Adding filters in the hiring process has helped me. I'm not sure if you're talking about 1099's or W2's, but in regards to W2's, after I get resumes, I send them a 30 minute behavioral and cognitive assessment that gives me a bearing on who they are and their raw skillset. It's a great tool for me since I already have figured out what the best candidates would look like on paper for the role I want. It also is an amazing filtering piece. Even if I like their resume, if they don't take the assessment then I never even meet with them. I send it after I review the resume and prior to the first in person interview.
Having ways for them to filter themselves out of the hiring process reduces the probability of getting people like that. Another thing I've done is earlier on the process, I'll send them a text to setup a phone call interview. I'll confirm a date/time that works for them and I'll make sure to set it at a specific time like 10:15 or 9:45. Then, I'll make sure to call them on the dot. If they don't answer then I mark that on their resume. This one isn't a deal breaker because life does happen but if someone doesn't prioritize the phone interview then something else is taking priority over their job and if it's not justifiable then they just filtered themselves out of the hiring process.
One more thing, I found this book based on the theory of constraints. It really helps in structuring your thinking process of how to evaluate ideas and dig into any assumptions or company policies that may be restricting from a better outcome than what you're wanting. I've used these thinking processes to help a lot with my own business.
