“Losers”
“Loser” is such an unkind term in the employment context. More polite is “unsuitable for the job,” “not a good fit,” “not right for us,” etc.
But let’s face it: no one wants to hire “losers”, much less work with them.
So how do you spot a “loser” in the interview process? Here are a few clues…
- Is the candidate a downer? E.g., “I hated my last job and couldn't stand my boss.” Chances are, he or she will say the same thing about you in a few years (or weeks).
- Is the candidate passionate – about something? (anything!) For instance, when you ask a neutral question about your industry (something harmless like “why do you want to work here?”), does he or she sound not just peppy (which a large Starbucks latte can induce in anyone), but genuinely excited about the prospects of working with you?
- Does the interviewee back up claims with specifics – e.g. “I am so hard-working that I boosted our divisions sales’ results by [fill in the blank] percent!” The inverse of this is the waffler – someone who might say: “I am passionate about everything!” but who can’t give specifics about anything.
- Has the candidate shown that he or she has researched your industry and your company – even by simply having scoured your website? If candidates haven’t taken the time for this, you shouldn’t take the time for them.
- Would you want to sit next to the candidate on an airplane for 5 hours? This is an old test but a good one: at the end of the day, life is short, and no one wants to work with a sourpuss.