DON’T HIRE KILLERS: HIRING EXPERT TELLS MANAGERS HOW TO AVOID HIRING A CHO
Dr. Michael Mercer
April 18, 2007
A mass murderer at Virginia Tech has employers across America wondering: How do we avoid hiring a job applicant that ends up hurting or killing employees? After all, no one wants to have a Cho – the Virginia Tech murderer – on their payroll.
Solutions include pre-employment tests, key job interview questions, observations, and new employee management tools.
The key is not to hire job applicants who could turn into killers,” says Michael Mercer, Ph.D., business psychologist with Mercer Systems, Inc. in Barrington, Illinois.
But, how can companies make sure they avoid hiring violent menaces or murderers? Dr. Mercer offers these tips hiring managers can implement immediately.
First, give a pre-employment test that measures key work-related factors,” recommends Dr. Mercer, the creator of several employment tests. “See if the applicant’s test scores indicate the person does not have both oars in the water, and could turn ultra-aggressive or violent.”
What are warning signs a test can reveal? Dr. Mercer explains, “Be wary of a job applicant whose behavior test scores show he is aggressive, bent out of shape by pressure, pessimistic, and excitable. Job applicants getting such test scores are dynamite waiting for someone to light their fuse. Avoid them like the plague.”
Second, in job interviews, ask certain questions, suggests Dr. Mercer. He recommends asking these questions: (1) “Tell me about situations where people horribly bothered you.” and (2) “When you finish your work, what do you do?” For the first question, Dr. Mercer said, “The hiring manager needs to see if the job applicant gets fire in their eyes or spews forth irritations about people or co-workers.” For the second question, hopefully, the applicant reveals what he does after work. “If the person wants to be a Universal Fighting Champion, plays violent games, or likes brutal activities, then take that as a warning,” advises Dr. Mercer, author of “Hire the Best – & Avoid the Rest.”
Third, watch for “wacko behavior” at the job interview. Example: “If the job candidate sits in the waiting room talking to people who are not there, then the applicant is hallucinating and psychotic,” says Dr. Mercer. “That applicant is an accident waiting to happen – and he could turn violent. So, politely decline to hire anyone who acts wacky in any way.”
Fourth, after any new employee is hired, hold some friendly chats. Get new employees to open up about what they feel and do outside of work. Often, a friendly manager can get employees to confide problems – like a father confessor or counselor. If the employee tells the manager about personal upsets, listen nicely or counsel the employee. Perhaps refer the person for professional help. “It is better to nip the problem in the bud than to let a disturbed employee’s problems fester and explode like the murderer, Cho, at Virginia Tech,” declares Dr. Mercer.
For more information, contact:
Dr. Michael Mercer, Business Psychologist
The Mercer Group, Inc., Barrington, IL, U.S.A.
phone = 847-382-0690
e-mail = DrMercer@MercerSystems.com
website = http://www.Pre-EmploymentTests.com
Solutions include pre-employment tests, key job interview questions, observations, and new employee management tools.
The key is not to hire job applicants who could turn into killers,” says Michael Mercer, Ph.D., business psychologist with Mercer Systems, Inc. in Barrington, Illinois.
But, how can companies make sure they avoid hiring violent menaces or murderers? Dr. Mercer offers these tips hiring managers can implement immediately.
First, give a pre-employment test that measures key work-related factors,” recommends Dr. Mercer, the creator of several employment tests. “See if the applicant’s test scores indicate the person does not have both oars in the water, and could turn ultra-aggressive or violent.”
What are warning signs a test can reveal? Dr. Mercer explains, “Be wary of a job applicant whose behavior test scores show he is aggressive, bent out of shape by pressure, pessimistic, and excitable. Job applicants getting such test scores are dynamite waiting for someone to light their fuse. Avoid them like the plague.”
Second, in job interviews, ask certain questions, suggests Dr. Mercer. He recommends asking these questions: (1) “Tell me about situations where people horribly bothered you.” and (2) “When you finish your work, what do you do?” For the first question, Dr. Mercer said, “The hiring manager needs to see if the job applicant gets fire in their eyes or spews forth irritations about people or co-workers.” For the second question, hopefully, the applicant reveals what he does after work. “If the person wants to be a Universal Fighting Champion, plays violent games, or likes brutal activities, then take that as a warning,” advises Dr. Mercer, author of “Hire the Best – & Avoid the Rest.”
Third, watch for “wacko behavior” at the job interview. Example: “If the job candidate sits in the waiting room talking to people who are not there, then the applicant is hallucinating and psychotic,” says Dr. Mercer. “That applicant is an accident waiting to happen – and he could turn violent. So, politely decline to hire anyone who acts wacky in any way.”
Fourth, after any new employee is hired, hold some friendly chats. Get new employees to open up about what they feel and do outside of work. Often, a friendly manager can get employees to confide problems – like a father confessor or counselor. If the employee tells the manager about personal upsets, listen nicely or counsel the employee. Perhaps refer the person for professional help. “It is better to nip the problem in the bud than to let a disturbed employee’s problems fester and explode like the murderer, Cho, at Virginia Tech,” declares Dr. Mercer.
For more information, contact:
Dr. Michael Mercer, Business Psychologist
The Mercer Group, Inc., Barrington, IL, U.S.A.
phone = 847-382-0690
e-mail = DrMercer@MercerSystems.com
website = http://www.Pre-EmploymentTests.com