Talking to candidates for short and making judgments about their capability is a risky bet. A lot of this sense comes only after a mix of good and bad experiences of talking to many people.
You can easily spot a bad apple in the produce section by looking for brown spots.
How do you identify a “bad apple”, during the hiring process?
It’s important to remember that job applicants always put their best foot forward when you are interviewing and screening resumes. It can be difficult to tell who is just “good looking” on paper or who interviews well – and who will succeed in the job.
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The “good” and the “great”
We are a top nationwide employment agency and strive to make staffing your company easier and more efficient. Here are two tips from our recruiters to help you hire smarter. They know how to tell the difference between stellar and adequate candidates.
Distinguishing Technique #1: Challenge them with an issue to solve
An exercise from real life gives insight into the candidate’s approach to solving a problem. This exercise demonstrates how an individual applies their soft and hard skills to solve a problem. It also shows how they deal with adversity.
A qualified candidate will try to solve the problem to the best ability.
A great candidate will do more than the rest by:
- Asking pertinent questions to fill in the gaps.
- Describe their thinking process behind the solution that they created.
- Acknowledging that they don’t have enough information is a good start. Then, explain how they would go about finding the answers. The best candidates are aware of their strengths and weaknesses, but they are humble enough to admit that they don’t know all the answers.
Distinguishing Technique #2: Request for proof.
You will ask questions during the hiring process to assess whether the candidate has the necessary job skills, soft skills, background, or experience for the role
A qualified candidate will be able to explain their skills and experiences in relation to the job.
A great candidate will go beyond their past and:
- Please share anecdotes of their actions.
- Their claims should be supported by evidence (e.g., quantifiable results and KPIs regarding their job performance).
- Don’t be afraid to tell people about the areas where they are lacking skills or experience.
