The employees a business hires can make a critical difference. The better employees a company employs, the happier the customers and clients will be. Having satisfied customers and clients is vital for a successful business.

Further, the better employees a company hires, the easier it is for the business owner or manager. Teachable and coachable employees are a pleasure to have at any business. Employees who also work hard and are good team members make the lives of everybody around them more manageable.

However, assessing applicants is challenging for many business owners or managers. The decision can often be complex and arduous, and it can also seem highly subjective. Many do not know what is important.

When a business makes a bad hiring decision, it can have many short-term and long-term adverse effects. For example, bad hires can result in turnover within the company because the employment was a bad fit from the beginning. Poor hiring decisions can also upset customers and clients, resulting in bad online reviews and a lack of repeat business. Ultimately, poor hiring decisions can either slow a business’s growth or harm it negatively altogether.

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How to evaluate applicants?

Knowing how to assess applicants can be difficult for many business owners and managers. No uniform rule can apply to every company because the needs of each business may vary significantly. Different employment environments can also result in a different analysis, whether professional or non-professional. Therefore, it is also essential to have a thorough and consistent interview process. It is also important to be meticulous in assessing candidates versus just trying to fill the position as quickly as possible.

However, as a general rule, there are four tiers in which many businesses might consider placing job applicants:

1. The first-tier candidates are experienced candidates with good personality traits. Experience can go a long way in having happy customers and clients. Experienced candidates may also require little supervision because they already know how to do the job.

Further, having employees with good personalities is equally essential. Employees who are humble, hardworking and dedicated are crucial. Employees who also put the customers and the business above themselves are critical to find. Experienced employees with good personalities make easy hiring decisions, but they are not always easy to locate.

2. The second tier is inexperienced candidates with good personality traits. Some applicants may not have much experience with the job position the company is trying to fill. The candidates might be fresh out of college or new in the workforce.

However, they may have a good work ethic and attitude and are coachable. These candidates are a tier below experienced employees with good personality traits, but they are almost always hirable for many non-managerial positions when no experienced applicant exists.

3. The third tier is experienced candidates with bad personality traits. Some employees might have experience with the position the business is trying to fill. However, the applicant does not have good personality traits. The applicant might not be humble and hardworking.

It might be that the applicant is a me-monster versus putting their clients or customers and the business above their own needs. A company should employ significant caution before hiring these candidates. Having a coachable employee with less experience is often more important than having an experienced employee who does not have the personal attributes the company needs.

4. The fourth tier is inexperienced candidates with bad personality traits. In addition to not having much or any experience, many of these candidates put themselves above their clients, customers and the business. A business should not hire these candidates unless it has no other options. These employees will require much supervision, which is tough if they are not coachable.

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What does having good personality traits mean?

It is crucial to remember that when using the phrase personality traits, one should not confuse it with sociability, charisma or dynamism. While there is certainly some importance in an employee having those attributes, a good work ethic, humility, eagerness and being a team player is what most businesses need most, especially for entry-level positions.

Often, the most charismatic and sociable candidates might wow an employer in the interview process. However, many of these candidates have poor personality traits because they are almost entirely self-interested versus placing their clients, customers and the business above themselves.

There is nothing wrong with an employee wanting to advance their career and gain promotions, raises and bonuses. However, the best employees understand that these things naturally happen over time when they put the customers, clients and business needs at the forefront. In contrast, when employees demand advancement quickly without the job performance to warrant it, it rarely comes.

Some companies may choose to create their tiers that align with their company’s goals. In so doing, they may have tiers that vary from what is set forth above. However, creating some form of ranking system is vital for most businesses to make positive hiring decisions.