The Transparency Utopia

In recent years, we have heard a loud cry. “We want transparency by the employer.” “We are a transparent company.”  “We want transparency in the hiring process.” “We are transparent in our hiring process.” The truth is that companies can’t be a 100% transparent. There are certain things that a company can’t tell their employees until the right time and they have all the information. If they did, they would cause panic among their employees and the employees would quit. The company’s own ecosystem would collapse. We as candidates and employees love to think that we can act rationally or that we can stay calm in situations, but the truth is most of us can’t. It’s a skill that’s learned. We want honest feedback but most of us can’t take honest feedback. We all want to know when the company is having a rough time but most of us will jump ship the minute we find it out. Most “thought leaders” on many sites will tell you that this utopia exists. But this Utopia doesn’t exist. It can’t exist. Think about it this way, what would happen if our government released all private and sensitive information? That could very likely cause a wide-spread panic. Next time, you see someone promising 100%  transparency, take a step back and really think about it.