One of the biggest challenges when hiring in the specialty chemicals industry is distinguishing between great candidates and candidates who look good on paper. The last thing you want is to hire someone who ends up being a poor performer, because then you have to start your recruiting process all over. These tips will help you avoid bad candidates who look good on paper.

Create a Hiring Process Designed to Spot Red Flags

Often times, toxic employees know how to make themselves look better than they actually are. They might have relevant skills and experiences, but that doesn’t mean they can contribute positively to your team. Keep track of behaviors that your worst employees share. You also want to talk to your top performers, because they likely have noticed their own set of red flags. Toxic employees tend to hold the entire team back, so the key is to identify these candidates before they ever have the opportunity to influence your workplace.

Lack of Accountability and Humility

The worst employees are often the ones who lack accountability and humility. They take credit for everything that goes well, but place blame when they make mistakes. If the candidate talks at length about their strengths and accomplishments, but doesn’t talk about their weaknesses or failures, this can be a red flag. You want employees who exhibit self-awareness and understand the importance of teamwork. In addition, if an employee believes they are perfect, they won’t work on self-improvement. You want a candidate who will put in the effort needed to grow, or they will never be high performers.

Assess Candidates’ Values

An employee is much more likely to stay motivated and act in the best interest of the team if they share the same values as the company and the team. If the candidate doesn’t believe in your mission, they won’t be invested in seeing you succeed. Ask questions designed to evaluate candidates’ past behaviors. This will give you insight into their character. A team performs at its best when all the members work harmoniously toward a common goal, so you need employees who share your vision.

A candidate may look perfect on paper, but if they seem too good to be true, they might just be. You have to evaluate their past performance, their behaviors, and their values to identify whether they have the ability to perform the role well while also contributing positively to the team and the work environment.

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