The High Costs Of Bad Employment Practices: Red Flags To Watch For In An Interview

costs bad employment practice red flags job interview

A bad hire can drastically alter your company’s productivity and budget. Think of your office’s culture as a living, breathing organism. If you recruit top talent that adds value to employees' wellbeing and business, the office will thrive. Alternatively, hiring the wrong people can weaken the office’s ability to develop and prosper. 

One wrong employee can drain productivity, time, and your company’s bank account. The amount of money it takes to hire and train someone, only to let that person go a few months later, is enormous. And the recovery time to recover from a bad hire can take months, sometimes even years. 

To hire better you must watch for any red flags from candidates. If you notice any unprofessional qualities from a potential employee, you might want to think long and hard before employing the individual. 

What’s The Cost 

If you've ever made the mistake of hiring the wrong person for a job, you're not alone. More than 74 percent of employers say they’ve hired an unqualified individual for a position at least once. And it's an error that doesn't come cheap. Surveys show that businesses can lose an average of $15 000 on every bad hiring decision. 

Replacing employees is costly. In addition to the direct costs, the indirect costs of losing an employee are incredibly impactful for your business. For example, the lost productivity and time, reduction in team morale, and the training costs to replace an employee all negatively affect your business' bottom line. Choosing the right person from the get-go can save you and your team a lot of stress. 

How To Spot Red Flags In An Interview 

There are several warning signs to watch out for from candidates when conducting job interviews. For example, if someone is late and doesn’t have a legitimate reason, you can cross off their name right away. Being late for a job interview demonstrates disrespect for your time and a lack of consideration and self-awareness in general. 

We’ve created a list of additional warning signs of potentially harmful candidates: 

● Hasn’t researched the company. They don’t need to be experts, but if a candidate can take an educated guess about how your business makes decisions, you’ll know they’ve prepared. This shows determination and a drive to want to work for you. 

● Talks poorly of former employers. Speaking negatively about former employers shows that a candidate lacks integrity. Even if they don’t like an old employer, talking despairingly about them is in bad taste. 

● Poor listening skills. If a candidate unknowingly asks you to repeat a question multiple times, they might not want to be there. Or, they may have trouble organizing their thoughts. Most people are nervous during interviews, but if their inability to listen and communicate is already causing problems, it's probably a sign not to hire them. 

Having reliable employees is critical to a successful business. Thoughtful and selective hiring is integral to your company’s wellbeing. Before your upcoming hiring process, keep a watchful eye out for any warning signs from candidates and choose the best people for your team.

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