(Henrik Sorensen/Getty)
The more difficult a job interview is, the more likely you’ll be happy in that role. The finding is according to a recent report from job review site Glassdoor that looks at user data from six different countries.
In Canada, the relationship between those two factors is especially strong. Here, when interviews are 10% harder, employees report a 3% uptick in job satisfaction. In the U.S., the correlation only results in 2.5% increase in happiness and in France it’s only 1.5%.
In order to quantify an abstract concept like interview difficulty and job satisfaction, Glassdoor’s researchers examined data from 154,000 people who contributed both interview reviews and subsequent company reviews. It’s also important to note that the site allows users to rate the different facets of the company on a scale of 5.
Based on the ratings system, the companies where employees are the happiest usually did an interview that rated 4 out of 5 on the toughness scale—one that’s difficult but doesn’t cause the candidate to walk away feeling defeated.
For managers, the benefit of knowing how tough to be and knowing where they rate on the spectrum could potentially be useful in terms of adjusting their approach to the interview process. Moderately tough interviewers are better at screening of candidates for ability and cultural fit, among other skills.
Being too tough, or being too casual, raises other challenges. A company that scored 1 out of 5, or even 5 out 5, could be indicative of a poor company culture, lower productivity and more dissatisfied employees.
MORE ON HIRING & WORKPLACE CULTURE:
- Job candidates get hired faster in Canada than anywhere else
- Job interviews: Great answers for bizarre questions
- Saying ‘thank you’ after a job interview
- Companies turn to psych tests to screen out workplace weirdos
- Managers see more “potential” in male job candidates: study
