Every small business owner has hired a bad egg before. They sound great in the interview or impress you on paper, but once they get in action … things change. They aren’t quite the rock star employee you had hoped for.

The consequences of hiring the wrong person for the job are painful to you, your customers, other employees and even to the employee-that-should-not-have-been.

It would be better if you just knew how to prevent this situation from happening in the first place.

Well, you’re in luck – that’s what this post is all about. Here are a few simple ideas to help you weed out “that” employee and hire the best person for the job.

• Follow your gut. Ever heard the saying, “Doubt means don’t?”  All too often, employers ignore the nagging feeling they get about someone during the interview process. If it seems like something is amiss, it probably is. It’s better for you in the long run to acknowledge the nagging suspicion now, and extend the hiring process to find and hire someone that doesn’t leave you with doubts. So, follow your gut (and the tips below.)

• Don’t be the only decision maker. It has long been said that two (or three …or four) heads are better than one.  Ask other people you trust – your managers, trusted employees, etc. – to help you look at resumes, or even take part in the interview process. Their insights will help you get a more well-rounded perspective, and it also helps you see if your new employee meshes well with different personalities.

• Do your research. People share information about themselves online these days, so take advantage of that extra information, especially on social networks. Check out their Twitter or LinkedIn profiles.  This can tell you more about who they are, and it can possibly uncover inconsistencies in their resume or interview answers.

• Always ask for – and check – references.  These conversations with previous employers, or other people who can vouch for a potential employee, are often underutilized.  But, they are a valuable – and sometimes necessary– part of the hiring process.  A past employer can tell you, from experience, how the person performs on a day-to-day basis. Use this time to get their opinion on whether or not the person is a good fit for the job.

• Be on the lookout for red flags.  Red flags during an interview include bad mouthing previous employers, arriving late to the interview, playing the “blame game” for why they are no longer at a certain job, interrupting you or other interviewers, having generally bad manners, pretending to know everything there is to know about your organization, or asking too many questions about time off from work.

• Be tough now so you don’t have to be tough later. The interview process isn’t for the weary. This is the time to ask hard questions and put potential employees to the test. If they can’t stand the heat now, how are they going to hold up when they have the job? Be prepared with your tough questions before the interview. For ideas on what to ask, look no further than these suggestions from Inc.com that apply to just about any consumer-focused business.

How have you spotted “that” employee before making the mistake of hiring them? How’d you do it?