Woah, tough topic to dive into today, ain’t it? But hey, someone has to talk about it. And I love to talk. So let’s say that you’ve published a job offer, interviewed a couple of candidates, and eventually found one that you considered to be your perfect PPC fit. And so, you figured it would be a good idea to dig a little deeper, and see what this person is really all about, and make sure they are an actual perfect fit. But, at some point in the research, you find out that one thing you wish you never find out when looking for an employee: This awesome PPC has been fired from another job. 

So the world falls totally apart, and there are no more hopes, because how on earth could you hire someone that another boss fired? Or wait… are things really that black and white? Well, that’s what brings us here today. Today’s agenda is all about figuring out whether or not you should hire a PPC (or any employee as a matter of fact) that has been fired before, and how you should handle a situation like this one. So let’s dive into the main aspects to consider whenever considering hiring someone who someone else once let go, shall we? 

Are they really the perfect candidate? 

More often than not, human beings tend to make a whole world out of a tiny situation that didn’t deserve it at all, and that’s ok because we are humans and we overthink. So the first thing you need to figure out is if this PPC expert is really such an outstanding candidate, and that no other candidate could even begin to get closer to them. Basically, think about what it is that made you so crazy about them, and if there are any other candidates with similar qualifications. The idea here is that, before jumping to the hiring-a-fired-PPC pool, you are totally sure they are the one that you want because, if they are not, then this is all just a moo-point (hope you caught that!). 

Check for any red flags 

Before you learned that your favorite candidate had been fired, was there anything that made you feel weird about them? Any, at least, yellow-ish flag that you think you may have ignored? If, until that very moment, everything seemed completely normal and great about this PPC, then this is an awesome sign that the whole firing scenario may not have been as terrible as it sounds, and that there may be a bit of a deeper story there. However, if you do feel there was something off about this candidate, then you have two options: either have a conversation with them about it and find out what that was all about, or you just pass it on to another candidate. 

Listen to their story 

As in every other type of story that involves people, this one will probably have two sides. Maybe their former boss had a good reason to fire them, but maybe the PPC applying for the job position had a good reason to do what they did. If they were fired, they probably will be expecting a question about it, and it’s important to see how they respond to it. Do they take responsibility? Is there a deeper story than the one you assumed had happened? Are they playing the part of the victim all along? All of these things really can help you know more, and even understand your PPC candidate, and figure out what really happened, and how you feel about it. Maybe they were fired because their company was cutting staff, or maybe they were fired because of fraudulent advertising, you won’t know until you ask them. 

Check their references 

What your possible PPC specialist’s old bosses have to say about them will matter a lot in terms of deciding between them. Even if they gave you an understandable and good enough explanation about their firing story, contacting their previous bosses or managers (even the one that fired them) can be a great idea to learn more about the person that may be launching your online advertising campaigns. Their experiences and knowledge of this person will be really helpful, and you should probably go through this step even with the candidates that have not been fired, just in case. 

Do you believe in second chances? 

I am one for believing people truly can change, and I like allowing them to prove it, but I don’t expect everyone to be on my side of life. So the question here is: are you/is your company one for believing that people deserve second chances? And do you want to be the one giving it to them? Of course, this can really change a person’s life and allow them to prove they are much more than just a PPC who once got fired, but it’s also a risk that not everyone is willing to. If your PPC’s firing story is actually one to blame themselves and no one else and was caused by a mistake they could have avoided, but you believe they are capable of proving themselves to be better than that, then go ahead and allow them to do so! 

The bottom line: Trust your gut 

 I believe there is no right or wrong answer (not to get into a whole right vs wrong debate here) to this concern, and that it really depends on the particular situation of your candidate, their former boss, and yourself. However, I think the most important thing of those three aspects is how you feel about the situation. Maybe they were fired for very logical reasons, in a scenario where they deserved to be fired, and for some other reason, you still feel like you want them to be a part of your team. Or maybe they were hired for some minor inconvenience, but you have a strange feeling about them that makes you hesitate. So, the bottom line here is quite simple: trust your gut, do your research, and come to a decision that was thought through, and that you really believe in.