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Why Transparency Matters in a Job Interview, with Carly Richter

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Do you hesitate to share with a hiring manager what other opportunities you’re pursuing? Do you think this will hurt your chances of being hired? Find Your Dream Job guest Carly Richter says it’s actually the opposite. Letting a potential employer know of other possible options is a great way to build rapport. Carly says it builds trust, relieves stress, and helps create a hiring timeline. Carly warns against sharing too much in an interview; answer the questions you are asked without oversharing personal details. 

About Our Guest:

Carly Richter is a senior recruiter and account manager with HR Annie Recruitment. 

Resources in This Episode:

Transcript

Find Your Dream Job, Episode 512:

Why Transparency Matters in a Job Interview, with Carly Richter

Airdate: July 30, 2025

Mac Prichard:

This is Find Your Dream Job, the podcast that helps you get hired, have the career you want, and make a difference in life.

I’m your host, Mac Prichard. I’m also the founder of Mac’s List. It’s a job board in the Pacific Northwest that helps you find a fulfilling career.

Every Wednesday, I talk to a different expert about the tools you need to get the work you want.

It’s natural to want to say the right thing when you talk to an employer.

But holding back key details about your job search can work against you.

Carly Richter is here to talk about why transparency matters in a job interview.

She’s a senior recruiter and account manager with HR Annie Recruitment.

Carly helps companies and non-profits build strong, mission-aligned teams.

She joins us from Portland, Oregon.

Now, Carly, when you talk about transparency in a job interview, what do you have in mind exactly?

Carly Richter:

I really feel that it’s open communication throughout the process, both from the candidate and the hiring manager. So, transparency and open communication coming from both sides.

So, asking questions. The hiring manager not being afraid to share information. The candidate feeling like they can share anything from timelines, other interviews. The hiring manager knowing to speak on benefits and salary, even if the candidate doesn’t ask. But also the candidate feeling comfortable asking those questions.

For example, I will ask, at the end of my interviews with candidates, if they have any other interviews, any other offers on the table. Sometimes, I’ll hear no, but then, throughout the process, maybe a candidate will drop out and say, “Hey, I got another job. I had another offer.” And as a hiring manager/recruiter, I would love for that answer to have been “yes” or like “hey, I want to give you a heads-up, I got another interview.” Just to give you an example.

Mac Prichard:

And what stops people, Carly, from doing that? From telling you that, indeed, they are talking to other employers. Why don’t candidates do that, do you think?

Carly Richter:

I think applicants worry. And it can be stressful. Applicants can worry that maybe the hiring manager won’t move forward if you’re not totally, 100% dedicated to their job.

It can be hard to share, and that overthinking of like, “What should I share, what shouldn’t I share, what’s going to happen if I do?” I think that can turn into a really stressful kind of spiral of how do I tell them this and what should I tell them, versus what shouldn’t I tell them.

Mac Prichard:

So, Carly, you’re a recruiter and you work for many, many different employers. In your experience, when a candidate tells you that they’re having a conversation with another employer, what do your clients, the employers you work for, think about that?

Carly Richter:

They really appreciate it. I think I’ve never had a situation come up with a hiring manager where they’re like, “Oh, well, I don’t want to move forward with that candidate.”

It’s like, “Oh, great, we know their timeline. We know that they have other opportunities out there.” Which is not surprising, by the way. You’re interviewing, and I would expect you to be interviewing for multiple locations.

It really helps us form our next steps, the timeline. If you’ve shared a timeline that you might get another offer by Friday, and it’s Monday, we still have an interview with you, we’re like, “Let’s get it done so that we can get this, you know, potential offer out.” So then they, the candidate, can then weigh their options. Like, we want a chance to be in the game as well, if that makes sense.

Mac Prichard:

It does.

So by being transparent as a candidate, you increase the likelihood that you might get another offer.

What are some of the other benefits of being transparent when you’re an applicant? How can it affect stress, for example?

Carly Richter:

I was like, whew. It can decrease your stress levels. It can be hard to juggle the interview process itself.

