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Interview Red Flags

Posted on July 17, 2017 by ASCENT: Administrator Support Community for ENT

Dozens of hours go into the hiring process just in the time between posting a job description and scheduling interviews. It is a waste of time, money and resources to have to go through this process more than once, so it is important to make a good hire. Here are some red flags to look out for during an interview to ensure you don’t make the wrong one.

  1. The interviewee is late. Okay, we all know that life happens and sometimes the power goes out and resets your alarm, you wake up to a flat tire or your kid just refuses to cooperate. So you can extend some grace when the interviewee calls in advance with a legitimate reason for their late arrival (not “traffic”) and apologizes once they arrive. It is not acceptable for a candidate to show up late to an interview without even acknowledging they did so.
  2. The interviewee looks unprofessional. Even if you are a fairly casual work environment, there should always be an expectation of professionalism, especially from someone who doesn’t even have the job yet. If they show up in jeans and a tee shirt, or if their suit is wrinkled and stained, you likely can’t expect professionalism from this candidate in other aspects of the job, either.
  3. The interviewee doesn’t know their stuff. Nobody coming in off the street is going to know the ins and outs of your company, but they should be able to describe generally what you do, who your clients are and your mission. In addition, they should know which position they applied for and some of the duties involved.
  4. The interviewee trash talks their old company/boss. It’s true that some people can be great workers and just not mesh well with certain colleagues or work environments, but your interviewee should be able to mention positive aspects their previous job, even if they are framed as “growth opportunities.”

What are some red flags you’ve encountered during an interview? Share in the comments below.

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