Red Flags for Employers to Look for During Interviews

Avoid bad hires and increase the success of your organization by knowing what interview red flags to watch out for.

A job interview is an applicant's chance to show their talent is valuable to an organization. At the same time, the organization is attempting to access whether the applicant has the experience, skills and work ethic needed for the position. The interview process is beneficial for both employer and applicant as both are assessing if a job and an organization is a good fit. Successful careers can be born just by the good judgment of a hiring manager. All organizations have different strategies and procedures to fill job openings. Some are very formal with specific procedures and others are very informal, sometimes hiring an applicant the day they walk in. Either way, there are signs to watch out for, red flags that a hiring manager should be aware of during the application and interview process. These are certain behaviors or actions that give us insight on an applicant's work ethic and motivation for work that may be detrimental to their future job performance. This topic is designed to ensure hiring managers recognize the red flags and how to discreetly avoid them. We spend valuable time weeding out those applicants who initially don't fit the bill and then spend even more time interviewing those with the potential of a good fit. Can we completely predict how well an applicant will do the job just by job interviews? Maybe, but not always, and that's why it's critical to look out for interview red flags. Red flags are cues that come out during the hiring process, some subtle and some obvious, that can be considered predictors of an applicant's personality, attitude, experience and work ethic. The cost of hiring new talent is great, spent in time and money. Red flags in any situation really mean danger that should be avoided.

Faculty

Christine Melleno, M.A., PHR, SHRM-CP