If you have struggled to find candidates that are a good fit for positions at your company, you could be missing certain red flags that can be spotted when interviewing a candidate. Everyone is a work in progress, and nervousness can cause a few fumbles on the candidate’s part. But there are certain interview red flags that are important for employers to pay attention to. Otherwise, employers run the risk of hiring the wrong candidate. And this will inevitably hurt the company’s productivity, reputation and bottom line.
While every red flag isn’t necessarily a deal breaker, it is important to notice and document them. That way, when you make hiring decisions you are able to take an accurate look at the overall picture. To assist you in the hiring process, here are some important interview red flags for employers to look for:
1) Negative Talk About Previous Jobs
One of the most important things employers should require in a new hire is a positive and professional attitude. A negative attitude will not only affect the candidate’s performance on the job, but it can also affect the performance of the employees they work with. One of the red flags that employers should look out for when interviewing a candidate is negative talk about previous employers, previous jobs, and previous coworkers. Not only does this interview red flag indicate a negative attitude toward employers, but it could also be an indication that they are difficult to work with and untrustworthy. If they lack certain skills for the position they can be trained, but a negative attitude is harder to change.
2) Tardiness
One of the easiest interview red flags for employers to spot is if a job candidate is late to the interview. A candidate that is a good fit for your company is reliable and punctual. Unless there has been a true emergency that the candidate lets you know of before the interview, being late to an interview is a sign of someone that is likely to be late to work.
3) Bad Listening Skills
Among the red flags for employers to watch out for when interviewing a candidate is inability to listen and comprehend questions and instructions. If it happens once or twice don’t rule out the candidate. If the pattern repeats itself, however, this could be a sign of someone that will be very difficult to train and work with.
4) Bringing Up Salary Early in the Interview
You want to hire someone that is looking to contribute to the company, not just themselves. You also want someone that is interested in the job for more reasons that a paycheck. To help rule out a candidate that is looking only to benefit themselves, one the interview red flags for employers to pay attention to is a fixation on salary and benefits. If they start asking salary questions early in the interview or before you bring it up, this could be a bad sign.
5) Appears to be a Know it All
To avoid hiring an unteachable employee, one of the red flags for employers to spot when interviewing a candidate is someone that acts like they know how to do everything. Look out for arrogant responses, and attempts to dismiss having to further explain their abilities because they “are a pro”. You don’t want someone working at your company that can’t admit when they are wrong, and aren’t open to advice and being taught by others.
Author: Jessica Cody
Jessica Cody, a native of Fairfield County, Connecticut, has a background in online marketing and public relations. Currently, she works at VHMNetwork LLC in the role of Marketing Analyst. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, where she studied Journalism and Political Science. She is also an avid runner with a passion for the outdoors.
