Companies are having more trouble than ever finding good candidates to fill positions. So the last thing you need is to waste time on job candidates who may not be all they claim.
There are some warning signs that a candidate may not be truthful about his or her qualifications … or who’s not as serious about your available … or who just may be pains in the you-know-where.
Here are three warning signs to watch out for:
1. They play phone tag
Not picking up or calling back promptly after you’ve or HR has left a message can be a signal the candidate is:
- mulling other offers. You aren’t his first choice, or
- he’s getting by on part-time work, unemployment, etc. He’s just not that fired up about working.
Your best bet if you’re waiting for call backs?
Nix the candidate altogether.
2. Profiles don’t match up
HR pros say they’re on top of this, but not all follow up and check that candidates’ profiles match up.
Discrepancies between a LinkedIn profile and a resume could be an honest mistake – or just sloppiness by someone who’s padding their background and accomplishments.
At the very least, question the candidate about discrepancies like:
- different years listed for jobs
- college degrees that don’t match up, and
- skills listed on one profile that’s not there on a resume or different profile.
3. They interrupt during interviews
When a candidate interrupts or talks over you or another manager in an interview, that’s a telltale sign of a know-it-all lacking in humility.
Training overconfident types is often a waste of time and money in terms of training. They’re not likely to make a lot of friends among the people you have on staff, to boot.
