As one of the leading staffing agencies in Sacramento, California, Pacific Staffing knows the last thing you want is to hire a candidate who sounded great during an interview, only to find out hiring them was a big mistake. They don’t have the right skills, the right personality or the right attitude to do the job.

The good news is that there are some signs to look out for – before making a hiring decision – that can help you spot and avoid a potential bad hire. Here’s a look at a few of them:

The candidate has no weaknesses or failures. 

You ask them to tell you about their biggest weakness or to describe a time they failed on the job. All you get is silence, or a big a smile, or a “nope, I can’t think of anything.” In this situation, most honest candidates will try to offer you something just so they can answer the question. But it’s the dishonest candidates who typically have no response, leaving you to wonder what they’re hiding.

They give you vague answers. 

When you ask about specific projects they’ve worked on, you don’t get a lot of detail. Or their answer always involves “we,” not “I.” This could be an indication that they exaggerated their background on their resume, so once they have to delve into the details, they simply don’t have any to offer you. Someone who actually did the work won’t have a problem discussing the details.

They are unprofessional.

Unprofessional behavior can rear it’s ugly head in any number of ways. Whether the candidate shows up late, is dressed inappropriately, or treats the front desk receptionist rudely, it’s a sign of what’s to come should you hire this person. If a candidate can’t even act professionally for an hour during a job interview, then what will they be like in the office five days a week, eight hours a day? Answer: A big hiring mistake.

They focus on money and perks.

You’re focusing on educating the candidate about the job and the company. But all the candidate seems to want to know about is the pay, the benefits and any other company perks. While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be paid a good wage, if that’s all a candidate focuses on, then it’s an indication that they could care less about the job. All they want is the money.

Need more tips and insight on hiring the best candidates? Give Pacific Staffing a call. As one of the leading staffing agencies in Sacramento, California, we know where to find today’s top talent and can help you implement effective strategies to retain them.

Contact us today to learn more.