Employees can be of many different types; while some would add to the company’s repute,
others are there just to have fun. Now, nobody wants to hire somebody who’s going to bring the
company to the brink of financial ruin. Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast process to identify
or eliminate them. However, there sure are a few red flags you should look out for. People are not
hired on the basis of their qualification alone, there is so much more to an ideal candidate than just
his/her qualification. So how do you know ‘who not to hire’? These are a few types of employees
you should not hire; they have been grouped under different categories for better understanding.
The Know-it-all: This employee just knows it all; or at least he thinks he does. The problem with this
employee is that they think their opinions and ideas are the best and go ahead with them without
taking a second opinion. They are hard to manage and this can be bad for your company.
The Job hopper: This employee never seems to be happy with his job. He finds the other side of the
pasture to be green all the time and hence does not stick to a company for more a month or two. He
might be brilliant at his work, but you do not want to hire him as you can’t be sure if he’s going to
stick around.
The Perpetual Optimist: This employee is perpetually optimistic about everything around him. You
might think it’s no harm, but he usually down plays any kind of problem even the ones that need
immediate attention. Just like over reacting to a problem can be an issue so can under reacting.
The Stop gap employee: Now this one is similar to the job hopper but is not serious about the job;
he has some time to spare and decides to work. The problem with this employee is that he does not
give his 100% as he does not intend to stay very long.
The Whiner: This employee is the opposite of the perpetually optimistic and cheerful, he feels low
all the time and makes the people around him feel so too. This employee just drains the energy and
enthusiasm out the workplace making it dull and gloomy. One dirty fish can contaminate the pond;
you do not want to hire this one.
The Apple polisher: You definitely do not want one of these in your company. Trying to get
your boss to like you in order get a promotion is fine, but constant flattery to gain something
that you don’t deserve is not a healthy practice in an office environment and could cause a lot of
misunderstanding.
The family guy: This employee quotes ‘personal emergencies’ as the reason for any short coming
in his work almost on a daily basis. He loves his family so much that he would go home running
for issues as silly as ‘my son got bitten by an ant’. He should be reminded that he must be able to
prioritize.
The Casanova: This employee considers the workplace to be his own dating spot. While all other
employees are busy with their work, our man is trying to charm the women around. If only he put in
the same amount of effort in work, he would be employee of the year. You could find your company
in the midst of a sexual harassment suit, should ‘The Casanova’ try his charm on the wrong woman.
The Sloth: This employee is habitually lazy and slothful and ends up putting off every day’s work
needlessly. Meeting deadlines will be a difficult task for him and would in all probability bail at the
last minute. You don’t want to hire somebody you can’t depend on.
The Schemer: This employee is unhappy with his job; hates the management and is always seeking
an opportunity to turn other employees against you. He is constantly trying to drive the staff out of
the company. If you are the boss, you should look out for this one.
Recruiting good talent carries a lot of pressure and any manager worth his salt is aware of it. These
tips should help make that a bit easier. Remember, the best candidate might not always be the right
one. May the most deserving find his dream job!