You can learn a lot about a potential employee during the interview process. Interviews offer an opportunity for a candidate to show who they truly are including positive attributes or even red flags for employers. Determining if a potential employee will be a good fit for the position and your company starts with the interview process. The information you obtain from meeting face to face is critical in making any hiring decision. Here are some warning signs to look for during the interview process when it comes to a potential employee.
Inconsistency
If a candidate’s resume shows some inconsistencies in employment or positions, the interview is a great time for them to be able to explain a little more about that. However, if during the interview, you find that the candidate doesn’t have decent explanations or really doesn’t seem interested in justifying any inconsistencies in their resume, that may be a glaring red flag that you want to take note of. Life happens and sometimes people have gaps in employment or move on from certain companies or positions, but they should have a solid way to explain those. If they don’t, they may just be jumping from company to company without much investment anywhere.
Lack of Eye Contact
Lack of eye contact doesn’t seem like it should be one of the red flags for employers, but if a candidate can’t look you in the eye consistently, it might mean they don’t have the ability to drive processes forward. Lack of eye contact is a solid indicator that there is a lack of confidence or even that a candidate may have something to hide. The interview is a perfect time to ferret these kinds of things out before getting stuck in a sticky situation with a new hire.
Lack of Work to Show
A successful employee has work to show. Whether it’s initiating a project that became successful, seeing a project through to the finish, or securing a large account for a former employer, there’s work that was put in during their tenure at previous positions. If a candidate doesn’t have successful work to show you, that can be a red flag. During the interview, you want to hear how a candidate worked through processes and persevered. You want to know what they’ve accomplished throughout their career. If they can’t show you the work they’ve done, they may not be an ideal fit.
Gossiping
It’s likely that your potential employee left their previous job for a reason, but that doesn’t mean they should gossip about it. Everybody understands that they won’t like every job they have or everyone they’ve worked with or for, however, bad-mouthing former employers during an interview is one of the huge red flags for employers. Candidates should speak factually and briefly about former coworkers or bosses if asked directly. If you find that a candidate is gossiping about former employers, they may not make a great fit for your company.
Keep an eye out for these and other red flags during your next interview. And if you’re looking for the perfect candidate for your open position, let us help! We recruit nationally and keep confidentiality as a top priority.