The stress and overthinking of, I can’t tell hiring managers that; that’s not a fun situation to be in. You’re trying to find a job and you’re having to juggle what should I ask, what shouldn’t I ask? I think nothing’s worse than the “what if” as a candidate. Like, what if I had just finished the process? What if I’d got that other job instead? Or, you know, what if I had gotten the offer, but I withdrew, and I didn’t feel I could tell them?

I tell my candidates, I want to make sure, to the best of my ability, because I can’t always make timelines line up, but if I know the timelines, on both sides, candidates and hiring managers, I can do my best.

I don’t want them to have that what-if; I want them to be able to be open with me throughout the process and feel comfortable enough to share so that I can help mitigate that stress.

Mac Prichard:

And by being transparent, how can that help you better understand the job market, for example?

Carly Richter:

It can really empower you as a candidate. You know, it can help you gauge the hiring manager, for example. Would you really want to work for someone who’s like turned off by the fact that you’re interviewing elsewhere? Employers are interviewing multiple candidates, so why can’t you talk with other employers, too?

It would allow you to engage in the market with potentially more processes. If you’re talking to a hiring manager and, you know, were like, “Hey, I did apply to another position,” you know, “I want to see that process through as well.” And open communication throughout the process is what I always encourage. But if you’re able to explore, you know, the jobs that interest you, that can help you make a more informed decision going forward.

Mac Prichard:

You mentioned at the start of our conversation that applicants should expect employers to be transparent.

What kinds of expectations should you have as a candidate about transparency from employers?

What should you expect them to talk about?

Carly Richter:

This is something I think about a lot. Because I interview for a living. I work with candidates for a living. So I talk about all the things – I talk about salary, I talk about benefits, I talk about timeline for hiring.

Something to keep in mind as a candidate, companies aren’t always working with recruiters. You’re working with a hiring manager, sometimes, who don’t necessarily hire all the time. They have their whole job to do, plus hiring for their team. And so, as much as I would want to say, “Hey, every single hiring manager is an expert interviewer, they’ve been trained on the full process,” they may not know.

I always work with my clients to really build those skills, like let’s talk about all these things, so that a candidate can make the most informed decision.

But something I’ve been really passionate about is educating candidates on all of the different things. Because sometimes you might be more educated on the interview process and what to ask and what not to ask, and are more comfortable asking about salary and benefits, and all of those different things, their timeline for hire. And just knowing that you can ask those things.

And then I really work with my hiring managers to be comfortable talking about benefits, be comfortable talking about the salary range. Or even if they don’t have all those details, being very open and being like, hey, I’m going to get this information for you before the next interview, so you can make your most informed decision about potentially moving forward with us.

Mac Prichard:

I can imagine, Carly, a listener reflecting on the advice you just gave, worrying that if they’re dealing with working with someone who hasn’t been formally trained in hiring and doesn’t have the benefit of working with an experienced recruiter like you, being concerned that if they are transparent and ask the questions you’ve encouraged, that someone who’s not formally trained in hiring might be put off by that.

What advice do you have for managing up here, Carly?

Carly Richter:

That’s a great question. I think part of it is being open and understanding that you can ask those things. But just having some strategy around it, in the way that you’re not maybe coming in hot in the interview, where you’re like, “I have to know about all these things and I want to ask about these things.” Really thinking through like, “Well, how can I ask that question so that I can get that information without maybe like coming on really strong?”

Maybe at the end of the interview, one of your questions is like, “Hey, benefits are something I’m taking into consideration; can I ask you a few questions about that?” And you know, hopefully, they say yes; they’re probably not going to say, absolutely not, no. But maybe they’re like, I don’t have more information. And be like, cool, I’d love to get more information.

But just you know, gauging it, and I would say just being strategic about how you’re asking and when you’re asking those things could be something to think about.

Mac Prichard:

Terrific. We’re going to take a break. Stay with us.

When we come back, Carly Richter will continue to share her advice on why transparency matters in a job interview.

We’re back in the Mac’s List studio. I’m talking with Carly Richter

She’s a senior recruiter and account manager with HR Annie Recruitment.

Carly helps companies and non-profits build strong, mission-aligned teams.

She joins us from Portland, Oregon.

Now, Carly, before the break, we were talking about why transparency matters in a job interview.

