Making a hiring decision can be risky for a business. The new employee has the potential to really throw a spanner in the works if they turn out to be a bad fit for the role or don’t suit the company culture, so it’s important to consider your options thoroughly before rushing into decisions.
A resume may provide you with some insights about the skills a candidate possesses, but it is the job interview that allows you to build a better idea about a candidate’s personality and how they may fit within your organization.
To make sure that you don’t hire a bad egg, here are a few warning signs to look for in a candidate.
1) Turning up late
Job interviews are all about first impressions, so the interviewee should do everything in their ability to make sure they arrive on time. Turning up late can indicate that they aren’t particularly committed to the job or they have a problem with time management.
2) Arrogance
There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance. A level of self-assurance and pride in your abilities is an attractive quality in an employee; however, bragging about your achievements or exhibiting a huge ego is a big turn off!
3) Job hopping
Though job-hopping isn’t always a negative thing, as a lot of people may choose to have multiple roles at the beginning of their career to find their footing; if this is a consistent thing throughout their working history it could indicate that they have trouble committing to a job and will get itchy feet quickly.
4) Failing to acknowledge any weaknesses
No one is good at everything! Not only does it come across as arrogant to suggest that you are without flaws, but it also gets you wondering what it is that they have to hide. It’s better off to identify a factor that you could do with improving and put a positive spin on it than to claim you are the perfect employee.
5) A lack of knowledge about the company or role
If the candidate hasn’t even done their homework and is clueless about what your company does or what the role involves, then what on earth are they doing there? Turning up at an interview unprepared is a waste of time for both parties and will come across as extremely unprofessional. Next, please!
6) They’re a poor listener
Not paying full attention to what the interviewer has to say or fidgeting throughout the interview gives the impression of boredom. Though nerves can often get the better of people in interviews, it’s important to listen to your interviewer attentively, so that you are able to ask any questions they have for you without having to ask them to repeat themselves.
7) Dodging questions
If the candidate avoids answering questions and swiftly changes the topic, it could signify that they don’t have the correct skill-set that you are after and are trying to cover this up. Alternatively, it could be that they just haven’t done the right preparation for the interview, which is another red flag.
8) Applying to multiple roles in your company
Does this individual actually want to work at the company or are they just desperate for a job? I suspect the latter.
9) They launch into questions about the salary
This is a sure sign that money is the main motivator for this candidate and they may just be using the job as a stepping stone to their next pay rise. Sure everyone likes to earn what they feel they are worth, but there’s more to a role than the salary.
10) Bad mouthing a past employer or colleague
Even if they were treated poorly in a previous job, slating a past manager or co-worker is incredibly unprofessional and it has you questioning if they could cause conflict within your company as well.
