Candidate
A candidate arrives 10 minutes early, is prepared, and has researched Greenlight before the interview.
GREEN FLAG — Great preparation and candidate engagement.
“Tell me about your previous experience working with customers.”
Job-related and appropriate.
Recruiter sends you a candidate and you interview that candidate within the week.
GREEN FLAG! The quicker you get someone in for a second interview the more likely the candidate with reply/get the job.
A candidate signs their offer and immediately begins completing their required onboarding tasks.
GREEN FLAG - Ensures a quick onboarding process, please if you're wanting to hire someone, help with getting people on the same boat.
The manager greets the candidate, introduces themselves, and explains how the interview will work.
GREEN FLAG - the more information the better! Make the candidate feel comfortable... Interviews are scary!
A candidate says they can only work 15 hours a week, but the position requires full-time availability.
RED FLAG — Availability doesn't meet the position's requirements.
Are you married?
Not relevant to the candidate's ability to perform the job.
A manager receives three candidates but waits two weeks "waiting for more applicants" before deciding whether they want to interview them.
RED FLAG — Delays can cause candidates to move on. After you receive a candidate... bring them in! They could be the one!
A candidate hasn't completed their onboarding, so the manager assumes Recruiting will take care of everything.
RED FLAG — Managers and Recruiting both have responsibilities in the process.
The manager makes the candidate wait 30 minutes without explanation.
RED FLAG — Candidate experience matters.
A candidate has excellent experience but tells the manager they are under 21.
RED FLAG — Greenlight positions have age requirements due to cannabis regulations.
“Do you have reliable transportation to get to the location?”
The manager should focus on whether the candidate can reliably meet the job's attendance/schedule requirements rather than probing into personal circumstances.
A manager tells Recruiting, “Just send me anyone you have. I'll figure it out when they get here.”
RED FLAG — Managers should understand the position requirements and participate in a thoughtful selection process.
A candidate hasn't completed their required background check, but the manager says, “Just let them start anyway.”
RED FLAG — Required pre-employment processes must be completed before the candidate can start, as applicable.
The manager tells the candidate, “I'll let you know tomorrow,” even though they don't know when a decision will actually be made.
RED FLAG — Don't make promises about timelines you can't guarantee. If anything else... "Justin will reach out."
A candidate doesn't have all onboarding steps completed but communicates proactively and explains the delay.
YELLOW FLAG — The communication is positive, but the outstanding requirements still need to be completed.
“Do you have children? We have a lot of employees with kids, so I just want to make sure the schedule works.”
Family/parental status should not be used as part of the hiring decision. Ask about availability instead.
A manager wants to hire someone who walks into the store and does an on the spot interview...
RED FLAG - You should first interview the people who are coming through HR. If someone is interested in a position, they need to apply on the website, so we can legally get them in the system.
A new hire doesn't show up for NHO and doesn't respond to Recruiting or their manager.
RED FLAG — Failure to attend required onboarding and lack of communication may end up in separation.
The manager explains the realities of the position, including schedule expectations and job duties, even though some parts may be less appealing.
GREEN FLAG — Honest expectations help prevent turnover and mismatched hires.
A candidate is perfect for the role, but after receiving the offer they stop responding to Recruiting and don't complete required onboarding steps.
RED FLAG — Great qualifications don't replace required onboarding and communication.
“This position requires Thursday–Sunday availability. Are you able to consistently work that schedule?”
Directly addresses an essential job requirement.
A manager tells Recruiting after the interview, “I don't really know if I liked them. You decide.”
RED FLAG — Managers need to provide meaningful, job-related feedback and participate in the hiring decision.
A candidate tells the manager they haven't received something from Recruiting. The manager immediately tells them Recruiting is “probably behind” without checking.
RED FLAG — Verify the situation before making assumptions; coordinate with Recruiting.
A candidate says they have another offer and need an answer quickly. The manager says, “Take the other job. We don't need you.”
RED FLAG — Poor candidate experience can cause Greenlight to lose qualified talent and damage the company's reputation.