Originally published by Bernard Marr on LinkedIn: 7 Dangerous Character Flaws Recruiters Often Miss
Hey, nobody’s perfect — but when you’re recruiting to fill a position, you’re looking for the best person for the job.
Recruiters have to walk a fine line between detective, psychologist, and psychic: looking at all the data they have available about a candidate, thinking about what’s not being said to read between the lines, and predicting whether or not the person will be the best fit for the job.
But there are some key personality flaws that are often overlooked in the recruitment process, even by experienced recruiters, either because they’re hard to see in the limited environment of the application and interview process, or because people can have these traits and still look great in a resume or interview.
I’ve chosen to highlight my top 7 character flaws that are dangerous to the workplace:
Apathy — A good employee will feel passion about something related to the job. Maybe they love the creativity required, love working with people, love the greater mission of the company… I’m not saying they have to be enthusiastic about every aspect of the job, but without some passion you’re likely to see lackluster performance and more likely to see turnover. If the candidate doesn’t show any enthusiasm during the interview, be wary — no matter how good they look on paper.
Narcissism — It’s a fine line to walk during the interview process: a good candidate needs to show off his or her best traits, accomplishments, and big plans, but you don’t want to hire someone who is truly self-absorbed or overly self-promotional. A true narcissist is toxic in a team environment, often putting him or herself before the good of the team or company, throwing others under the bus, or needing constant approval and affirmation. Being quietly confident is a good thing; overt narcissism is not.
Perfectionism — It’s become something of a joke that people answer that dreaded interview question, “What’s your biggest flaw?” by saying that they’re a perfectionist, but a true perfectionist can be a big problem. They may try to micro-manage every aspect of a project or team, get mired in the minutiae, and end up procrastinating, unable to make decisions. They can be overly critical of their own work and the work of others. They can also end up being toxic to a team because they criticize, are impossible to please, and try to involve themselves in every decision. There’s a difference between a strong attention to detail and perfectionism.
Dishonesty — Some people are naturally good storytellers and salespeople, but where it goes too far is when their stories bleed over into lies. It should go without saying that if you catch someone in a flat-out lie on their resume or during an interview, that should disqualify them for the position, but even “exaggerations” or hyperbole should be viewed with caution. Someone willing to tell even a “white lie” to make themselves look good may exhibit other dishonest behaviors down the line. And it’s more common than you think; a survey showed that 40 percent of candidates knowingly distorted information on their resumes and applications, so check everything.