Avoid Hiring Toxic People by Posing These 13 Qs to References
by Dianna Booher for TLNT
Have you ever attempted to check references before hiring, and run into a brick wall with the former employer giving you only name, title, and date of employment? If so, that’s understandable because they fear lawsuits. On the other hand, the former employer may give a glowing reference. And only later you find out that the accolades don’t ring true.You discover that your newly hired employee is toxic to coworkers. His or her social skills are non-existent; being a “team player” is a foreign concept. This new employee has become a drain on productivity and puts a damper on morale.It’s far easier—and cheaper—to prevent the problem by non-selecting this applicant in the hiring stage. To root out this kind of toxic employee at the early stage, ask these questions when reference-checking:
Questions for a candidate's supervisor
- “What would you say are Geri’s top three strengths?” (Does the boss mention any attitude or interpersonal strengths?)
- “We don’t find many perfect employees out there. So we expect that Geri will need some coaching. In what areas would you say she could benefit from coaching?” (Does the boss mention interpersonal issues that you think are not correctable?)
- “Would you say Geri was highly popular with coworkers? Well liked? Or worked better alone? How would you describe their coworker relationships?” (If the boss uses the “loner” label, consider this a warning sign.)