That’s an interesting question to ask an applicant and a simple wording would be:
“Sarah, if we hired you, how long do you plan on sticking around?”
Sarah’s answer should deliver an insight into her potential longevity with you.
If her answer doesn’t give you a good sense of commitment, that’s worth knowing ahead of time.
But that also begs the question, being asked more and more these days:
How long should a new employee commit to the company?
One could answer that question philosophically, or one could simply find out directly from the applicant.
And the interesting flip side to the question “how long do you plan on sticking around” is:
“Sarah, under what circumstances would you leave?”
Again, a fairly direct question.
If Sarah’s answer touches on things that were done “to her” at her previous jobs, that’s not the height of responsibility.
But she may also mention not feeling “sufficiently challenged” or she may be candid and project another job offer that she couldn’t turn down.
When you ask these two questions:
How long do you plan on sticking around?
and
Under what circumstances would you leave?
You could cut through some of the potentially canned (or prepared) responses and gain some good insights into your applicant.
As the law varies in each area, please check with an attorney to ensure you are applying these tips within the law.
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