Your job candidates are preparing hard for their interviews… and you should be to. If you want to ensure that you hire the right people, prepare fully for each interview.
Do Your Homework
Before the interview, you should already be vetting your potential hire. By doing your homework and investigating a candidate you not only make sure that you will get the most out of an upcoming interview but also save yourself time and problems in the long run.
As soon as you receive your applicant’s resume, be sure to note any red flags that might appear. These include:
- frequent job changes
- irregular salary history
- gaps in employment
- questionable or non-existent references
- vague qualifications or jargon
Hire a reputable pre-employment screening company to do some of the heavy lifting for you. A professional company specializing in background checks can shed light on some of these red flags or find discrepancies in what may look like a solid resume.
Ask Strong Questions
If you find a discrepancy or unexplained gap in a candidate’s resume, the interview is the time to ask about it. You shouldn’t be accusatory (as this might turn off a potentially excellent employee), but be direct. You may discover there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for what at first seemed like a red flag.
But pay attention also for behavioral tells. If the interviewee obfuscates or redirects the conversation, this might be a sign that the candidate is being dishonest. Don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions or press for more detail. Good questions will force your candidate to disclose information not only about his or her qualifications, but how he or she would handle themselves in a work situation. How open and honest a candidate is in an interview can predict how forthcoming and honest they will be in the workplace.
Check Your Work
Even if you have already screened for discrepancies in a resume, new information may come up in an interview. If a potential hire discusses previous employment experiences or credentials not listed on his or her resume, it may behoove you to verify these new facts. A reputable pre-employment screening company will help you with this service as well so that you can feel completely comfortable and confident in the person you are hiring.
Contact us to discuss employment background screening!