How to Ace Every Hiring Decision

Is it really just a big gamble or are there clues you can look for in every hiring decision that will tell you that you should or shouldn't hire a particular applicant? Read on and see how to hire successfully.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Concentration and good powers of observation

1. Appearances do count. That is not to say that you should discriminate against someone who is overweight or not particularly attractive. But everyone who walks through your door looking for a job needs to be neat, clean, well dressed and reasonably well spoken. They should have shiny shoes, clean nails, combed hair and tasteful jewelry.
2. Watch for signs that an applicant talks too much. This could be a real problem, especially in a customer-service position, as they will spend more time on each call. Or, if a person is painfully shy and hard to communicate with, it will be a problem if they have frequent customer contact. If he will be working closely with other departments but is hard to talk to in some way, it will effect how he is perceived by others.
3. People who present themselves in a matter-of-fact and not boastful way and who have an impressive resume warrant further consideration. Ask specific questions about their knowledge and test that knowledge anyway you can. Ask situational questions that would be similar to the real work environment and assess how well they can think in the moment. Watch out for anyone who looks great on paper but does not seem to be “with it” when asked about the details.
4. Be wary of a candidate who just wants to get the job, get her point across and does not directly answer questions to your satisfaction. Go back to the original question asked and repeat it in a slightly different way, in case your meaning may have been misconstrued. If she still do not answer you, be concerned.
5. Be wary of anyone who does something odd in the middle of a job interview. For example, if he answers his cell phone call, unless it is a matter of utmost importance, this is not acceptable behavior. If he chews gum, prattles on aimlessly or exhibits strange facial movements, there may be some underlying problems.
6. Generally speaking, if the candidate is unprepared, uncooperative or uncommunicative, you should keep your job search open. Also, an interviewee who fails to look you in the eye has something to hide. Someone who sweats profusely can also be hiding information. Some people do sweat more than others, but profuse sweating is sometimes a sign of deception.
7. The individual should be friendly toward you but not violating your personal space. Use of profanity during an interview is another problem signal. Basically, take every negative indicator in an interview and multiply it by ten to get a better representation of characteristics. Swearing in the interview times ten is troubling. Dressing suggestively times ten is a future problem. Talkativeness times ten is a potential performance problem in the future. You get the idea.
8. Do not discriminate against anyone for race, color, creed, sexual orientation and the like. This does not mean, however, that you must hire a job candidate who is a minority because of her minority status. Base your decision only on legal and potentially job related indicators. These indicators may be job history, work habits and personal characteristics that could positively or negatively effect the type of job they are seeking.
9. Studies suggest that we tend to hire people who are like ourselves, because it is easier for us to identify with them. I once had a sales manager who only hired men who were under 5’7”. At the sales meeting, as an average height woman wearing high heels, I was the tallest person in the room. Keep this in mind when you are looking for job candidates and do not gravitate to those who are demographically similar to you. Give everyone a fair chance and find yourself the best possible candidate.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't hurry your decision process. Take your time. This is important to you and your company to pick the right candidate.