Interviewee Red Flags: What to Watch for When Hiring

Hiring is tough work, even for experienced managers. Sorting through candidates gets easier if you know the following interviewee red flags and what warning signs to watch for during the interview.

Below are four interviewee red flags to make note of during your next hiring or recruiting experience.

1. Didn’t Do the Research

A candidate who cares about the job will show up to the interview with knowledge of the position and company. At a minimum, they will have read the job post a few times and they’ll have some questions in mind at the end of the interview.

The best candidates will do more than just read the post; they’ll also look at the company’s website and gather information about the company’s mission, history, customers, stakeholders and operations. One interviewee red flags is a candidate who is either misinformed or uninformed about the company because they could be chronically unprepared, disinterested in the potential job, or both.

2. Concerned about Trivial Matters

When given the chance, a good candidate will have relevant, sharp interview questions that indicate they’ve been paying attention during the interview, thinking about the job before the interview, and imagining themselves doing the job.

A job candidate who is concerned only with trivial matters (for example, they may ask about the parking situation or the lunch room setting) will set off some interviewee red flags and is likely not giving deep thought to the substance of the job. These interviewee red flags could be a sign the candidate is disinterested in the actual work.

3. Lack of Passion for the Work

Passion can be conveyed in many ways. As already mentioned, a candidate who feels passionate about the job will be prepared for the interview and will ask good questions when given the chance. Passion can also be expressed with body language. Smiling, sitting forward and facial animation are all signs that a candidate is interested and engaged.

Lack of passion and employee engagement can show through in a variety of ways and can raise some interviewee red flags. For example:

• Work history is completely unrelated to the current position.
• Attitude in the interview seems sour or distant.
• Candidate makes no eye contact.
• Candidate does not smile at all when discussing the job.

4. Lack of Specific Examples

Job applicants who claim to have experience should be able to back up their claims with specific examples. Vague answers could be a sign that a candidate is exaggerating their experience, or could be a sign that a candidate lacks expertise and should raise some interviewee red flags. Watch for candidates who can give multi-part answers that get into the details of how their work history or education can help them in the job for which they are interviewing.

Found a serious candidate that did not raise interviewee red flags? Check their background with HRemploymentScreening.com by Screening Intelligence.

Screening Intelligence provides accurate and innovative employment screening to managers and HR professionals hoping to hire the right candidate. Contact us for more information about employment screening the next time you are ready to hire someone.

Disclaimer Statement: All information presented is for information purposes only and is not intended to provide professional or legal advice regarding actions to take in any situation.