Staffing Secrets: Avoid Hiring Job Hoppers

There have been many signals lately that the worst of this economic maelstrom is really behind us. While we’re all glad to hear that the recovery is at work, it is also clear that it’s going to take quite some time before unemployment levels get back to normal in America. The result of having so many Americans unemployed or under-employed is that staffing departments around the country have more applicants than ever before to each of their open positions. If dealt with correctly, this huge influx of candidates can enable a company to significantly increase the quality of their workforce. However, an overflow of applicants can also create some pretty sticky situations for corporate recruiters.

One of the most frightening prospects in this marketplace is trying to determine which candidates really want to work for your organization and which candidates are just looking for any job they can find until this poor employment marketplace blows over. We all know that most applicants in the market are savvy enough to give you “all the right answers” during an interview. Recruiters today have to be more diligent than ever before when it comes ensuring the candidates actions will match their words.

Consider utilizing the following tips in your current interviewing to help find top quality employees and filter out potential future job hoppers.

Talk more about future goals

One of the best interviewing tactics to identify candidates that might be “settling” for a position is to talk in detail about their future goals. By learning more about what a candidate hopes to accomplish one, three or even five years down the line, you’ll be able to get a grasp on whether their desires are realistic at your company or in the role they’ve applied for.

Ask for letters of recommendation

Interviews are one time occurrences and candidates can control the image they want you to receive. By asking for multiple letters of recommendation (even from peers or family) and by requesting those letters address “why this is a good potential job for the candidate,” you might gather some more data. If the letters aren’t consistent with the candidate’s own statements, you might have spotted someone who is “settling”.

Consider running credit/financial checks

There is some debate in the HR community about whether credit checks are helpful or an invasion of privacy. The bottom line is this: the number one reason someone would “settle” for a job was out of financial need. If you can identify candidates that might be under significant financial stress it can help you confirm suspicions about their motivation for applying to your job.
Overall having a great number of candidates for your open positions is a very good thing. These difficult financial times have caused a lot of great employees to reconsider their priorities. That means there are great highly qualified people who will not only take your job, but be thrilled to be a member of the team. By taking the necessary steps to separate these high quality candidates from the ones that are looking for “any offer,” you can ensure that your company avoids future job hoppers and comes out of this recovery stronger than ever before.