Every once in a while, making a hiring mistake can be more than just an inconvenience, it can be a downright disaster. By making the best hiring decision you can, not only do you save yourself a ton of time and money, but a few headaches too. Here are just a few signs that someone isn’t right for your company.
They Haven’t Done Their Homework
If your business is easy to research or readily available online, a candidate has no excuse not to have a large amount of information about your company under his or her belt. After all, doing some research about the position will also help them understand if they’re a good fit for you, and that’s the first step in forming a good professional relationship with the business. They don’t need to know everything, but knowing some solid information when they walk in the door is a good sign.
You Feel You May Have a Different Bottom Line
Let’s say you’re a non-profit that focuses on saving sea lions. Maybe a potential candidate comes in and wishes to fill the fundraising coordinator position so they too can help sea lions. You know the position pays well, and so do they. They have a lot of experience with fundraising, but does that mean they care about your bottom line? Your priority is likely the sea lions, but what is theirs? While they can probably still effectively do their job, they may not be as happy as they can be working for you.
They Don’t Team Up Well
There’s nothing wrong with someone who prefers to work alone, especially if they work a night shift or do a job that requires a lot of focus. However, new workers should be able to work alone and in a group, and should thrive well in a group. Those who may shy away from others and don’t really want to work with others can be difficult to integrate into your team.
Up is Their Only Direction
There is more than one direction to go in a company. You probably know as a small business owner or employee that climbing the ladder in a linear fashion isn’t always possible, especially since there are a lot of shoes to fill and not a ton of people to fill them in a smaller company. Hiring someone who feels like they deserve to reach the top in a few years may never really feel appreciated when they don’t get there as fast as they feel they should.
Hiring the wrong person for your position isn’t the end of the world, but by watching out for the signs above, you may save yourself some heartache and the frustration of rehiring someone new.