{"id":10893,"date":"2018-03-14T06:40:26","date_gmt":"2018-03-14T13:40:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/recruitloop.com\/blog\/?p=10893"},"modified":"2023-05-12T08:54:27","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T15:54:27","slug":"7-signs-may-hiring-wrong-candidate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zippia.com\/employer\/7-signs-may-hiring-wrong-candidate\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Signs You May Be Hiring the Wrong Candidate"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cTo be or not be, that is the question<\/em>.\u201d These are the famous words the indecisive Hamlet moaned. They are also the words that many recruiters ask themselves when interviewing a candidate.<\/p>\n

Is this candidate the right one? Here are some unpromising signs. Remember, these are just signs, (and candidates must be evaluated in totality).<\/p>\n

1. Punctuality problems<\/h2>\n

Being on time shows that a prospect is reliable. And reliability is what you need in the workplace. If someone\u2019s work is late, it often stops other people from doing their work. This will bring down the morale of the whole office.<\/p>\n

Punctuality is a tricky element to grade. Sometimes, emergencies happen. Sometimes people get flat tires or dead batteries. So, while being late for the first interview is far from a positive thing, occasionally it can\u2019t be helped. A candidate\u2019s misfortune shouldn\u2019t be held against them.<\/p>\n

2. Grammar issues<\/h2>\n

Email copy can tell you a lot about a candidate. As a matter of fact, some employers won\u2019t hire people with bad grammar (unless there are extenuating circumstances such as dyslexia or the candidate is an ESL learner).<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what researchers found after years of hiring people: prospects who pay more attention to grammar are more likely to pay more attention to detail in general. There\u2019s something appealing about people who are dedicated to doing things the right way- even the little things. The idea is if you can be faithful in small things, you can be faithful in big things. Yet, here\u2019s a warning: don\u2019t worry too much about the length of email copy.<\/p>\n

Some people write short emails; that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re disinterested. There\u2019s virtue in short emails\u00a0 provided they answer the question – as they\u2019re often penned by efficiency aficionados.<\/p>\n

3. Social media miscues<\/h2>\n

From the human standpoint, judging people about social media almost seems unfair. Is it really fair to eliminate Candidate A because he posted pictures of last weekend\u2019s trip to Vegas? The answer is, it depends. Your personal life is your personal life, and your professional life is your professional life. Just because someone engages in rowdy behavior on the weekend, it doesn\u2019t mean they won\u2019t put in the spadework in at their job.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, there are social media miscues you can\u2019t afford to ignore. For instance, if someone admits to having a substance abuse problem that affected attendance at their last job, you need to weigh that info very carefully. Or if someone posts about illegal activity on social media, then you need to stop and take notice. You shouldn\u2019t expect everyone to be a teetotaler, but there are some activities that are just plain inappropriate- these should affect your analysis.<\/p>\n

4. Fashion miscues<\/h2>\n

Candidates with good instincts just seem to know what to wear. They don\u2019t overdress or underdress for the initial interview. Here\u2019s a fascinating (loose) quote from the book 1984<\/em>, \u201cParty members not only had the right attitudes but the right instincts.\u201d The idea is people with good instincts tend to fit in better almost anywhere, even in cruel futuristic totalitarian governments that don\u2019t respect the rights of their citizens.<\/p>\n

Clothes are important, but they\u2019re not everything. Sometimes key skills are sacrificed at the altar of good instincts and foppishness, and you don\u2019t want that.<\/p>\n

5. Lies on the resume<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s tremendous value in an honest candidate, someone who\u2019s willing to forego dissimulation, even at the cost of potentially not getting a job. Major resume lies<\/a> are the ones you need to watch out for. For example, a major resume lie would be a candidate saying they worked at a place that never existed. Or another major resume lie would be for a candidate to say they have a degree they don\u2019t have. Honesty really is the best policy. Of course, you should try and put yourself in the candidate\u2019s position too.<\/p>\n

For instance, let\u2019s say they have WordPress experience, but they are by no means masters of the software. It\u2019s understandable the candidate would list the software on the resume, showing you they have some experience, showing you they won\u2019t be starting from zero.<\/p>\n

6. No references or sub-par references<\/h2>\n

Do references really matter?<\/a> It\u2019s an age-old question, but an important one. Oftentimes, employers fall in love with a candidate. Yet, when they check their references, they find out they were a headache at their last position, and their previous employer wouldn\u2019t hire them again. However, that opens up another line of discussion. Why would a candidate list a reference that won\u2019t speak of them favorably?<\/p>\n

Most candidates know that it\u2019s a labor-intensive process to properly vet references. Hiring managers and small business owners are busy people, and they often don\u2019t have time to do that kind of spadework. Keeping that in mind, it\u2019s a good idea to check on references when you can. One way to cut down on the contact time is by sending them an email. It doesn\u2019t have to be long and you can even make a template if you hire a lot of people. The best references<\/a> are people who can speak on candidates as professionals. Friends and neighbors are better than nothing, but they aren\u2019t ideal.<\/p>\n

7. A Lack of enthusiasm<\/h2>\n

This is the most important point of all. You want someone who is enthusiastic about your company. For example, there\u2019s a lot to like about a candidate who researched your company before coming in. If they know your rivals, your history, and your specific core values, that shows they are excited about the interview.<\/p>\n

Hiring people is a numbers game. You cast your net far and wide to get the best candidate. Likewise, the people who you interview have likely applied to many other jobs. There\u2019s nothing wrong with that in itself. Yet, you need to know they\u2019re excited for your position. A great question<\/a> to ask candidates is, \u201cWhat about this specific position makes you excited?\u201d If they give you an impressive answer, you should give them a few brownie points.<\/p>\n

Another great question to ask them is, \u201cDo you have any questions for us?\u201d If they ask some intriguing questions about your company, that\u2019s a positive sign. Additionally, it\u2019s a good idea to take special interest clients who send thank you notes, and other types of follow-up correspondence. These people are more enthusiastic about the position, and enthusiasm is a top-tier trait of effective job candidates.<\/p>\n

Are these danger signs hypercritical?<\/h2>\n

Yes, they are. Someone with bad grammar may not have an opinion on the Oxford comma, but they could be a social media whiz who speaks three languages. Someone may have posted pictures of a rowdy bar fight in Vegas, but they may have never been late for work in the last nine years. Someone may not wear a tie, but they may be a salesman with a silver tongue. Someone may not appear to have much enthusiasm, but they could have been a leader in team building activities at their last job.<\/p>\n

The list goes on and on. The word to take away from this article is nuance. Hiring is a nuanced process. Practice everything in moderation. Don\u2019t ignore these warning signs, and don\u2019t overvalue them either. That\u2019s the secret to navigating the often tempestuous seas of hiring talent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cTo be or not be, that is the question.\u201d These are the famous words the indecisive Hamlet moaned. They are also the words that many recruiters ask themselves when interviewing a candidate. Is this candidate the right one? Here are some unpromising signs. Remember, these are just signs, (and candidates must be evaluated in totality). […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":279,"featured_media":10895,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[73],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n7 Signs You May Be Hiring the Wrong Candidate<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here are 7 unpromising signs that you may be hiring the wrong candidate. 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