In our recent poll, 40% of professionals said the jobs they interviewed for only matched reality “about half the time” or “rarely.”

That’s not just disappointing—it’s expensive.

Research shows:

- 48% of workers have quit a job that didn’t meet expectations

- In the UK, half leave new jobs for this reason

- Among Gen Z, it jumps to 73%

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘅? 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀.

This isn’t about scaring candidates off.

It’s about being strategic.

When someone self-selects out early, you save time, money, and morale—before the real costs hit.

3 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀:

1. Paint the full picture

Don’t sugarcoat it. Be honest about both the exciting and the messy parts.

“You’ll work on fast-moving projects—but expect tight deadlines and evolving priorities.”

2. Use real-world scenarios

Skip the hypotheticals. Share a real situation your team faced and ask how the candidate would respond.

This surfaces relevant skills and sets expectations early.

3. Send transparent pre-interview materials

Move beyond marketing copy. Share the organizational context, key challenges, and how your growth stage affects the role.

𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀: Invite finalists to experience a day in the life.

Let them shadow meetings, see real work in motion, and speak with future peers.

The best candidates will lean in.

Others will opt out—and that’s a win.

Every time you skip a realistic job preview in the interview, you gamble on early turnover.