Don't Hire a Stranger!
Hiring is a multi-level process involving the application, the interview, the background check, references, and the overall picture that these elements reveal about your prospective employee. Here are a couple of suggestions to remember prior to going into an interview:
- Check the application carefully for “red flags” such as gaps in employment and erasures or cross-outs of key information like dates, salaries, education, and job titles. Other red flags include applications that are not signed, a “yes” or blank response to questions about prior criminal convictions, reasons for leaving a job that don’t make sense, and any vague, confusing, or partial responses.
- Prepare for the interview well in advance so that phone calls and appointments do not distract or make you feel rushed. Ask open-ended questions and stick to job-relevant questions. Questions about sexual orientation, religion, age, weight, marital status, disabilities and children are all off limits.
- If you decide not to hire this particular candidate, be sure that the reason is relevant to the position. If, for example, the position does not require driving, then a DUI may not be relevant to your decision.
