What is a bad employee? Is it someone that doesn’t do their work? Is it someone that disrupts the workplaces and slows everyone else down? I would answer yes to both questions; a bad employee is someone that makes your business worse in some way shape or form. They could be a very nice person with good intentions, but if they’re holding you back, then they’re bad for business.

This is why you need to pay close attention to how you hire your employees. No matter how many skills they have, they need to be able to actually contribute to your business. I saw a great quote the other day saying it’s not what you have, it’s what you give. This is what you want out of your employees, you want them to be able to give something to your business, that’s what makes them great!

So, hiring the right employees is very important, mainly because bad ones will cost your business money in multiple ways. Don’t believe me? Here are just a few examples of how you could lose money:

• Bad employees decrease productivity which could lower sales and decrease revenue

• Bad employees cost money to hire and don’t help earn back that money for your business

• Firing bad employees also costs money and leads to high turnover rates

It’s evident that money will leak out of your business if you’re not careful, so how do you hire the right people? I’ve got some ideas up my sleeve just for you:

Carry Out Background Checks

Before you hire anyone, you should carry out a background check to ensure they are who they say they are. This is such a basic step and stops you hiring someone that might have a bad criminal record because they embezzled funds from their previous employers. Of course, that’s an extreme example, but finding a site that allows you to carry out a quick people search will help you find the person you’re looking for. Check that their background info adds up, as alarm bells should sound if people lie about their history.Find out more about BPSS.

Put Candidates Through Tests

Instead of a standard application and interview type approach, you should make candidates undergo tests. These tests should be designed to put them in positions they’re likely to be in if they worked for your business. It’s the best way to gauge if someone is right for the job, as they should be able to handle these situations effectively. If they can’t, then it’s a sign they won’t be good for you.

List Essential Skills/Qualifications

In your job advert, make sure you list all the skills/qualifications that are absolutely essential for the post. This helps you pinpoint who can move onto the next stage or not. If someone applies without one of the essentials, then that's the end of their application as their shortcomings could come back to bite you if you hire them.

With these ideas, you should be able to hire great employees for your company. They’ll be more likely to give your business something extra to propel it forward, rather than holding you back and draining your finances.