9 WAYS TO RECOGNIZE A TOXIC EMPLOYEE DURING THE INTERVIEWM

1. ASK POTENTIALLY TOXIC QUESTIONS.

Ask for the five things candidate did not like about their last (or current) job. Asking for one thing is easy. Asking for five things, pressures candidate to disclose signs of toxicity.

2. LET OTHERS DO IT FOR YOU.

It is easy to trick one person, but to trick a whole team is very hard to do. Therefore, we recommend team interviews. In many cases, if whole team is interviewing, somebody will find out something suspicious. You can interview several candidates, and then let your co-workers interview 2-3 final candidates.

3. ASK HOW HE OR SHE HANDLED A DIFFICULT SITUATION.

One type of toxic employee is the continuous victim, who feels that anything that went bad was someone else's fault. You can check this by asking candidates to describe an experience in which things did not turn out as they imagined and listen carefully their answer. If they only blame others for the problem and never admit their own faults, you have a red flag that they might do this at your company in the future.

4. ASK ABOUT THE FUTURE.

We ask candidates where they see themselves in 5 and 10 years. This really helps identify if they are going to be a long-term fit for our company or if they are just trying to answer every question "correct" to get the job.

5. ASK ABOUT THE FAVOURITE MOMENTS AT WORK.

Candidates can easily talk about negative experiences they had in career. Instead, catch them off guard and ask about their best moments. If someone's responses consist of superficial aspects of the job (office parties, free lunches, etc.), then you know you have a candidate that cannot look beyond the surface for deeper meaning in their work.

6. ASK FORCED NEGATIVE QUESTIONS.

Asking some forced negative questions can be very informative. For example, "Why shouldn't I hire you?" or "Who is the worst person you hired and why?". These kind of questions lead candidates to open up. Positive questions can provoke standard responses, so asking a candidate to think about something from a different angle can provide more authentic and informative answers.

7. WATCH OUT FOR COMPLAINTS.

One type of toxic employee likes to complain and is the least productive employee employers can hire. Avoid such kind of candidate like the plague. If the person you are interviewing complains about their current employer during the interview, that is a red flag. It is normal that candidates dislike parts of their current role, but it all depends on how they explain these dislikes.

8. ASK BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS.

This practice includes asking situational-based questions and having candidates give you concrete examples of how they behaved when they were in certain situations. It is almost impossible to make up a story from your past, particularly when the future employer is asking about details.

9. DO NOT ASK STANDARD QUESTIONS.

Move on from the standard and boring questions that people typically ask. Instead, ask unexpected questions. Anyone can prepare themselves to answer, "What are your strengths?" but you will get a more honest response to question like "What lie do you tell often?" Truly, hear the answer, and watch for nonverbal signals as well.