Using so-called "realistic job previews," the goal of which is to provide an accurate picture of what a job really entails in its organizational context rather than just a purely positive description, is a good tool to help filter candidates for a position, the Merit Systems Protection Board has said.
It said a good job preview should include specific, accurate information about the job responsibilities, working conditions, the competencies needed to succeed, how performance is assessed and rewarded, development and advancement opportunities, and interactions with co-workers or the public.
The preview would make an honest effort to provide a balanced view. For example, employees often aspire to become supervisors because it entails a promotion and pay increase but few understand how difficult the job is, said MSPB.
It said an RJP could alert them to the major challenges of transitioning from frontline worker or technical expert to supervising others, asking, in effect, "Are you sure you are prepared for this and that this is actually the job you want?"
An RJP might take the form of a video, for example, that takes viewers on a guided tour of a typical day on the job either in employees’ own words or through a narrator, but more inexpensive previews could include an accurate and full job description and a chart describing what the job is and isn’t.
