7 Hiring Red Flags You Shouldn’t Ignore
7 Hiring Red Flags You Shouldn’t Ignore
As a leader, hiring great people is one of the most important things you’ll ever do.
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As a leader, hiring great people is one of the most important things you’ll ever do. When you’ve got great people, not only will your business thrive, but your job as a leader will be much easier. However, there are numerous red flags in the hiring process that might make you think twice before making an offer to a job candidate.
I spoke with Inés Temple, president of human resources firms LHH DBM Peru and LHH Chile, about the variety of red flags that pop up in the job interview process. Here are seven to watch out for.
1. Badmouthing a previous employer
When you ask a candidate why they want to leave their position for a job at your company, watch out if they take the opportunity to criticize their current or previous employer or boss. This is unprofessional, disloyal, and toxic. Also, patterns repeat themselves. You can expect the criticism to continue if they join your company.
2. Dishonesty and inaccuracy
Honesty is one of the most important traits in any career. A candidate should be disqualified for making up experience, inflating qualifications, or outright lying. A candidate’s being dishonest or inaccurate in an interview tells you all you need to know about them.
3. A lack of research
An uninformed candidate who does not know enough about the organization before an interview is a common interview blunder. If the person sitting in front of you hasn’t bothered to look into your company’s mission, values, latest news, or products/services, they clearly don’t consider the job opportunity to be a priority.
4. Weak ethics
When you pose a question around an ethical dilemma, a vague or unfocused answer should cause you to question the job candidate’s morals and judgment. Make a point of hiring people with strong ethics who will make the right decision when they’re placed in stressful situations.
5. Unclear career goals
When a hiring manager asks, “Why do you want to work here?” a canned or sweeping response is a red flag. The candidate should have an answer that is tailored to the company and to the position. They should explain how their experience matches up and how excited they are to be a part of contributing to your company’s success.
6. Avoiding accountability
No one is perfect, and a job candidate should accept responsibility for mistakes they have made in the past. It’s the mature and professional thing to do. Candidates who avoid accountability or try to scapegoat others are telling you that they won’t be accountable in your organization.
7. Inability to quantify achievements
Job candidates should be able to provide you with specific examples and measurements that show their positive impact on an organization, as well as their customers and community. If a job candidate says, “I made more sales,” that isn’t enough. Instead, a better example of making an impact might be, “I made 20 percent more sales with a targeted marketing campaign.”
If your job candidate displays one of these red flags, then dig deeper. Keep asking open-ended questions to learn more about the type of employee and team member they are. If they display more than one hiring red flag, then it’s time to move on to the next candidate.
How do they interact with customers
If you are hiring for a sales or customer service position how can you be certain there service culture is a fit for your business? We can help with that! If your potential hire is currently in a customer facing position, we can mystery shop them to determine their commitment to exceptional customer service.
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OPINION BY PETER ECONOMY AND CARL PHILLIPS
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