What is a realistic job preview?
A realistic job preview is a presentation that a company puts together to help job seekers understand the reality of an open job. The preview showcases both the positive and negative aspects of the job, company and culture — that way, applicants can decide early on if it’s the right fit. The goal of a realistic job preview is to set reasonable expectations during the hiring process.
How can realistic job previews help the hiring process?
Hiring plays a big role in your company’s success, impacting everything from productivity to turnover. Realistic job previews help you narrow the field of applicants, so you can find employees who are aligned with the company and culture.
Set realistic expectations
The realistic job preview bridges the gap between the job description and reality. It brings the description to life, showing candidates how the listed responsibilities translate to day-to-day tasks. Applicants understand what they’re getting into, so they can come to work feeling prepared and informed.
Save time and money
By presenting honest, unbiased information about an open position, a realistic job preview helps job seekers decide whether to apply. As a result, more people will opt out of the process after seeing the preview.
While fewer applicants might sound like a drawback, it actually saves a great deal of time. Chances are, those people would have left the hiring process down the road — usually, after you’ve spent time and money reviewing applications and conducting interviews. By helping job seekers self-select right away, you can invest hiring resources in people who are truly excited about the company and the job.
Lower turnover
Imagine that a new employee arrives for their first day expecting one thing, only to discover that the reality is something else entirely. They’d be unhappy and more likely to quit.
That scenario is what the realistic job preview tries to prevent; it helps align a new employee’s expectations with reality, so they’re more likely to be satisfied with the position. This can result in higher job satisfaction and lower employee turnover. For the company, that translates to reduced hiring and onboarding costs and higher productivity.
Drawbacks of a realistic job preview
In the beginning, a realistic job preview tends to reduce the number of applicants for an open position. This may draw out the hiring process while you wait for the right person. If you need to hire quickly, the delay can present problems.
In some cases, a job preview can bring up issues in your hiring process. If you notice that the applicant numbers drop significantly after you publish the preview, it may be worth investigating. You may find that applicants are seeing a mismatch between the job duties and compensation or that the employee experience is out of alignment with current standards.
How do realistic job previews work?
You can present a realistic job preview any time during the hiring process. Earlier is better than later, especially if you want to save time.
Job previews can come in a variety of formats, including:
- Written description: Use a few paragraphs to explain any aspect of the job or company that candidates need to understand. Written previews are easy to put together, which is handy when you’re short on time or money. You can include them in any and all hiring materials, including the initial job description.
- Video: If you have the production budget, a video job preview is one of the most effective options. It gives you the freedom to communicate the company’s physical spaces and atmosphere, which makes it easier to set expectations. You can publish your video online and include the link in all job materials.
- Assessment module: Interactive modules help introduce candidates to the job by presenting real-world scenarios. After reading the description, candidates must decide how they would proceed. Since they’re more technologically involved, these previews typically happen later; you might include them in a skills assessment. If you have an online job listing or application, it’s also possible to add the module earlier in the process.
When a potential applicant or candidate reads, watches or completes the realistic job preview, they have a choice — they can continue with the hiring process or stop right away. Either way, you can rest assured that the people who choose to continue are more informed and connected to the company.
Ideas for realistic job previews
What should you include in a realistic job preview? The content is completely flexible — it depends on the company and the job.
As you’re planning a job preview, keep one word in mind: “realistic.” The presentation should explain what it’s truly like to work for your company. To get ideas, try asking current employees:
- What they wish they’d known on their first day
- The highlights and challenges of the job
- Likes and dislikes about company culture
It’s important to showcase both the positive and negative elements of the job. Examples of positive aspects include professional development programs, a philanthropic company mission and the tight-knit company culture. On the flip side, you could show long hours, tight deadlines or a fast-paced environment.
The most effective previews have a structure with a clear beginning, middle and end; many use storytelling elements to bring the job to life.
1. Day or week in the life of an employee
In the confines of a job description, explaining what it’s like to work at a job can be challenging. That’s where a “day in the life” job preview comes in. All you need to do is describe what the employee might do on a normal day. This type of preview is easy to do in writing.
The trick? Include realistic details. For example, you might talk about how the employee starts the day by responding to emails, has a quick lunch at their desk and spends the afternoon in meetings.
For a more comprehensive preview, consider adding details about the week. You might talk about the weekly meeting schedule, client interactions or major events like business trips and conferences.
2. Job shadowing
This type of realistic job preview is similar to the “day in the life,” but it’s usually communicated via video rather than in writing. The video follows the employee throughout the day, showing how they spend their time.
Depending on your budget and staff availability, there are a few ways to do this type of preview. For a low-cost option, take a cue from social media and have an employee film the video with the selfie camera on their phone. The person can talk directly to the camera to explain what they’re doing at each stage of the day.
If you prefer a higher production value, follow someone with a camera. This strategy enables you to capture interviews and candid shots of the person at work; it also makes it easy to get footage of the workspace. Later, you can add in transitions and captions explaining the timeline.
3. Employee interviews
Some realistic job previews focus on the collective employee experience rather than an individual position. This is a great option if you have a larger company; it showcases the company’s vibe in a single video.
To cover all your bases, try to interview employees in different positions and levels of seniority. Ask them what it’s like to work for the company, and encourage them to explain the job’s highlights and challenges. This is a particularly effective option if your company relies heavily on collaboration rather than independent work.
4. Company tour
Show applicants where they’ll be working with a video tour of the office. It’s most useful to film during a workday — you can capture the company’s energy and show how and where people work.
A company tour can help applicants picture their everyday experiences as an employee. It sets expectations about the facilities and amenities and shows how employees interact. This is helpful if an applicant has specific preferences regarding privacy and proximity.
5. Example scenarios
If you’re leaning toward a realistic job preview that includes an interactive module, you might consider adding a range of realistic scenarios. Include a mix of positive and negative examples that reflect the reality of the job.
For a customer service position, you might include a scenario where an angry caller demands to talk to a manager. To balance it out, you could add a situation where the employee’s performance earns them a cash bonus. Showing both sides of the employee experience dispels preconceived notions and helps the applicant prepare.
