The scene is a common one. An impeccably-groomed professional with a world-class CV, an even more impressive cover letter and brilliant over-the-phone communication skills has been screened and shortlisted for an interview. He or she is seated at your interview table. It starts off well enough and all seems more or less in order . . . that is until you ask the question that is one of the ultimate tests of character: ''Why are you leaving your current job?''
If you are lucky, your due diligence thus far has paid off, and the professional will pass this test, too. However, the scenario often is as follows: the answer may start benignly enough but then perhaps acquiring a level of comfort at your sympathy with the candidate, they will start badmouthing their boss, sometimes mildly, but often with something akin to venom.
The candidate in pinstripes who has so far impressed so much may suddenly attest with confident righteousness that they were ''unfairly/unjustly/unethically'' treated, trained and paid; that the management that hired them and invested in them and paid their salaries was ''poor'', ''dishonest'''' ''corrupt'', ''lazy'', ''unprofessional'', ''incapable'', ''unqualified'' or ''stingy''; that the organisation was ''a terrible one'' with ''a bad brand'' and ''a poor reputation'', a ''''sinking ship'''' they will say, and that some or many of their colleagues were ''low calibre'', ''backstabbers'' and worse. They may then proceed to generously and willingly offer far more negative and privileged information about the perceived poor practices of their past employer than you ever cared to know.
Little does the candidate in the interview chair know that they have just done themselves the most supreme disservice. There are few if any employers who want or will tolerate a disloyal employee. Low satisfaction with a job for very concrete reasons is one thing and professional jobseekers will know how to professionally articulate that and move on to a more constructive dialogue; supreme disloyalty is entirely another. The candidate far from presenting him/herself as a ''''poor victim'''' has actually simply cast doubt on their integrity and character and come across as disrespectful, disloyal, disgruntled, dissatisfied, difficult and potentially a threat.
If there is one thing any experienced manager knows it is that sour apples will usually spread discontent in the workplace faster than you can say ''watercooler gossip'' and that the risks of hiring a serial badmouther is that they will do exactly the same to you. In this age of faster-than-light candidate attraction tools and even faster brand politics an employer's main challenge is to be able to hire mature professionals who can do the job but who can also be trusted.
And nothing breaks that seal of trust more surely than a history of breaking the trust of previous employers. Social networking tools compound the problem as they present employers with a whole new realm of potential for brand damage from disgruntled employees who can leverage these tools in a careless or irresponsible manner.
Much is new in the world of recruitment thanks to the pace of change at the world’s leading jobsites and HR institutions. However, some things remain fixed and eternal - and the importance of integrity, sound character and good judgment in a workmate is one them.
Anything that smacks of belittling, badmouthing, or taking advantage of a previous employer will usually set off in the employer''s head a red sign that points straight to the exit.
For such situations, it is interesting to keep in mind some facts and figures from Bayt.com’s loyalty and engagement studies:
The Bayt.com Employee Motivation at the Middle East Workplace poll (https://www.bayt.com/en/blog/30648/middle-east-professionals-emphasize-the-need-for-more-transparent-communication-channels/):
* 87.7% of Middle East professionals are loyal to their current employers.
* According to ME professionals, their loyalty motivators are: salary (27.9%), available growth opportunities (18.7%), relationships with boss/management/colleagues (16.5%), the nature of the job (14.2%), training and development schemes (7.2%), the company’s position in the market (6.9%), corporate culture (5.9%), and 2.6% indicated that other reasons other keep them motivated.
* 73.7% of ME professionals believe that transparent communication channels are very important to their loyalty motivation levels
* 64.2% of professionals are actively searching for a new job.
The Bayt.com Reward Programs and Employee Engagement in the Middle East Poll (https://www.bayt.com/en/blog/30567/77-of-middle-east-employees-feel-engaged-at-work-despite-62-9-of-companies-offering-no-incentives/):
* 77% of Middle East employees feel engaged at work, despite 62.9% of companies offering no incentives.
* 44.7% of employees claim that first and foremost, more opportunities to learn and grow within the company are needed to make them feel more engaged.
* A better salary and benefits package comes in as a distant second with 17.1%, trailing behind is a clear career path (13.7%); a good relationship with colleagues (9.1%); and a good relationship with their manager or supervisor (8.6%). Only 6.8% believe that more recognition or appreciation will increase their level of engagement at work.
* 68.4% understand what is expected of them in their current role.
* Companies that are attempting to boost engagement levels are doing so by showing more recognition (25.3%), giving more rewards (22.5%), encouraging open communication (24.5%), increasing transparency (13.3%), and empowering staff (14.5%).
