realistic job preview

Intermediate 👥 Human Resources

Definition

Honestly showing candidates both the glamorous and tedious aspects of a role before hiring, reducing turnover from mismatched expectations. It's truth in advertising applied to employment, which is rarer than it should be.

Example Usage

The realistic job preview included having candidates observe actual customer service calls, including the angry ones.

Origin

Research-based practice developed in organizational psychology in the 1970s-80s

Fun Fact

Realistic job previews can reduce turnover by up to 30% by ensuring candidates self-select out if the reality doesn't match their expectations.

Source: Organizational psychology and recruitment research

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succession

The formal process of passing power, position, or property from one party to the next, whether it's a CEO, a monarch, or your aunt's prized ceramic cat collection. In corporate and political circles, succession planning is the art of ensuring the ship doesn't sink when the captain retires. Also known as "musical chairs for grown-ups with actual consequences."

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hiring

The corporate ritual of exchanging money for human labor, dressed up with multiple interview rounds and culture-fit assessments. In HR and recruitment, hiring is the art of finding someone qualified who'll accept your salary range and tolerate your company culture. It's what happens after weeks of ghosting candidates and making them complete unpaid 'projects' to prove their worth.

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intern

A person working for experience instead of money, which is definitely a fair trade according to your employer. Often found fetching coffee and mastering the art of looking busy while learning that their degree taught them nothing about the actual job. The term technically means someone imprisoned, which feels surprisingly accurate around month three.

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seniority

A system where tenure and time-served trump talent and performance when determining privileges, promotions, or layoff protection. It's the organizational equivalent of "I was here first, so I get the good parking spot," which works great until you realize the person with seniority peaked in 1987. The union's best friend and the merit-based manager's worst nightmare.

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key person insurance

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