The cost of a bad hire is significant. Identifying and employing the right people is advantageous for any organization willing to put in the time, effort, and resources into it. As a candidate, you know any small misstep can derail the process and send your resume into the shredder. As the interviewer, you are looking to make sure the candidate is answering the questions truthfully.
Interviewers are looking for some very specific personality traits when interviewing executives. Keeping that in mind, there are some key problems that can derail even the most qualified of candidates from landing their dream job. Here are six common candidates you want to skip out on.
The Exaggerating Candidate
Hyberole should be saved for poetry. Most industries are numbers-oriented. You may need to hit labor percentages, food costs, beverage costs, inventory costs, etc. People that have been in the hospitality or senior living industry will know when numbers or even events have been exaggerated out of the realm of possibility. When a candidate is offering up unrealistic numbers in a specific area or debatable facts about an event, take the time to go into further detail about them to ensure these are not made-up events or numbers.
The One-Dimensional Candidate
Ask the candidate to tell you a story about an event during their career. The goal here is not really the event, but the ability of the managerial candidate to tell the story and truly paint a picture and put you inside the event as they are telling the story. If they are unable to do this, imagine how they will be able to describe directions to their own staff. Being one-dimensional is a red flag.
The Unadaptable Candidate
Asking someone if their plans are set in stone or if they are willing to change is a great way to identify managers that are unwilling to adapt to situations that may arise. This works hand-in-hand with managers that are unable or unwilling to plan in advance. While operating “off the cuff” is not recommended, most companies need managers that can visualize solutions to problems that were not anticipated by anyone during the planning stages.
The Argumentative Candidate
When challenging a fact, event, or something from the resume, check to see how argumentative this person is being. When the individual is telling stories about their career to this point, are they often describing confrontations with workers or guests? If they are overly defending their position, it is generally a sign they are either lying or exaggerating as well as someone that may not be willing to bend to cooperate with other managers or even the guest when there is a problem with an event or contract.
The Negative Candidate
Learning about failed functions or failures during the previous or existing position is also a great way to learn about a candidate. Do they take ownership or are they placing all the blame on others? Are they trash-talking a former boss or employer or finding a positive way to describe what was an obviously negative situation? This is extremely important because negativity is infectious and can destroy in a very short period of time what may have taken years to build.
The Self-Absorbed Candidate
Above all else, the person that puts themselves above the operation, as well as his or her team, can be cancerous to any operation. Do they describe achievements as “I did this” or “My team and I” or “We” events? Regardless of one’s talent and abilities, every success is truly a team effort. Someone that is not willing to share the glory will surely sell his or her team members out down the line. Good managers protect their team in times of trouble, at least to a degree, and share the rewards when the time comes.
If you are the manager interviewing, practice makes perfect. Do not expect to be able to spot these problems during your first interviews. As a candidate, look through these problem behaviors to see if you identify with any of them. It will take an honest and hard look in the mirror but acknowledging and addressing them can and will enable you to take your career to the next level.
Whether you are an organization looking for new managers or a candidate in need of a new opportunity, we can help. For more information about our recruiting services, click here. For candidates seeking more information about opportunities available across the country, click here.