5 Red Flags When Hiring
Posted December 3rd, 2012
When you are going through the hiring process, you naturally are looking at the major accomplishments and the performance of the applicants, the things they have on their resume, and what they tell you in the interview.
While these things are the most important, there also are little things to keep an eye on, things that, although minor, may give some clue to the candidate’s character and may raise a red flag. Human resource specialist Don Charlton lists a few.
- One behavior that should raise concern is when you play phone tag with the applicant. It is difficult to reach the person, and candidate doesn’t call back in a timely manner. If the individual is this cavalier about communicating with you now, how will he or she be if hired for the position?
- Another sign that there is something wrong – when the information on the candidate’s social media site doesn’t match the information on the resume. If the resume says the candidate was doing a certain job for the past several years, but his or Facebook profile says something different, this is obviously cause for concern and needs to be cleared up.
- Another red flag is spelling and grammar mistakes on a resume. One or maybe even two errors might not be a problem, but if there are more, you need to ask what this shows about a candidate’s drive and attention to detail. In fact, one CEO has said he won’t even hire anyone who uses incorrect grammar, because if a candidate cannot take the time and effort to use language correctly, it shows something about the (lack of) their work ethic.
- Another thing that should raise a red flag is the applicants’ appearance. If the candidate walks into the interview with hair disheveled or a stain on his tie, or a shoelace untied, this says something about him as well, and it’s not good. If a candidate cannot present a professional appearance for something as important as a job interview, how will he dress for work?
- Another thing that should raise a red flag is a lack of curiosity. During every interview, candidates are asked if they have any questions for the interviewer. If a candidate has none, or very few, it should raise questions about the individual’s level of energy, engagement and commitment.
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