Reflections on Recruiting:
Honesty is the Best Policy

JR BECHTLE & Co. | February 2026 | Publications

Reflections on Recruiting: Honesty is the Best Policy

For some time now I’ve considered sharing reflections on the recruiting field drawn from my close to 30 years in this sometimes crazy but never boring business. My hope is that the one or the other of these reflections, in the form of anecdotes – humorous and serious – will give rise to ideas and tips that will be of use to those seeking new roles as well as those interviewing those persons.

This next anecdote touches on the importance of honesty for both sides during the interview process. Leaving aside the moral aspect, honesty is in fact the best policy for both the candidate and the company when presenting themselves.

An example was an American candidate being interviewed for a general management role by two stern and serious German executives. The candidate was asked what happened at his last job, since he was now unemployed. Without hesitation he bluntly replied, “I got fired”. I knew the backstory but was just as surprised as the two Germans were with his direct answer. One of the startled interviewers then asked why did he get fired. The answer was just as direct: “I didn’t make my numbers”. He went on to say that it can be debated how reasonable the numbers were but the fact of the matter was that he didn’t make them, and he accepted the consequence of this. I’d like to round off this story by saying that this fellow got the job but he didn’t. This wasn’t due to his honest answer about being fired, though, as in fact this earned him a great deal of respect.

On the other side of the table, during a candidate presentation I watched as a client from European HQ explained to American candidates for the U.S. MD role the tough and actually dire situation the company was in and all the challenges the upcoming MD could expect to tackle and lose sleep over. Instead of scaring the candidates off this openness and transparency actually had the opposite effect. It made the job more ‘real’ and allowed the candidates to live into it, appealing to their ambition and competitive natures. The refreshing transparency also revealed much about the company culture, further increasing the job’s appeal.

Moral of the story: Being open and transparent, and if need be brutally honest about a negative event or situation, can actually be a positive by revealing confidence, candor, and character.

Curious about how JR Bechtle & Co. can help your business navigate international hiring with confidence? Contact us today to start a conversation about your global talent needs.

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