Spotting a Low-Quality Candidate – How is it Done? 

Employees are the backbone of any business and by having the right people as part of your team, you will see your business flourish. As such, the hiring process is something that needs to be undertaken with diligence to ensure you identify the best person for the job.

Taking time to create the right application process for your business will reap benefits further down the hiring process. You might want to consider multiple application processes depending on the role you are hiring for. It's about finding the balance between not making the application process too complex or lengthy and asking the right questions at the early stages to get the right quality and quantity of candidates to apply.

As the hiring process continues, the quest to find the best talent for your business goes through several stages. Below are a series of indicators that may help you spot a low-quality candidate.

Experience and Track Record 

After the initial sifting of candidates and using your Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to help longlist and shortlist talent, you'll want to invite relevant candidates to an interview. It’s important to do your homework. Take the time to research their past job roles and achievements, look at online reviews of their work and read through any references they provide. All of this can give you insight into how experienced the applicant is within the industry as well as the quality of work you should expect from them.

Ask the Right Questions

During interviews, ask relevant job-related questions to get an idea of how a candidate might handle real-life scenarios. Also, be sure to ask open-ended questions that will allow the candidate to really show off their knowledge and skills. Some candidates will not take this opportunity as they lack the necessary expertise to discuss key topics; be aware of this so you can maxmise your time interviewing the candidate and how to get the best from them.
It’s also vital that compliance is met during this stage of the hiring process; visit our blog on meeting compliance during the hiring process for more information on this.

Pay Attention to Body Language 

Watch for signs that job candidates may be uncomfortable in a job interview. If they can’t make eye contact, fidget during the meeting, or seem evasive in their answers, these are all red flags that suggest this job candidate might not be a good fit for the job role you’re hiring for - or might need additional support to demonstrate their capabilities.

Look for Enthusiasm 

It’s important to look for job candidates who seem excited and passionate about the job. Ask them questions that will give you an idea of their level of enthusiasm and make sure they have a good understanding of what’s expected in the job role and what's in it for them! While enthusiasm isn’t always an indicator of experience or knowledge, it can give you an idea of how driven they may be if they are successful in their application.

Candidate Skills Assessment 

Depending on the job position, it can be helpful to assess candidates to drill down on their skills and knowledge to find talented candidates that meet your specific needs. Your ATS should be able to support the candidate assessment stage with screening forms that help to rule in or out candidates based on set criteria or with situational judgement tests.

Using Applicant Tracking Systems to help hire the best talent 

When hiring for multiple roles or handling volume recruitment, sorting through applications to get to quality candidates may feel like an overwhelming task and time commitment. Applicant Tracking System software acts to support recruiters, talent teams and hiring managers in narrowing down the best talent for the role and focusing on those that best meet the job brief. Applicant Tracking Systems have become a widespread solution over recent years due to their efficiency in highlighting quality candidates and managing the whole recruitment journey from Job Requisition to Onboarding.

Contact Eploy for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) 

At Eploy, we offer highly configurable Applicant Tracking Systems designed to help you find the best candidates for every job opening. Get in touch with our specialist team at Eploy to find out how we can help you meet your recruitment goals.