNUAL BONUSES WILL DOUBLE YOUR INCOME
Doubling your income? Is it truly that simple?
It is true that some Fortune 500 companies or companies with a similar stature offer massive bonuses to their employees, but they are not likely to flaunt this in an interview.
How To Handle This– A simple and straightforward way to find out if what they are promising is indeed true can be by asking to meet one of their employees who has received this extraordinary reward.
‘Oh wow! That’s wonderful! May I meet someone who has earned such a bonus? I would like to know how they accomplish that.’
- SALARY IS BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE
This is perhaps the most common, misleading statement in the history of recruitment. In fact, this is clearly mentioned on most job postings as well as over telephonic conversations.
This is also alternatively framed by stating ‘Salary Is No Bar For The Right Candidate’ in order to attract the most skillful workforce.
However, this may not always be true owing to the fact that the salary for a position is often determined from a number of factors such as budget allocation, job requirement and workforce present instead of industry standards.
How To Handle This– The best way to find out the truth is by knowing the average pay of the designation and company you’re applying for. By knowing the salaries, you can know for sure if they give out the salaries based on experience or is it just a tactic to attract skilled employees. When the recruiters realise that you are aware of the true industry standards, they will know that what they are offering you will perhaps not suffice in the grand scheme of things.
- YOU WILL GET THE CHANCE TO WORK ON GREAT PROJECTS IN THE FUTURE
Employers know for a fact that employees are attracted to only a few things- either well-paid salaries or growth and learning opportunities. Sometimes, they may use this to make sure that the employee is excited about the unique and diverse work prospects in the future, although in reality there may be none.
How To Handle This- If the recruiter mentions this during the interview, it would be a good move to ask for clarity on it right away:
‘Can you give me some examples of employees who have got the opportunity to work on different projects later in their career? What did they exactly do to be allowed to work on different projects?’
The recruiter’s response to your inquiries will make it clear on whether it is a true possibility or an empty promise. Ambiguous answers usually point to the latter.
- WE WILL HIRE YOU SOME HELP WHEN THE TIME COMES
Sometimes, a recruiter may commit to supporting you with added workforce, especially if the project you will be working on is extensive and you are the only individual working on it.
This may or may not happen later.
How To Handle This– The simple way to reveal the truth is by asking them if they have done something similar in the past.
‘Have you hired such help for some of your existing team members before?’
Or
‘What is the process of identifying and budgeting additional workforce?’
If it has not been done in the past, the chances of it happening for you is highly unlikely so you shall have to decide accordingly.
In conclusion, it can be said that sometimes it may be difficult for companies to fully determine whether the companies are genuine in such commitments. At times, even though the recruiters may have intended to make good on their promise, they may be able to do owing to certain extraneous factors beyond their control. For the candidate, it is important to understand his or her priorities and try to learn more about the company and its employees before taking the call on an offer.
YLCC would like to thank the Content Team for their valuable insights in this article.
