In a tight labor market, employers may be so starved for talent that they cannot bear to turn potential employees away, even in the face of huge red flags. But the first rule of selection is: It is better to leave a position unfilled than to fill it with the wrong person. There are several ways to make your selection process more rigorous:
Step 1: Scare them away. After you have successfully sold them on the job, tell your candidates about the downsides of the job, in clear and honest terms.
Step 2: Test them. Find a testing method that measures a candidate’s abilities simply and efficiently, and make sure to implement and evaluate it with relative speed.
Step 3: The behavioral job interview. This means asking applicants to tell you a story, and then listening to their story and seeing what it tells you about them.
Step 4: The realistic job preview. Instead of trying to sell the job, explain exactly how a person with this job will spend his or her day moment by moment.
Step 5: Close the deal fast and stay in touch. If there is lag between hiring candidates and their actual start date with your company, it is important to keep them engaged and excited, or you might lose them during the lag time.