It can be difficult to try to get to really know a person. This is especially true when they are vying for an open position with your company. You need to be able to discern whether a candidate would actually be able to do the work you are hiring them to do – and whether they would be able to get along with the full team.

Of course, you will always need to take a little bit of a leap of faith when extending a job offer. But keeping an eye out for these red flags can also save you a lot of headaches, and help you from hiring the wrong person.

Talking about themselves too much

One of the things that will inevitably come up in any job interview is past related work experiences. Listen to how someone talks about projects that they have worked on. It can be a red flag if they only talk about their own contributions and do not mention their team members (or if they only mention their colleagues or employers in a negative way). This might show that the candidate does not work particularly well in a group setting.

Not talking about themselves enough

The opposite can also be a warning sign. If the candidate only talks in terms of “we” (or is just vague in general), they may not have personally contributed very much. It is extremely common for applicants to try and take credit for projects or performance indicators that they may have only had a very small part of. Make sure that you are asking about their responsibilities or actions, specifically. For this reason, it is also incredibly important that you make sure to ask for references – and that you check them.

Showing disrespect or disinterest in the opportunity

Interviews are when you would expect candidates to be on their absolute best behavior. If someone shows up late or spends time on their phone, you should immediately assume that this would happen when they are on the job. Similarly, if someone has clearly not looked into your company or is not familiar with the requirements of the job position, chances are that they will also not show much attention or care to their work, either. Even if they are extremely qualified, it might not be a good hiring decision.

It is likely that some underqualified candidates will walk into the interview room. By keeping an eye out for these red flags, you can make sure that they do not get further along in the hiring process.

Photo by Annika Ibels on Unsplash