A core aspect of good business management is maintaining an optimal staff that is cohesive and effective. When there is friction or lousy performance from within, operations suffer in terms of productivity and long-term implementation. That can even result in a team that sees a lot of turnovers, which hurts time management and costs a lot of extra money that can eventually plague your business. The best way to avoid these issues is to identify any possible bad hires before they can enter the workforce.
When assessing applicants, it would do well to take note of these big red flags you don’t want in your new employee:
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Bad resignation history
Check their jobs and how long they’ve stayed in each one. Do they tend to leave jobs quickly and hop from one organization to another in a brief time? Have they been fired? And aside from those more obvious concerns, it would be wise to take note of their reasons for leaving their previous positions as well.
Employment mediation can be a stressful undertaking, so it’s best to get some insight into their character and patterns that show you if someone is entitled, demanding, or simply not adaptive enough.
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Over or under sharing
When you ask them to talk about their previous experiences, be wary of those who share too much and who don’t speak enough. Vagueness can be a major sign that they are hiding something or are not very good communicators, both of which can be problematic when working kicks in. On the other hand, you don’t want someone who can be a gossip or is willing to share too many details to anyone who will ask.
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Arriving late
Punctuality is crucial in maximizing every workday, so this behavior should begin from the interviewing stage already. If your potential hire doesn’t hit the timeline well, this is a glaring sign that this could carry over to their time in your company. Aside from this, you’ll want to check how long it may have taken them to respond to any e-mails or messages from your Human Resources department regarding the offer, as that can tell you whether they are dedicated to getting the gig.
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A lack of knowledge about the company
Attitude is just as important when assessing an interviewee, and one of the biggest tells about negative traits is if they have no good insight on your company or a solid reason for applying. That shows that they lack interest or even the initiative to do enough research to come prepared for the interview. It should be an immediate and significant mark against their chances of passing. That is also an excellent opportunity to catch if they might try to feign some knowledge and lie about their experience and intentions, which is also vital because 81% of people lie during job interviews.
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The wrong questions
Another way to quickly identify someone with a bad attitude and motivation will be to watch their line of questioning. Is it abrasive or demanding? Do they ask too many questions, or do they not have enough? These can paint a picture of the person they are. Too much can show entitlement, while too little can be a sign of secretiveness or lack of interest again.
With these factors, you should have a smoother time blocking any bad seeds from throwing a wrench in the fruits of your labor.
