How to Spot a Bad Hire During the Interview Process

The hiring process is costly. Successful businesses hire quickly and effectively, and secure the best that the talent market has to offer. Identifying poor candidates during the interview process can help to reduce screening and background checking costs. Eliminating poor candidates will fill a vacant position faster to avoid loss of productivity, and ultimately avoid the hiring of a candidate who may cause further staffing costs in the future.

The Young Entrepreneur Council suggests posing specific questions in an interview to determine how well they fit with your company culture, and to identify any red flags. Additionally, panel interviews are recommended; a group of interviewers are more likely to pick up on subtle clues than a single interviewer, and each person’s insights are different.

  • Ask the candidate to disclose five things that the person disliked about their current or past employer. Top candidates will avoid a negative perspective but poor hires may reveal a toxic side to work behaviors.
  • Ask the candidate to describe a work situation that could have had a better outcome. Watch for candidates who blame others, rather than accept the responsibility themselves. The best candidates will explain what they learned from such an experience and what they did better next time. The worst candidates will blame their tools, colleagues, or past employer.
  • Find out what the candidate’s goals are, and whether they align with the position and your company culture. An ambitious candidate may be difficult to keep engaged and might require substantial investment in terms of professional development. Is that something your company can offer? If not, the candidate may prove to be a short-term hire.
  • Does the candidate use the word “we”, or always “I”; particularly if asked to recount a past work project? Does the candidate seem negative when talking about past experiences? If asked about what they liked most about their last job, do they describe the actual work or only the social aspects?

Partner with Morris Bixby Group. Our professionals can reduce your hiring risk by finding the most suitable candidate for your corporate culture using the most investigative interview techniques. We support effective hiring decisions with thorough screening and background checks.

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