Choose New Hires Wisely

By Mark Brousseau

When hiring, it’s hard to be sure what you’re getting.

But in the January issue of US Airways Magazine, career coach Donald Asher offers the following recommendations to keep from being blindsided by a resume liar.

First, trust your gut. Then, back up your gut decision with good old-fashioned rational verification. Asher writes that there are four things any hiring authority should verify for new hires: education, title, dates and salary. For instance, Asher keeps a list of accredited colleges and universities handy. If a school a candidate claims to have attended isn’t there, that’s a big warning flag, he says. Asher also suggests tracking down people who are not provided as references by the applicant and asking them for “off the record” information.

Finally, Asher recommends not telling other candidates that you’ve hired someone until the new employee has worked a full week on the job. This could save your company a great deal of embarrassment. What hiring tips can you pass along? E-mail me: m_brousseau@msn.com.