Do you dread this question in interviews?
What it really means is, “Can I trust you to be here in five years?”
Can you respond, “Can I trust you to be a fair and decent employer to make me want to STAY for five years?” No, of course not.
What if you’ve had to move around a lot to find better opportunities for yourself?
What if you’ve had to be out of work due to an illness, birth of a child, taking care of an aged parent, or the downturn?
What if the holes in your resume make employers think you were unstable, when really you were just working outside the industry, or in another country?
All of these things are working against you in the interview, when you are being judged by standards set in a different era. The values of the Boomer generation, to work hard at one job for 10 or 15 years, are completely unrealistic in today’s environment. No one is getting a gold watch anymore after 30 years of dedicated service. Indeed, in this job market, more and more people hate their jobs, as bosses become increasingly abusive, because they feel they can replace the employee very quickly with someone else.
A recent report courtesy of ABC News claims, “Even Americans who are lucky enough to have work in this economy are becoming more unhappy with their jobs, according to a new survey that found only 45 percent of Americans are satisfied with their work. That was the lowest level ever recorded by the Conference Board Research group in more than 22 years of studying the issue.”
Since quitting isn’t an option–we all need money–the malemployed among us have started asking to be fired. Not literally but humorously at PleaseFireMe.com. Some of the examples on there are just horrifying.
The only stable jobs right now in the nonprofit sector right now seem to be quasi-volunteer jobs. This week, I met a woman who works at a nonprofit staffed almost entirely by Vista volunteers. There is nothing wrong with Vista. But there is something wrong when you try to pay people as little as Vistas every year, and just cycle through more Vistas, instead of getting a fundraising program going.
How could you creatively respond to the question of “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
“On the moon, because in five years we will have completely destroyed our environment.”
“Eating a croissant, walking down the streets of Paris.”
“Living off of my lottery winnings.”
“Running my own business because I got sick of being employed by jerks.”
“Sitting behind your desk.”
How do YOU answer it?
wow! i must confess that i ask that question a lot when i interview prospective job candidates. having experienced high turnover in the last few years i never assume the person will be around in 5 years. for me it is an illuminating way to gauge the person’s passion for the work.
i look for energy, not experience.
can i have dinner with this person?
is this person fun?
my hiring philosophy comes from mick jagger who said,
“you have to have the chops. but if you’re not fun on the bus, you’re off the tour”
best,
hoong yee lee krakauer
Dear Hoong Yee,
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. Consider where this question comes from. Your blog is all about creativity. Why are you asking the same old questions all of the time? Why not ask, “What makes you passionate about our mission?” Or, “What management styles work for you?” or, “What’s your idea of a fun afternoon?” 5 years is a really long time, especially to gen X and gen Y, and ESPECIALLY in this economic climate. Is your nonprofit even going to EXIST in 5 years? Maybe not.
High turnover is very often a sign of an ineffective nonprofit, and can say a lot more about leadership and management styles than about the individual. I once had to interview two people for a job. One was “really fun,” enthusiastic, and charismatic. One was very quiet and didn’t exhibit much enthusiasm. I hired both of them. Guess who flaked right away and ran off to another job? Guess who stuck it out and became my best employee? Yep. The one who appeared “boring” at first glance. But that person was the hardest worker I ever had. So, I don’t think Mick Jagger’s philosophy really applies to nonprofit hiring.