Why expecting reassurance about a candidate’s loyalty could be losing you the best talent on the market

Loyalty - this is something employers want desperately from their employees and is often complained to be lacking in millennials. Is that really fair criticism, and is this an attribute we should still expect in our employees? More importantly, should we be asking about it in interviews?

The first thing we have to think about is - what is loyalty? Firstly, it’s a two way process and most importantly, it is earned. So really it is a nonsensical question to ask at the outset of a hiring process when a candidate has no idea why it might be in their interests to be loyal to you.

The lack of loyalty claimed to be an issue amongst millennials is more likely a result of so many businesses not listening to their employees to provide the things that they really want. Final salary pensions used to give employers an easy way to “buy” the loyalty of their employees, but without this as a feasible option these days employers need to listen to their employees and understand what they really want.

Why should you expect an employee to stay loyal to a business that gives them no flexibility, minimal annual leave, pays them under market rate and makes excuses when they ask why they are not being progressed in their role?

So if you want loyal employees, don’t go looking for them, go and earn their loyalty. And if you want to talk about candidates longevity during an interview, why not give them an idea of what they will get out of staying with the business rather than expecting them to swear an oath of allegiance at a first stage interview.