How To Avoid Hiring A Toxic Employee

You hire candidates who seem to be the best on paper. They nailed all the interview questions and appeared friendly. But a short while after hiring them, you don’t see these same traits in them. They aren’t cooperative on team projects; they are arrogant, they gossip, etc.

When you hire a toxic employee, you are doing yourself and your organization much harm. They don’t just turn in poor performance; they affect other people’s performances, disrupt the company’s culture, kill the team morale, etc. Some popular best essay service reviews describe toxic employees as a world of evil that unravels one piece at a time. 

Here are a few tips to discover and avoid them.

Ask questions about their last employment.

A toxic employee is a constant complainer. One way to recognize oneself is to ask questions about one’s last workplace. You could ask what they hated about the company or what they would love to change. Toxic employees are likely to describe the company poorly and complain, which is a sign of toxicity. Someone who is not toxic will remain professional and mention the faults without pushing blame while suggesting solutions to the problems. 

Ask about their past failures. 

This is effective in discovering a toxic employee. They will not admit their fault or the fact that they struggled. They are proud and won’t realize they need help, even when it’s obvious. Such arrogance is something to watch against. People like these are unlikely to take criticisms, advice, or corrections from managers and co-workers. They are also unlikely to learn from their mistakes.

Some others would admit that they failed at some point, but they’ll not accept the blame (at least, not without hesitation).

Set up your interview in stages.

Candidates tend to be at their best when they are at an interview. They need to do this to get the job and quickly put up an act for as long as the interview lasts. This makes it harder to detect if they’re toxic before hiring them. It is also more challenging for them to hide their toxicity for so long without giving out hints. However, setting your interview in different stages allows you to correctly assess their attitude, experience, and skill and determine if they fit the company’s culture. Sorting out potentially toxic employees is essential during the interview stage because having them on board in your organization is detrimental. Thankfully, it is not so difficult. 

Have more than one interviewer.

It is easy for a toxic candidate to fool one person during the interview, but facing a team of interviewers is more challenging. Interviewing candidates in a group makes it easier to sniff out toxic employees. If they can wriggle their way through the interview and get an appointment, they will become a problem you must deal with as soon as possible. The longer it takes, the harder it gets. 

Listen for the use of ‘we.’

According to an essay writing service in the UK, a simple way to determine if a candidate might be toxic is to describe team successes. When you interview a candidate, and they only talk about their wins or attribute team successes to themselves, that’s a red flag. Their failure to admit the work of others and credit their co-workers shows their high ego, and that’s a problem.

Conclusion

Sorting out potentially toxic employees is essential during the interview stage because having them on board harms your organization. Thankfully, it is not so difficult.