How to avoid a bad hire

Go beyond the CV

Hiring the right person for a role is never easy, but dealing with the fallout from a bad hire can be even more challenging.

So how can you identify an inappropriate applicant – before they turn into an inappropriate employee?

Here are some suggestions to use in your recruiting process to assist in hiring the right candidate for the job – the first time.

Before commencing the recruitment process, the crucial first step to your plan of action should be aligning the job description to the role you are looking to fill.

An unclear job description often results in unqualified candidates pursuing employment with your business.

Spending time preparing an effective job description will help attract the right candidates and eliminate those without the necessary skill sets.

The first warning sign to note is a poorly put together CV, check the spelling and grammar.

Second, don’t just consider the applicant’s qualifications on their CV. Try to get a whole picture of who the candidate is as a person, whether they will be a good match for the culture you are recruiting for, and how they like to work.

This can be done by conducting an initial phone interview.

Once you’ve vetted the applicants via telephone, an effective and in-depth interviewing process is the next critical component in identifying which candidates will be successful at your business. Familiarising themselves with the company’s website and annual accounts is the absolute bare minimum candidates should be doing.

An absolute requirement is to prepare a list of position and work culture-specific questions, paying close attention to the potential candidate’s responses, rewording questions when they are answered mistily.

The interview process is the place to probe for any potential shortcomings of the candidate that their resume won’t showcase.

Another key point to look for is the candidate’s attitude to their current role and their stated reasons for wanting to leave.

The conversation should be positive and focused on what they actually want to get from the new job. Negativity about a current employer is always a danger sign.

Whether a candidate is a good fit for your business will largely depend on how they fare during the interview process, and a lot of it comes down to personal instinct.

The answers to the interview questions, combined with their body language and other non-verbal clues will help you help you avoid bad hires.

Lastly, be diligent about reference checks by going beyond simply verifying titles and dates of employment. By asking the right questions you could receive insight far beyond what you’ve learned from the CV and interview.

By: Ketan Dattani

Buckingham Futures is a privately owned company which specialises in the recruitment of Environmental Health and Health & Safety professionals nationwide.

Led by Ketan Dattani, the Buckingham team offer in-depth market knowledge and expertise within our parallel disciplines to candidates and clients alike by a close knit and dedicated team of technically qualified and highly experienced recruitment consultants and support staff.

We pride ourselves on having a high profile within this sector, based on a quality service, a competitive pricing policy and great team work.

Our success has been built on the concept of a personal and intellectual service and plain hard work. Accurately identifying the needs of both clients and candidates ensures we remain effective and we are determined to maintain this level of commitment.

Source:
https://moneyforlunch.com/how-to-avoid-a-bad-hire/