Nothing is more frustrating or deflating than investing months and years in training a new colleague for success, only to learn they lack the passion for the work and will seek an opportunity in another discipline elsewhere. All of the time, resources, and energy invested in the colleague are instantly wiped away with no tangible benefits going forward. What a waste!
As this happens with multiple new colleagues over time, the willingness for others to mentor new team members becomes severely diminished. Team morale suffers as well as newly skilled team members leave the organization without concern for the people who invested in them.
In some organizations, the revolving door of new hires who leave after a short time to pursue entirely new disciplines undermines the desire to invest in anyone new. While this problem is not new, it seems to have become even more common in recent years.
What can leaders and recruiters do about this dilemma?
It’s nearly impossible during the recruiting process to discern whether a prospective team member has the passion, commitment, and interest to build their skills and engage in the work of the enterprise over the long term. After all, passions can shift as life experiences alter what is most important to people.
Others, such as more junior team members, have yet to conclude what really excites them or where they want to invest their time. Some won’t admit it during the interview process, but they never intend to stay more than a few years. They see the role as simply a job and they intend to explore new ones as they present themselves.
While there are no surefire ways to guarantee that a prospective team member has or will sustain the passion necessary for a long-term commitment to the work, one question offers a lens into how the candidate sees themselves relative to the discipline and the work. Asking prospective team members what they see themselves doing in 5-10 years will often reveal where their true passions lie. Fascinatingly, most people are very honest when addressing this question.
Answers will range from “I have no idea” to “I can see myself doing something entirely different in 5 to 10 years.” Because prospective hires typically can’t see why an honest answer to the question would cause concern, they are commonly very open in their expression. While the answer should not be a final litmus test, it is a valuable piece of data as interviewers explore whether a commitment and passion for the work exists.
Of course, the answer leaders hope for goes something like this: “I hope I’m still in this organization, doing amazing work, and enjoying great personal and team success.” While some candidates will be savvy enough to read between the lines and offer this answer even if it’s not genuine, they would be the exception.
Ask people what work they see themselves engaged in or doing in the distant future, and you are likely to catch a glimpse of whether they have any degree of real passion for what the enterprise is all about.
Recruiting new colleagues who lack a passion and commitment for the work is a big miss that can destroy the morale of the team as they depart after a huge investment in them. When it comes to passion for the work, the fewer misses the better.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
