Answers to Readers" Questions About Hiring the Right Candidate The Times invited readers who work as managers or own their own businesses to ask Jay Goltz, a columnist for You're the Boss, questions about hiring. Mr. Goltz employs more than 100 people at his five Chicago businesses. This Q&A is part of "How I Hire," a LinkedIn Influencer feature in which The Times's Business section is participating. Below are a sampling of readers" questions and Mr. Goltz's responses. Q: Hire no one with tattoos or visible body piercing. They represent employees who will be difficult to manage as they will always want to do things their way rather than your well-established way. In the end they will affect your profits. Tell them to go work at a coffee shop instead. - Walter, United States A: Walter, some of my best employees have tattoos. My 62-year-old, very well-respected, award-winning sister, who is also a Spanish teacher, has a tattoo. I can't speak as much to the piercing phenomenon (nose rings do make my skin crawl), but even in that case I would have to consider the whole package. I am sure that for some, seeing a candidate in a suit would make their skin crawl. This might fall under the category of looking for a candidate who is a good fit with the culture of a business. In the "60s and "70s there was a similar feeling toward long hair. Q: We are currently going through a hiring process to find the person who will work very closely with me for the foreseeable future. Needless to say, I definitely want to find someone who not only has the technical chops, but whom I also get along well with. We recently interviewed someone who has all the skills necessary and who is clearly very passionate about the position and our organization. However, this candidate reminded me of a former co-worker whom I did not get along with. My former colleague had a nervous energy, could not handle stressful situations, and would sometimes talk too much to the point of being very annoying. The candidate for the current job seemed to have a similar nervous energy and talked more than necessary in the interview. I know that interviews can be nerve-racking, and I did like this candidate, so I want to give the benefit of the doubt. However, I can't help but compare the candidate with my former co-worker. Is that fair? How would you recommend I factor this comparison into my hiring decision, if at all? - HistoryDetectivesLIZ, New York A: An important tip lies in your question. You are nervous about a candidate's nervous energy. You say, "I want to give the benefit of the doubt." Stop! Yes, it would be understandable to give a friend the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps even a vendor, customer or employee who has built some trust with you. But an applicant for a job? You should have doubt! In this circumstance, you want to be shrewd and careful. Hiring is a dangerous job. I recommend you act like a detective. The interview is only one part of an intelligent hiring process. You should also check references. Most people do not, and they pay a terrible price. It is not foolproof, but you are a fool if you don't do some verification. Does it always flush out the liar, the delusional candidate, or just the "bad fit"? But let me ask this question. If you check references for 10 different applicants whom you are ready to hire, and only one reference gives you information that signals that you are making a mistake, was it worth the time? Most people who have experienced the financial and emotional costs of a wrong hire would absolutely think so. Some people don't call references because they think they won't receive useful information. To me, that is a lazy excuse. While some companies will not tell you anything, many will. Besides which, a good application should be able to come up with someone - a former boss, colleague or even customer - who will put in a good word. In your case, I would ask a previous employer how this candidate handled stress. I might lead them and say, "She seemed a little high strung and overly talkative in the interview, but I realize she might have been nervous." The reference could easily either put your mind at ease or perhaps laugh and say, "Yeah, that sounds like her." Give the applicant the benefit of more research. Q: Say you have interviewed and decided to hire Ms. Jones, who seems an excellent employee prospect. In salary negotiations, however, you learn that she would like 10-20 percent more than the amount you are currently paying to others in the position to be filled, and can provide data that would justify that figure. How would you respond? - CM, North Carolina A: First of all, you are in a much better position if you know what the market rate is for the open job. There are some questions you need to ask yourself. Are the people who work for you now in the same position doing a good job? Is there high turnover? Has anyone left for more money? During your interview process with other applicants, have you gotten a sense if the amount you are offering falls in line with what people are making in other jobs? Have you made offers to other qualified people that have been turned down? We have found that applicants often do not know what the going salary is for a particular position. You are in a much better position to know what the market is by answering the questions that I have asked. We have had graphic design candidates right out of school who think that they should start 50 percent higher than the market rate because they talked to a college professor or their parents. And then you get the so-called experts online. We have been doing this for years, and we have found that the numbers those "experts" report do not necessarily reflect the real market. Maybe it is size, maybe it is location, maybe it is the title, or maybe it is the methodology. And if you do decide to pay 20 percent more to this candidate, are you going to give everyone else a raise? I think you have to. And what will that do to the bottom line of your company? In many cases, it would wipe it out, if not cause a loss. You are in control. I would offer what I think is the market rate for the job. If the candidate thinks it is too low, he or she can go out and prove you wrong. And even if the candidate does find another job paying more, that doesn't mean you made a mistake. Maybe the other company did. All that matters is that you can find a qualified candidate for what you have determined to be the correct starting rate. If you can't, you will have to make an adjustment.