How to Spot a Bad Hire Instantly

The cost of hiring someone who doesn’t “fit” a position can be quite high. AOL.com reported in February on a CareerBuilder.com survey that found, according to the AOL article:

Of the nearly 2,700 employers surveyed in August and September, 41 percent estimated that a single bad hire cost them more than $25,000, while a quarter of respondents said it cost more than $50,000.

Don’t let that happen to you: Follow the tips below to help you find out how to “spot” a potential bad hire quickly – before you say “Welcome aboard!”

• Be sure you hire for the skills you need. This doesn’t mean the individual has to be perfect. In fact, when you put together a job description, only list those skills that are critical to success in the position. There is no such thing as a perfect candidate. Get over yourself: She/he doesn’t exist. Instead, decide what you must have skill-wise and look for that.
• Don’t hire a candidate unless she/he positively has the skills and background you need. You can hire for personality and work ethic – and it really is wise to do so (more on that in a moment). You can’t set someone up for failure and hiring someone who doesn’t have the skills absolutely needed in order to the job is doing just that.
• Speaking of personality: make sure the person is a good fit for your department. Most bad hires end up quitting because they just don’t fit in, not because they don’t have the skills to do the job.
• To get an idea of a person’s personality, ask “what would you do if” questions. You also should extend “what did you do when” queries. This will help you see what a person will probably do in different scenarios because past history is a great indicator of future actions.
• An important personality trait to look for is flexibility and a wiliness to try new things – or new ways of doing routines. If a person is pretty set in her ways, the candidate may not go far in a pharmacy setting.
• The task of hiring the right people is an “art” and a “science,” you can go with your gut feeling only so far. Be sure to look at the facts: skills, job history, references, etc.
• Finally, if you discover the person to be a bad hire, it’s best to let her go sooner rather than later. A three-month probationary period (whether formal or informal) can go a long way to ascertaining if someone has the skills for the job and the personality to make it in your company’s particular culture. If it’s obvious that no training or additional work will help the person, let her go. If she’s borderline, meet with her, go over what needs to improve and give a three-month deadline. Make sure it’s firm.

Insurance Relief™ can help you find great insurance professionals who have the skills as well as the right “fit” for your office. We can perform preliminary interviews and send you only those who strictly meet the criteria you set. Contact us today!