Dive Brief:

• The most important piece of hiring advice is knowing when when not to hire, according to Luis von Ahn, CEO and founder of language learning app Duolingo. In an interview with Business Insider, von Ahn explained that "there is never any room for doubt in hiring."
• According to von Ahn, it's a mistake to hire someone simply to fill an empty job; if there any red flags, those concerns need to be weighed considerably as the decision approaches. Von Ahn says he's personally met with every candidate interviewed by Duolingo so that he can personally determine their fit.
• Business Insider highlights a study that indicates a bad hire can cost an organization thousands, as estimated by 41% of the HR professionals polled.

Dive Insight:

Recruitment professionals understand that making a bad hire can be costly and stressful for an organization. That's why companies rely on interviews, candidate assessments, personality tests, background checks and a whole gamut of screening tools to evaluate individuals before making a decision to hire.

Yet, the most valuable tool in any recruiters' arsenal of resources is good old-fashioned common sense. When recruiters listen to their instincts about a candidate, whether good or bad, this is often very accurate. The problem is when recruiters face too much pressure to fill positions and don't take the time to listen to that inner voice — this is a vulnerability that must be kept in check.

Of course, a few issues early on in an employee's tenure shouldn't necessarily indicate a poor fit. Training and onboarding practices must be emphasized early on as a natural part of company culture. Look to emerging forms of collaborative technology to assist you in bringing beginners into the fold.