Reason for leaving??

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

Gavin83 wrote: »

This has to be one of the most pointless questions to ask a potential employee. Hardly anyone answers it honestly. I'm sure even the person asking it knows that most people won't be honest.

For example I'm currently looking for a new job as I don't like our new Director, getting fed up of the politics and I want more money. Can hardly hand over any of those as my reason for leaving so I have to give some pointless answer about seeking new challenges.

Which is fine if you have been there a couple of years. Less so after three months. After three months it's a perfectly valid question.

sangie595

ScorpiondeRooftrouser wrote: »

You don't have to give a reason, but if you are leaving after 3 months and don't give a reason, they are going to assume you are failing probation.

True. But since nobody actually believes the answers anyway, they'll think that is why! As states, a pointless question really since the answer has no value.

[Deleted User]

McKneff wrote: »

You dont even have to give a reason.

But equally isn't it worrying when they don't ask any kind of thing.

Unless of course they know somehow what conditions are like (employee review sites, even as old customer) etc, making it more then easy to determine what's likely going on.

Anyway I got lucky, I realise it doesn't always happen when we want it to but got an interview coming up when someone knows a historical employer of mine. I was like that has actually also made it easier.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

sangie595 wrote: »

True. But since nobody actually believes the answers anyway, they'll think that is why! As states, a pointless question really since the answer has no value.

It has some value. It can show whether you are a very honest person (who says "I am failing probation and I hate it there") or alternatively whether you are good at coming up with plausible lies; or even whether you are the type to come up with a terrible, implausible lie. You could learn a lot of very useful things from the way a person answers this question.

The point of asking a question is often not to get the information ostensibly asked for, but to elicit other information altogether.

Geoff1963

I'd rather be a name then a number

"Doing a good job here, is like wetting yourself in a dark suit ; it gives you a nice warm feeling for a while, but nobody notices."