#TerribleTuesday: And the five year question

“Where do you see yourself in five years?”

Not awful, but it’s a lazy question. A question most interviewers ask, without really knowing why they want the information. Given that the average tenure of most employees is around two years, it should be more important to know what will happen over the next two years should you hire a person. Five years? These days, that’s an eternity. 

I was recently hanging out on LinkedIn, and an HR Manager who works with transitioning military had a great flip for this question. I liked it, so I am sharing it with you: “What do we as a company have to provide for you to keep you here and adding value for the next five years?”

As you probably know, I am big on selling the experience to the candidates. I believe in creating excitement. This question has the ability to excite the candidate, it signals that you care enough that you want to know what they need. They already know you need their skills, but what do they need from you? Wow, talk about building trust and substance in an interview. 

Try it out. How does it work for you?