If you’re in charge of hiring to fill an open position, you know there are a lot of things to consider. In order to find the perfect new hire, you need to examine their job history, qualifications, and soft skills, or risk making a potentially costly hiring mistake.
In addition to those details, you also should pay attention to common red flags that a candidate might not be as perfect as they seem.
What Red Flags Should You Watch Out For When Hiring a New Candidate?
Disrespectful Behavior
Most recruiters agree that arriving late for their interview is one of the worst candidate behaviors. Aside from being unprofessional and disrespectful, it can indicate a lack of preparedness or poor time management.
Being rude to staff they meet before or during the interview is another sign of disrespect. “After all, you want a candidate who is consistently professional in their dealing with all roles and levels within your organization,” notes Monster.
Questionable Work History
Probe carefully if a candidate exhibits a suspicious work history, notes Angi Lewis, senior recruiting specialist at Insperity. “The best prediction of future behavior is past behavior. Employers should always ask candidates to walk through their work history and why they left each position.”
You also should be cautious if a candidate has had multiple jobs or career changes. This could signal performance or personality issues that prevent them from keeping a job.
Conflicting Body Language
A candidate’s non-verbal communication can say a lot about them. If they’ve practiced answering job interview questions, they may sound confident about their qualifications. However, if they aren’t being truthful, they may exhibit conflicting body language.
“Look out for things like lack of eye contact, slacked or over relaxed posture, or standoffish body language,” says Recruitee. “All of these are potential signs of a lack of confidence, a lack of professionalism, or a negative attitude, respectively.”
Not Asking Inciteful Questions
Motivated candidates take the time to learn about your company and the job. They should be able to ask questions and carry on a conversation about the role. While not asking questions could be due to nervousness, it also might indicate unpreparedness or a lack of interest in the position.
A candidate with poor listening skills may not recall enough of your conversation to ask good questions about the job. Weak listening skills can correlate to poor attention to detail.
Arrogance vs. Confidence
Can you tell the difference between confidence and arrogance? A candidate is expected to describe their most significant accomplishments. But bragging – or worse, blaming or belittling co-workers for whom they “had to pick up the slack” – is a strong indication this person is not a team player.
Additionally, an arrogant candidate may not admit to any weaknesses. “Not only does it come across as arrogant to suggest that you are without flaws, but it also gets you wondering what it is that they have to hide,” says The Undercover Recruiter.
The right person for your open position will have the skills and experience needed for the job, as well as a confident and open attitude. One red flag in a candidate may not be cause for alarm. However, knowing the subtle signs that a person may send out during an interview can help you weed out candidates who might not be the right fit for your organization.
Are You Hiring New Candidates?
If you could use some assistance with hiring, contact the recruiting experts at Pro Resources Staffing Services.