As a business owner or hiring manager, you’ll want to ensure that only the most qualified and trustworthy new hires are selected to join your team. However, finding the most honest candidates isn’t always easy, and you’ll want to do everything possible to weed out the job applicants who likely aren’t being truthful about their work histories, criminal records, or other important details about themselves. If an applicant is showing any of these four signs of dishonesty, you should definitely consider other candidates for the job.
A History of Short-Term Positions
If you notice that an applicant has changed jobs often when you review their employment history, the person might not be serious about work or has trouble getting along with others on the job. Most serious employees stay in positions for at least a few years before moving on to other jobs, and the applicant might be lying to you if they say that they plan to work for your company for the long term but have a history of only staying in positions for a few weeks or months at a time.
Lack of Professional and Personal References
An applicant should be willing to give you a list of professional and personal references who you can contact to verify their work history and overall character. If the applicant doesn’t supply you with details of their job references, they might have a history of leaving jobs on bad terms and are afraid to tell you about it. The applicant might also have a sketchy history with people if they don’t give you any way to contact friends, family members, or other personal references who can vouch for their character. If the applicant has provided you with references, automated reference checking services can help you determine if these references are valid. This is a great tool to use, especially if you have an ongoing review of applications.
A Criminal History That Wasn’t Disclosed
Someone with a criminal history shouldn’t be automatically disqualified from working for your company, but the person should also be forthcoming about their past when they apply for the job. If the criminal history background check shows more details about the person’s past than what they already disclosed to you, this applicant probably isn’t a good fit for your company. The applicant might be even more inclined to lie if they have a history of stealing or being violent on the job.
No Passion
If a candidate claims to want a job with your company but doesn’t seem to show any real enthusiasm for the position, they might not be serious about becoming a long-term employee. A lack of excitement might be an indicator that the applicant only plans to take the job for a short period to fund a certain goal of theirs or until a better position comes along. If the applicant is younger, the lack of enthusiasm could also indicate that they really don’t want to work and are being forced to look for a job by their parents.
Dishonest employees can hurt your business in many ways, so you’ll want to make sure that you’re only hiring the most truthful people to fill your company’s positions. By checking each applicant’s important details about their life carefully, you’ll have an easier time choosing the right person for the job.
Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and walks in the park with her husky, Snowball.
