Which job candidates aren’t worth your time? 3 signs that an applicant is trouble

Companies are having more trouble than ever finding good candidates to fill open positions. The last thing employers want to do is waste time on job candidates who may not be all they claim.

The good news: There are some warning signs that a candidate may not be truthful about his or her qualifications, may not be the hard worker they claim to be, or aren’t willing to learn from others.

Here are three warning signs to watch out for:

1. They play phone tag

Not picking up or calling back promptly after a hiring manager or HR has left a message can be a signal that the candidate is:

• mulling other offers (your company isn’t his or her first choice), or
• getting by on part-time work or unemployment benefits. Bottom line: He’s just not that fired up about going to work ASAP.

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 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.