Human Resources Blog - Spark Hire
How to Tell When You’re Investing in the Right Candidate

How to Tell When You’re Investing in the Right Candidate

Prior to extending a job offer to a candidate, you want to verify that the individual you’re considering bringing on board is worth the investment. Spending time and money training this person only to find that they’re a poor fit is a drain on your business’s resources, as well as on your time. Before you make an investment you later regret, consider these questions:

Is this person competent?

While anyone can receive training, you want the person you bring on board to have a knowledge base on which you can build. If they walk into the office having no idea what their job entails, getting them up to speed will become a seemingly insurmountable task.

Is this person serious about the job?

Frequent turnover becomes damaging to a business, so look for a candidate who appears to be serious about the job and interested in what the company has to offer. Ideally you’ll choose someone who plans to stick with the business for more than just a few months.

Will this person fit in with the existing company culture?

When you’re hiring a new team member, you want to make sure that their personality will blend well with your existing employees and company culture. If the new person comes in and instantly starts clashing with veteran workers, you’ll find that the tension quickly becomes overpowering in the office. Over time, this can become a serious distraction.

What is this individual’s character like?

A person can have training from the best school in the country, but if their moral values are questionable then you’ll quickly regret offering them a position on your team. Businesses of all sizes are destroyed when employees lack solid character and find it acceptable to steal, cheat, or take other actions that harm the well-being of the company. Before you offer anyone a job, make sure that you’re comfortable with who they are as a human.

What do they expect in terms of compensation?

Have an honest discussion about compensation and make sure that what you’re able to offer is in line with what the individual is hoping to make. If you’re draining major resources to afford one person’s salary, you could end up costing your business on multiple levels.

Is this person a creative problem solver?

Regardless of the field you’re in, you’ll need your team to be able to face a less-than-ideal situation and resolve it in a way that works for both your company and your clients. Your new hire should have a good mind for resolving problems in a calm and efficient manner.

When you’re hiring, how do you analyze the candidates you’re interviewing? Share with us in the comments!

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Lauren Levine

Lauren Levine is a copywriter/blogger who contributes to a number of magazines and websites including The Frisky, USA Today, and others. She also authors her own blog called Life with Lauren. She loves cooking, anything on the E! network, and is trying to convince herself that running isn't so bad.