Recruitment can be a lengthy process, so it is natural to get excited when a qualified candidate comes along.  However, the wrong hire is extremely costly for a business, and every step should be taken to ensure you get it right the first time.

Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, there are hidden dangers hiding amongst your seemingly fantastic candidates. They look great on the surface and sport a great resume and a friendly smile—but beneath that golden exterior there lie potential problems. There are a few types of candidates that can seem perfect on the surface, but may be hidden threats.

Business beware! Here are some sneaky types to watch out for:  

Miss Congeniality

Life at work is just a little easier when you’ve got someone agreeable on your team. In fact, no HR manager would disagree that “the right fit” is arguably the most critical element of a successful hire. Not to mention that nothing can turn off management like a confrontational work style. There is a line, however, where Miss Congeniality turns into Miss I-have-no-thoughts-of-my-own.

A company functions well because of the many contributing people and intermingled departments. A team works because of collaborations; the discussions, the brainstorming, the back-and-forth. Someone who agrees with everything that a manager says suggests that they have no opinion or added knowledge of their own to contribute. Either that, or they just don’t care. Either way, someone a little too agreeable sets off a major red flag.

The technical whiz

He’s a technical star—and he knows it. This candidate has a stellar resume and the chops to back it up. He’s been behind the scenes of some major projects. Certain industries lean heavily towards positions that require highly specialized knowledge, such as IT or engineering. Finding a candidate with a highly particular skill set and the related experience can take considerable effort and a major chunk from your recruitment budget.

When you do find this person, it can be easy to prematurely break out the pom poms. Be wary; this guy knows he is in demand. Look beyond that gleaming resume and evaluate some of their soft skills. Does the whiz come with an attitude? Can he mesh with your team? Or most importantly—will he jump ship the second another offer comes his way? When filling those hard-to-find technical roles, don’t forget to go back to basics.

The job title fraud

An impressive resume always resonates during the hiring process. Quite frankly, a little creative tweaking of a resume is not only common, it’s virtually expected. Hiring managers want to see some thought put into the descriptions of job duties, and expect an explanation of how they relate to the vacant position. But when a job title changes entirely, it’s no longer a creative sell—it’s an outright lie. In this day and age, with all the information available online, not to mention the background and reference checks that are available to employers, anyone who gets creative with their job titles should be immediately excluded from the running.

The gossip monger

Nobody likes the office gossip, not employees nor management. All too often a harmoniously functioning department is thrown off track by a gossip monger, weaving their rumours and commentary into the minds of fellow employees. This is a tricky one, because gossip mongers are often friendly and social employees that look great on the surface. They also often land in positions where this serves them well, such as customer facing or sales roles. So how can you recognize this hidden threat? It’s a tough one, but the interview offers the best window of opportunity.

When you ask about a past job, or the reasons they are looking to leave a current position, a candidates responses should be professional and explanatory. Hearing an anecdote about a colleague’s disastrous assistant or predictions on a client that might jump ship? That’s too much information. You can safely bet this gossip monger will make your business their personal business. Proceed with caution for this one.

Keep your eyes open for these hazards and you’re one step closer to finding the right candidate, the first time. The satisfaction of finally finding that perfect new employee will be well worth the effort.