three interview – A leadership team argues that building and keeping a high-performing organization starts with how hiring decisions are made—using three straightforward interview questions designed to test motivation, company fit, and comfort with technology and change, amid t
Recruiting, for RETN, is not treated like a box-checking exercise.. After doubling revenue to nearly $80 million in the last five years and pushing toward a nine-figure business. the company says its engineers. sales. and support staff are central to the momentum—especially because it believes a business is only as strong as its weakest link.
The firm frames the stakes in practical terms: poor components can create bottlenecks and compromise performance.. To maintain what it describes as a strong network. it says it is meticulous about hiring. no matter the role. and it relies on three interview questions to identify exceptional talent.. The approach is designed to look past polished resumes and spot whether a candidate will thrive in the environment the company is building.
Why did you leave your first real job?. The question is aimed at uncovering alignment rather than judging the reason itself.. People. the company notes. leave jobs for many reasons—frustration from a lack of learning. preference for fast growth over steady progress. interest in more compensation. or difficulty retaining interest in a project.. None of those drivers are treated as automatically negative.. What matters, RETN says, is whether the candidate’s needs and approach match the company and the role.
The business case for that kind of clarity is reinforced with hard cost numbers.. The firm points to an average cost of replacing an employee that has jumped to over $45. 000 in the past year. up from $37. 000. citing the most recent Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey.. It adds that replacement costs are only part of the drag—lost momentum and slowed progress during search. training. and onboarding are also part of the price of turnover.. That is why. it argues. interviewers need to understand what energizes and frustrates a person. and what kind of environment they need to thrive. before making a hire.
Next comes a direct test of interest and preparation.. What do you know about our company?. RETN describes a “spray and pray” pattern in which applicants submit hundreds of low-effort applications using the same resume and cover letter.. In that view. these candidates are not portrayed as interested in working for the company. but rather as looking for a job—often for an improved salary or better title—without committing to learning and growth inside the business.. The company also warns that candidates who show little research are likely to leave quickly when they see quick progress elsewhere. even if it harms long-term growth.
It says it does not choose employees who “apply for every role and take whatever comes their way. ” and it acknowledges that identifying this attitude from an application alone can be difficult.. Still, the company argues that the level of research—or lack of it—before the interview can be highly revealing.. Exceptional candidates. it adds. ask questions that go beyond surface-level perks. like flexible working policies. or whether the interviewer enjoys working there.
RETN lists examples of questions it has received from high-performing candidates during the interview process. including: “How can I succeed beyond just hitting revenue targets?”; “Will I be mentored in my role. and can I expect feedback?”; “Are junior staff given a chance to offer input and ideas?”; “Do you hire from within. and what roles have previous team members moved into?”; and “Is the position stable. and are you likely to cut numbers in the near future?”
What do you think about using technology at work?. The third question is aimed at mindset rather than expertise.. RETN says it does not expect every hire to be a tech wizard. but it does want a positive attitude toward innovation and change.. In its description of the modern workplace. collaboration. communication. and problem-solving depend heavily on technology. and it argues it is nearly impossible to thrive without engaging with it.
The company says it looks for interview answers that go beyond listing tools from a prior role.. Truly exceptional candidates. it says. share stories of experimenting with new solutions to save time. and they connect their thinking to developments in the space that could improve results.. The emphasis is not on compliance. but on value: candidates recognize what technology could offer because they see it as useful.
RETN links that behavior to how teams perform when conditions shift.. In its experience, these employees are described as highly adaptable, brush off hardship, and get on with the job.. The company adds that these qualities matter during times of rapid change. and it ties its preference to a statistic: companies that encourage experimentation and grant autonomy to their teams to try new things are 60% more likely to be innovation leaders.. It also says that innovative companies have better odds of survival. “much more so than a team that insists on sticking to ‘the way they know.’”
Taken together. the three questions follow a consistent sequence of what RETN says it needs to protect as growth accelerates: it wants to prevent expensive mismatch by probing what drives a candidate and whether they need the right environment before hiring. it seeks evidence of genuine engagement through research into the company and specific interview questions. and it looks for adaptability by testing whether candidates approach technology and change as something they can use to improve results.
The company’s bottom line is that interview questions should reveal who is really being hired.. RETN says interviews should not focus on a candidate’s qualifications, which it says belong to the resume and references.. Instead. the firm frames the goal as learning how a candidate thinks. what motivates them. and whether they suit the team.. It also draws a distinction in how it values people: skills. it says. are something you can teach. while curiosity. drive. and resilience are attributes it describes as much more difficult to train.
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