Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

* * *

Toxic employees are incredibly costly for organizations — they can lower employee morale, upset customers, and even bring on litigation fees. So it’s essential to weed them out before they join your company. When you’re interviewing a candidate, be on the lookout for signs of incivility. Consider asking questions such as:

o What would your former employer say about you — positive and negative?

o Tell me about a time when you’ve had to deal with stress or conflict at work. What did you do?

o What about yourself would you like to improve most? How about a second thing? A third?

Also find out how the candidate treated your parking lot attendant, your receptionist, and your administrative assistant. Was he gracious and respectful or rude and condescending? Finally, conduct careful reference checks and investigate any hunches thoroughly.

Adapted from “How to Avoid Hiring a Toxic Employee,” by Christine Porath

To check out that resource and join the discussion, please click here.

Also, you may wish to check out an anthology, Management Tips from Harvard Business Review, by clicking here.