Hiring the wrong person is a common mistake—and a costly one. Nearly 75% of employers admit they’ve hired the wrong candidate for a position, and they estimate they’ve lost $14,900, on average, for every bad hire.1 The wrong candidate may lack the skills to do the job or may bring a negative attitude to the workplace that affects other employees. They might produce poor-quality work or fail to work well with others. The negative impacts of hiring the wrong person include diminished productivity and increased time to hire and train a replacement.
Knowing the importance of hiring the right person, how can you ensure you do so? Whether your career is in human resources, you’re on a peer interview panel, or you’re hiring your first or 50th employee, these are five signs that the person you’re hiring will be a good fit for the organization:
They have the right skills.
First, make sure the prospective employee has the skills to do the job. Don’t just rely on their résumé. In the interview, ask situational questions, which are questions about how the candidate would react to a hypothetical situation. For instance, for a special events job you might inquire, “You’ve planned a concert, but the morning of the show, you find out that the lead singer has laryngitis and can’t perform. What do you do?” There is no right answer to this question, but you will be able to get a sense of the candidate’s ability to deal with unexpected difficulties by the way they respond.Additionally, if it’s appropriate for the role, ask interviewees to provide samples of their past work. Before you hire an employee, check their references. In addition to verifying their past positions, try to get a sense of how well they performed their job and how well they worked with others. For management roles, ask the candidate for references from their past employees as well as their past supervisors.
They have a positive attitude.
A negative attitude can permeate the workplace. A positive attitude can make a stressful day better. Optimistic employees are more likely to be willing to find solutions and try new tactics.Of course, in an interview, a candidate might seem like a positive person. A good way to determine if someone truly is an optimist is to ask them about a time that they failed and how they handled it. If the candidate can’t come up with an example, they’re probably not being truthful, because we all make mistakes. If the interviewee recounts a story and exhibits bitterness or blames others, those are signs of negativity and an inability to accept responsibility. But if a candidate relays an experience in which they acknowledged their shortcomings and overcame them, that’s a positive sign.
- They communicate well.
No matter what type of company you work for, employees must communicate—with one another, with customers, with supervisors. Would you want to hire someone who is slow to respond, sends garbled emails, or repeatedly changes the date of the interview? A prospective employee who responds quickly and clearly throughout the recruitment process will likely communicate that way once they have the job. They are enthusiastic.
You want to hire an employee who wants the job. Your ideal candidate should demonstrate some knowledge about your organization. Perhaps they checked out your social media, read recent news articles about your company, or perused your annual report. The candidate should be excited about the position. They should ask good questions about the department they’d be working in and the organization’s future.If a candidate doesn’t seem to understand the duties of the job or what the company does, they are probably not going to be a good fit.
- The interview flows well.
A great interview feels easy. It should feel like a conversation, not an interrogation. You should find the candidate’s answers to your questions interesting. You might ask follow-up questions to learn more. If you have more of a dialogue than a strict question-and-answer interview, that is a sign that the candidate could be a good fit for your organization.
HR: Managing a Business’s Most Important Asset … People
If you’re a people person who wants to help individuals and organizations thrive, consider a career in human resources (also known by its acronym, HR). HR professionals recruit and retain employees, create company policies, ensure compliance with labor laws, manage employee relations, and handle compensation and benefits. Some HR managers are also responsible for training programs and employee events.
You can get started in your human resources career with a bachelor’s degree, but many HR professionals, particularly those at the middle and senior management levels, have a master’s in human resources management. If you want to build your skills to lead and empower a diverse workforce, an MS in Human Resource Management can prepare you for a leadership role in HR. Walden University’s online master’s degree in HR management can give you the skills you need to reach your career goals.
Walden’s MS in Human Resource Management addresses real-world HR challenges with a focus on leadership and corporate social responsibility. This online degree program meets the requirements outlined by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). You can choose from one of two tracks: Track I helps prepare students for SHRM certification, and Track II is for SHRM-certified HR professionals who want to tailor their education to their career aspirations. If you choose Track I, you’ll further prepare for SHRM certification with the Meeting SHRM Competencies capstone.2 In Track II, you’ll complete the Strategic Human Resources Management capstone.
Whichever track you choose, an online MS in Human Resource Management can prepare you for a successful HR career making a difference in the lives of employees.
Walden University is an accredited institution offering an online MS in Human Resource Management degree program as well as a Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.
Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.
1Source: press.careerbuilder.com/2017-12-07-Nearly-Three-in-Four-Employers-Affected-by-a-Bad-Hire-According-to-a-Recent-CareerBuilder-Survey
2Course content reflects the SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge. This course of study will in no way guarantee or assure success on the SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® exam. Students must use the most recent edition of the SHRM® educational products for this course and may not use outdated materials.