Last updated : December 23, 2024
Hiring the wrong person can cause you endless problems, from the hours and energy spent dealing personally with the employee from Hell to company-wide productivity lost before you finally terminate. What about the turnover costs that hit you when you finally get rid of the problem child and start looking for a replacement?
As if those reasons alone weren’t enough to look for red flags during hiring, consider this: firing the “wrong” employees isn’t nearly as risk-free as it used to be. All too often, the same qualities that earned them a place among the worst are the same that make them ready, willing, and able to work the legal system in order to tie your hands. Bottom line, a few ounces of prevention are worth a ton of cure. With that in mind, what are some red flags you can watch out for when scoping out a potential employee?
Cluelessness
Beware the applicant who comes into an interview knowing squat about your company, or one who’s unclear about exactly what the position in question entails. If he/she hasn’t done the homework, you can’t be sure that individual will a) fit in with the company culture, or b) take the job any more seriously than he/she took researching the company or reading the job description.
Poor follow-through
If a job candidate fails to forward those additional references you asked for, send other documents you requested, or quickly answer your e-mails, that’s a red flag. Failure to follow through during the hiring process is a pretty clear warning that person will fail to follow through on the job. You don’t want to hire someone you’ll have to micromanage to make sure they get the job done.
Bad case of bad mouth
Steer clear of applicants ready to dish the dirt on former employers and co-workers, or grab all the credit they can get their hands on. Braggarts, complainers, and backstabbers are workplace poison. What’s more, their influence spreads quickly; it can send overall morale into a nosedive and put a serious dent in productivity.
All-about-me attitude
Self-centered applicants are definitely red-flag material. Fortunately, this type is easily recognizable, because they tend to express more interest in promotions and pay raises than company culture, values, and customer service. In other words, rather than offer ideas about how they can contribute, they want to hear what you can do for them.
Non-answer answers
A straight question deserves a straight answer, and that goes double for interviews. Think “red flag” when a candidate takes forever to address the point of your question, or fails to address it at all. Same goes if your applicant offers you a this is what I could accomplish, in lieu of telling you what they’ve already accomplished. Muddled thinking and the absence of concrete achievements are danger signals you shouldn’t ignore.
Paying attention to these red flags can spare you the heartache (and expense) that result when you hire that employee from hell. You can turn up other red flags by taking a few basic precautions, like:
- Crafting a detailed, accurate job description. The more complete the job description, the easier it will be to spot applicants who either don’t meet the job requirements, or haven’t bothered to look at them.
- Using an application form. Let’s face it, resumes are basically marketing tools. An application form not only forces an applicant to stick to the real nitty gritty, but can also provide grounds for dismissal, if the candidate exaggerated (or outright lied) about skills and experience.
- Basing hiring decisions on more than skill and experience, factoring in important considerations like how the applicant will fit into the company culture and contribute to the company vision.
- Conducting background checks and drug testing.
