Should You Hire Someone Who Won’t Give Two Weeks’ Notice?

Providing two weeks’ notice to one’s current employer before leaving is considered a professional standard. It eases the transition and allows the employer adequate time to arrange coverage until they can look for a replacement. As a hiring manager, it can be seen as a red flag if candidates are willing to forgo their two weeks’ notice and start right away because you don’t know if it’s indicative of negative traits that could make them a bad hire. Determine if you should hire someone who won’t give two weeks’ notice by considering these factors:

Professionalism

Not giving a current employer advanced warning that he is leaving may very well indicate that the candidate is either unaware of, or simply doesn’t care to adhere to, professional courtesy norms in the workplace. Decide if the lack of notice appears to be part of a pattern of unprofessional behavior or is simply a one-off instance of bad judgment by assessing how the candidate acted throughout your other interactions. If there are other hints of issues with professionalism, such as not being adequately prepared for the interview, the candidate may not be the best choice.

Circumstances

Probe more into the reasons behind the candidate not giving notice to get more insight to better evaluate. While giving two weeks’ notice is the standard practice, there may be extenuating circumstances in which it is either not necessary or is understandable to skip it. Some organizations may ask resigning employees to leave immediately or they may have toxic or abusive environments that don’t warrant giving notice. Also, if it’s a part-time or low-paying job, the candidate may want to start a new job sooner for financial reasons.

References

Before making the decision to hire someone who won’t give two weeks’ notice, check their references thoroughly to get a well-informed picture of the candidate as a whole. If he receives positive references during the check, you may feel more confident that the issue of notice is not as likely to be a precursor to workplace performance issues if hired – while a negative check may confirm your doubts.

Avoid settling for candidates you’re unsure about and work with Texas staffing firm Professional Alternatives for your hiring needs.  Since 1998, we have been serving Houston employers by locating candidates that meet the unique skills and qualifications necessary for a successful fit. Contact us today to learn more about our employer services.