In the first segment, we talked a lot about the why – why you should be transparent both as a candidate and the benefits to employers, too.

Let’s talk now about how to be transparent when you’re an applicant and you’re talking to a hiring manager.

Give us some examples, and you touched on this in the first segment, but what are you looking for? How do you recommend candidates be transparent when you’re interviewing candidates?

Carly Richter:

When I interview folks, one of the first sections I talk about is, I call it my position criteria section. But I talk about salary, I talk about schedule, I talk about benefits package. I talk about pre-employment steps. And it’s one of the first things I go into.

And so, I will prompt, I’ll ask, you know, “Hey, does the location work for a regular commute for you?” I’ll ask about salary, and I share the salary range. I don’t just say, “Hey, what are you looking for?” You know, I post the salary range for all of the positions that I’m working on with my clients.

And so candidates know, but still I’ll share and be like, “Hey, our wage range is this to this, you know, does that align with what you’re looking for, or what are you open to next?” I’ll also do an overview of benefits and ask them if they’d like any more information. But of course, I hire for a living, right, so it’s one of those things that I’m very comfortable talking to candidates about.

But I always encourage them to be open. I would love to know if we have alignment in pay, and if we don’t, if they’re like, “Ideally, I’d be looking for a little bit more,” that doesn’t count them out yet. I just really like to start the conversation.

And I wrap up interviews with, you know, what’s your timeline? Do you have any other opportunities in the works or pending right now? And I would encourage you, if you do, I would say yes, because it helps inform my next steps with the timeline going forward.

If you have a vacation coming up and you’re really stressed out about when should I mention it, when should I not mention it? It’s okay to mention it. I would just be careful about oversharing. You know, I’d like to know you’ve got some time off and what the dates are, but that’s really all I need to know.

But that can also take a lot of stress off of your shoulders as a candidate, where you’re like, you don’t have to think and think and think and be like, “Oh my gosh, when do I tell people about this?” It’s like, cool, I got it out of the way, and now I can focus, and I’m not as stressed in the process.

Mac Prichard:

And what about timing, Carly? Because often, interviews can take place over several conversations.

If someone is meeting with a recruiter for the first time, should you ask about salary and benefits and your need for vacation time? Or do you recommend saving that for, say, a second or third-round interview?

Carly Richter:

That’s a great question. I always encourage hiring managers to talk about these things in the first interview. And this, I have great opportunities to be able to get in front of hiring managers and do some training. And so, my recommendation is as soon as possible.

But candidates, sometimes you have to follow the lead of the hiring managers a little bit. Not all hiring managers are trained, you know, and are experts in it. You know, they’re only doing it when they have to versus all of the time. And it can be tough to gauge that.

My recommendation is that if it’s not coming up in that first interview, in that time for questions, you know, gauge it a little bit. Have a few of those questions, you know, in that gentle way that are the most important to you, and see how they respond. Hopefully, it’s positive, or even if they don’t have more information, they’re open to getting it for you.

But it is a little bit of the gauging. Like, oh cool, we’re talking about this right off the bat, this feels like the right time. Or you know, it didn’t come up, save it for the questions. And just kind of see how some of those most important things to you, if it’s, you know, the benefits, and that you have a vacation coming up, just, you know, gently asking or mentioning those.

Mac Prichard:

What are mistakes that you see candidates make when being transparent?

You talked about oversharing a moment ago. What do you have in mind there?

Carly Richter:

Yeah, it’s that balance. I think oversharing is the big one. I think coming in really strong.

Mac Prichard:

And Carly, could you unpack that?

You’re a recruiter, you’re talking to hiring managers. When someone says to you, or you think, “Oh, that candidate overshared,” what specifically do you have in mind?

Carly Richter:

A good example would be around schedule. I’ll ask a candidate, “Hey, this schedule is Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Does that work for you?”

And maybe they’ll overshare personal information. They’ll be like, “ Oh yeah, that schedule works great. My kids get out of school at this time/this time.” That is an example of oversharing.

I want to know if you can work the schedule, and you don’t need to share additional context. If it works for you, great.

