It’s often the dream of an employer to hire once and never worry about it again. The idea is to employ assets – people who are valuable to your company. If you could put together a team of individuals who are hard workers, work together, and really provide benefit for your business, then you have it made. The problem is that it usually takes an entire lifetime to find these people.
More often than not, you may hire one good person for every 10 that walk through your door. People say that you have to look good on paper. If you have a good resume with relevant work experience and a positive outlook, then you should hire them, right?
Well, that’s not always the case.
The Case Study
Not too long ago, Pierce Howard, a consulting firm, hired a promising candidate. She had excellent work experience, was referred by a friend-of-a-friend, and won her employer over with her good looks. In the end, she proved to do more harm than good.
Howard sent her to a training session that set the firm back by $5000. The entire point of the training session was to teach people how to write sales proposals. When she returned, she refused to write sales proposals for Howard.
She held a sales position, yet failed to meet any sales quotas. In the beginning, she was receptive to feedback. Within a few months, her attitude quickly did a complete reversal, becoming quite abrasive to any type of feedback received.
Pierce Howard was a small firm and only employed about eight people. Everyone had to pull their weight. However, when they hired an intern, it wasn’t long before she had convinced him to quit.
Employee morale within the small business was suffering. The other employees would talk about her behind her back and behind closed doors. After a year, Howard finally gave her the pink slip and let her go.
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Once you familiarize yourself with various personality traits, you’ll be better equipped to make sure that you hire the right person.
Here are three people and their personality types that will do your business more harm than good.
The Narcissist
You knew this was coming, right? Narcissists do damage wherever they go, whether you live with one, work with one or have to deal with one on a daily basis. It’s easy to hire a narcissist without realizing it. They radiate self-confidence. They’re charismatic and can appear to be fun to be around.
It won’t take long to spot the narcissist in your office. You’ll find that they will refuse to learn from their mistakes, are prone to manipulating others, and can be careless about their commitments. They share some common anti-social personality traits with psychopaths. The problem is that they always do so well in the interview. However, you’ll quickly learn that it’s all about them. They have a tough time getting along with anybody.
How to Spot Them:
Red flags include keeping a careful eye on their attitude toward other people. In a team setting, they will attempt to put the focus back on themselves while making depreciating remarks about others. Try to read their body language for signs of cockiness.
The Social Loafer
Social loafers are the passive-aggressive version of the narcissist. In fact, it’s this very trait of being passive that can drive others up the wall. When it comes to working in teams, these people appear to be lazy. Instead of pulling their weight, they look at a task and will wait until the last minute, hoping that other people will pick up the slack.
How to Spot Them:
You can spot them because these people will let others pick up the slack. In teams, especially smaller teams, it’s imperative for everyone to have the perception that everyone is pulling their weight. Deadweight tends to hold people back and pull them down. Their attitude will be that of visible passive aggression.
The Hyperemotional Hire
Most people can keep their emotions and negative energy out of the interview. At one moment, they may appear to be charming, delightful, and charismatic. A moment later, they’ll walk away and slam the door in your face, leaving you to wonder what just happened. They’re always complaining and others will feel like they’re walking on eggshells when they have to deal with them.
How to Spot Them:
Even people who are considered to be hyperemotional will know to keep negativity and complaints out of the job interview. An easy way to spot these people is to ask them what they didn’t like about their previous job or bosses. If you get a rehearsed answer, then push the issue ever so slightly. Force them to come up with a response on the fly and then watch their reaction. If they get huffy with you, chances are you have a hyperemotional candidate sitting in the chair across from you.
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