Texas business columnist Dave Beck just wrote a piece for the San Antonio Express-News headlined: “Watch for ‘red flags’ when hiring.” Here’s the lead.
The rewards of smart hires are generally well-known. Longer retention, reduced turnover, increased employee satisfaction and morale, and decreased human resources costs are a few of the more obvious benefits. Less obvious is how to secure the right people. In fact, finding that right fit for your business sometimes seems more difficult than ever. To improve your hiring processes, you should learn to recognize the proverbial ‘red flags.’ By knowing the warning signs, both before the interview and during time spent with the applicant, you can single out the top contenders more efficiently and with greater success.
Like most hiring experts, Beck recommends a reference check and a background check. But he also shares some advice that I haven’t seen in other places. Here is some of it.
Beck suggests asking a candidate if he or she can describe the most important function of their current position. If they can’t, they may not understand what’s expected of them or where they fit into the company.
One of his most interesting recommendations is something Beck got from police psychologist John Nicoletti. When a candidate uses the word “just,” take it as a signal to find out more. “Just” is a verbal way for the candidate to minimize something like a behavior, performance issues, or a significant incident.
He suggests being wary if a candidate can’t quantify or specifically describe his or her accomplishments. As with other areas of interviewing, vagueness is a warning sign that needs to be investigated. References from or jobs at companies that have gone out of business should grab your attention, too.
Look for things that don’t fit. Is the job title right for the size of the company or the duties described? Do education and experience match up with duties and accomplishments?
Hiring great people is an art and practice will improve your performance at it. It’s worth the effort because great people make great companies and great performance.