I think oversharing, like if you have a vacation coming up, and you’re giving me a lot of different details about it, or why it’s happening.

Oversharing can happen if you’re talking about other interviews that you have as well. If you’re going more in detail or giving more information about the roles.

It’s really like, let’s make sure we’re connecting on these important things, and you, as the candidate, don’t have to share/overshare personal information.

Mac Prichard:

And why is that a turnoff for employers to hear about someone’s children or their specific vacation plans?

Carly Richter:

There are two pieces. Compliance-wise, that information is protected, and you don’t need to share it.

And secondly, it’s not about necessarily what information you’re sharing at all. It’s more of that we want to keep the interview about the job and your ability to do the job. That also protects you as a candidate because you’re not oversharing that personal information.

Mac Prichard:

Can you be too honest in an interview when you’re a candidate?

Carly Richter:

I don’t think you can be too honest. I think being honest is the most important thing. But knowing when you’ve answered the question sufficiently versus when you’re oversharing.

If I’m asking a candidate like, “Hey, does this schedule work for you?” and the candidate says yes, I’m like, perfect. You’re being honest, you’re answering the question, that’s the information that I need.

Mac Prichard:

And finally, Carly, we talked in the first segment about how employers welcome knowing if you’re a candidate and you’re interviewing with other organizations.

How much information should you share? Should you actually mention the other employer that you’re talking to? If the employer asks you specifically, should you hold that information back?

What’s the most professional thing to do, or for a candidate, rather, to do while being transparent and talking about other interview opportunities?

Carly Richter:

A potential employer shouldn’t be asking you more questions about the company that you’re interviewing with.

I think what I encourage candidates to share is just if they have other interviews or other opportunities in the works, that I’d love to know what their timeline is.

So the information that I’m seeking out is, do you have any other offers on the table? Are you getting down to the end of another process? Or, you know, are there other interviews coming up?

Just general information to help me gauge where you’re at with other opportunities. That way, I can make the most informed decisions about our timeline to see if I can get timelines to line up. So that we could potentially get an offer over to you, you know, at the same time that you could have another offer coming in from somewhere else.

Mac Prichard:

Well, it’s been a terrific conversation, Carly.

Now tell us, what’s next for you?

Carly Richter:

I’m a part of HR Annie Consulting. And we have candidate support services. So we’re called True Calling Recruitment. We offer personalized career support through two main packages.

So a Career Search Guidance – that’s help with your job search, strategy, resume, LinkedIn updates, and interview prep.

And then Career Coaching, that’s one-on-one coaching tailored to your goals, where you will have access to a communication assessment, job search tools, and resources.

We also host quarterly events, some of which are virtual, so folks from all around can join.

And at HR Annie Consulting, as a whole, we provide human resource support and personalized client services. So we can do anything from one-off projects to full-time, outsourced HR services.

Mac Prichard:

Well, terrific. I know that listeners can learn more about your company’s services by visiting truecallingrecruitment.com. As well as visiting hrannieconsulting.com.

Carly, given all the great advice you shared today, what’s the one thing you want a listener to remember about why transparency matters in a job interview?

Carly Richter:

I want candidates to get the information that they need to make the most informed decision, and open communication on both sides is really important.

But candidates feeling empowered to ask the questions and getting the answers they need to make the most informed decision is something that I really hope candidates take from this conversation today.

Mac Prichard:

Next week, our guest will be Aoife O’Brien.

She’s the founder of Happier at Work.

Aoife’s company cultivates human-centered workplaces that promote wellbeing and impact and support employee growth and retention.

Many people begin a job search by sitting down at a computer, finding open positions, and sending out applications.

Aoife says the most successful candidates do something very different when they start to look for work.

Join us next Wednesday when Aoife O’Brien and I talk about the first step to finding a job that makes you happy.

Until next time, thanks for letting us help you find your dream job.

This show is produced by Mac’s List.

Susan Thornton-Hough schedules our guests and writes our newsletter. Lisa Kislingbury Anderson manages our social media.

Our sound engineer and editor is Matt Fiorillo. Dawn Mole creates our transcripts. And our music is by Freddy Trujillo.

This is Mac Prichard. See you next week.