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When you hire an employee who quickly ends up not working out, it’s more than just an inconvenience and extra work. From advertising the position to training a replacement to lost productivity, the cost of bad hires can be substantial. Fortunately, there are ways to improve the hiring process to make more successful decisions. Avoid a bad hire with these tips:

  • Avoid Subjective Judgement Calls

Making hiring decisions based on gut feelings is a recipe for bad hires because there is too high of a risk of subconscious bias. Take steps to standardize the hiring process to avoid subjective judgment calls – develop criteria to measure traits and skills that are most indicative of success in the role, and use it to evaluate all candidates. This will prevent you from being drawn to candidates for the wrong reasons, such as because they’re like you or are charming smooth talkers, rather than being the most qualified.

  • Assess for Soft Skills and Cultural Fit

Bad hires aren’t always due to a lack of ability to perform the duties of the job. Often, they are the result of not having the necessary personal traits to be a top performer, or overall being a poor fit with company culture. When you’re making hiring decisions, assess for key soft skills (such as teamwork, communication, a positive attitude) and cultural fit (i.e., a candidate who thrives on competition and is used to winning at all costs may not work well in a culture that values teamwork and harmony.)

  • Interview Strategically

Avoid hiring the wrong candidate by interviewing more strategically and asking questions that provide in-depth insight into candidates’ work styles, achievements, personality traits, career aspirations, and other factors that are crucial for being a good long-term fit for your company. Craft your interview questions in a manner that makes it hard for candidates to “fake it” and tell you what they think you want to hear. Instead, ask them to describe specific past examples that show they have the traits you need, rather than hypothetical “what would you do” type questions.

  • Take Your Time

Many bad hires are due to the pressure of feeling the need to get someone hired quickly because of understaffing or increasing workloads, which can make you more likely to ignore red flags, not thoroughly vet candidates, or settle for mediocre candidates over waiting for top talent. However, the stress relief is short-lived when you learn that the new hire won’t work out and you have to start all over. Do it right the first time by allowing yourself to take your time. If staffing levels or workload is a problem, consider looking into temporary employees in the meantime to help with coverage.

Find Your Next Job with Help from PrideStaff Akron!

Avoid bad hires by delegating the recruitment process to a team of experts. PrideStaff Akron’s experienced specialists know how to evaluate candidates to determine their likelihood of a successful fit based on your criteria. Contact us today to learn more about our staffing solutions.

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