Why Caution Beats Optimism In Hiring

Costs Of Ignoring Early Warnings

High‑Signal Questions Resource Mention

Company And Role‑Specific Red Flags

Universal Red Flags Overview

No‑Shows And Non‑Communication

Calendar Invites And Organization

AI‑Scripted Answers And Authenticity

Responsiveness As A Reliability Test

Money And Benefits Obsession

Promotion As Primary Motivator

Relationships And Team Trust

Oversharing And Boundary Issues

Hobbies Versus Professional Growth

Vague Claims Without Evidence

Too Perfect Stories And Spin

Overpolished Monologues And Weak Questions

Blame Shifting And Lack Of Ownership

Missing Rapport And Gut Checks

Choose People You Want To Work With

Amy Dardis 0:10

Welcome back to the Building A Clear Authentic Brand podcast. I'm your host, Amy Dardis, and in this episode, we are talking about interview red flags during the interview process and how we pay attention to those, what those are, so that we ensure that we're only bringing on the right people into our organization. So a red flag is an early warning sign. It is evidence that the future version of this working relationship could be costly. It's early evidence of what the day-to-day experience will look like or might look like with this candidate once we get them onboarded and up to speed within our organization, and the novelty and the newness wears off, like the first impression wears off, and we kind of get a better feel for who someone really is. And in the interview process, especially, it's like people are very often trying to present the best version of themselves, which is great, but we're not the best version of ourselves every day. And so the truth always comes out. And once we get comfortable in a role and with a company, that's when we start to realize who did we really hire. So we want to be very careful, very selective, very wise, very discerning in our interview process to the best of our ability. And that means paying attention to red flags. So not every flag is a deal breaker, but they are very important to not ignore. Every red flag is something we need to identify and dig deeper into and really make a conscious decision saying, like, what was this red flag? What am I gonna do about it? And how comfortable do I feel pursuing this? And I always say, lean on the lean on the side of caution. Like, very, very rarely have I ever been in an interview where I saw red flags, made an offer, and then those red flags didn't come back to be a problem. Like just I I honestly can't even think of a time where it's like I saw red flags, and then it didn't end up being a problem down the road. So it is better to be cautious, it is better to pay attention to these red flags than it is to take the risk. Because once you have them into your organization, the risks are costly. Like they cost time, they cost money, they cost energy, they cost morale, they cost trust in the team, they cost trust with the client. Like there are all kinds of consequences to pursuing a relationship that we just shouldn't have. And the red flags are there, like they are there, especially if we're asking the right questions. Now, if you want help asking some questions that are better at revealing red flags, you can grab our high signal interview questions. It's a free download. Just go to Clearauthenticbrands.com slash resources, and those will help you get into some more authentic territory to get a better idea of who someone actually is. But on the red flag side, every company has their own unique red flags. Red flags that are gonna indicate whether or not this person has the character that's going to thrive or not thrive within our unique company environment. We talk about this a lot. So character falls into what do they value, what's their work style, what are those non-negotiables, and what are the personality traits that really thrive within your unique company? So you have to define that for yourself first. Figure out what those red flags look like for you, and then be on the lookout for them. Same thing, red flags with the role. So, do they have the capacity to thrive within this specific role? So we're looking at their natural abilities, we're looking at their potential to learn and grow, we're looking at the bandwidth that they have for this role within this specific season. And again, those are specific to your role in your environment. So we want to define that first and then be on the lookout for those. But in this episode, we are going to be covering red flags that generally stand just across the board. Like we just, we just want to avoid these at all cost because they're just they're just not good. Like they're just gonna cause problems. So these are the ones that I have seen the most often that if I see it in an interview, doesn't matter if it's specific to that company's environment or that specific role, I will walk away. These are the things that, and I see these come up a lot. So I as we go through these, I'm sure you're gonna be like, yep, I've totally had that happen before. And maybe that's a a time to reflect and be like, oh, did I ignore that? Did I hire them? Did that come back to bite me? Like just playing out how these red flags have shown up for you. So I'm gonna start with some of the more obvious ones, but then we're gonna get into some very commonly seen, but maybe less recognized as a red flag. So red flag number one is the candidate fails to show up, which obviously, or they failed to reschedule properly. So basically, this is no showing without notice. For me, this is this is a deal breaker. I'm not interested in whatever excuses someone might have. Like I've had times where someone had an interview scheduled, they didn't show up, and obviously we reach out to them, like we'll text them or email them or call them and be like, hey, where are you at? And then there's an excuse. Like there's a oh, I'm stuck in traffic, or my internet was down, or I had to run my kid to the doctor, or something came up. And at that point, I'm done because I'm just like, those are all things that it's not that hard to call or send a text and be like, hey, this is happening, I'm not going to be there because we know what time the meeting is. You should have been on your way at least, you know, 15, 20, 30 minutes in advance, like you should have been getting ready, like getting dressed, like getting yourself out the door. So this isn't a surprise. So if someone fails to communicate proactively about some a commitment that they already had at the beginning of a relationship when they want to come off as the best version of themselves, then that to me is an indicator that this is going to happen again and again and again. So that's that that's a no-go for me. That's it, that's a deal breaker. So next thing is red flag number two, is failure to accept a calendar invitation. So not everybody does this, but more and more companies are doing it now, where when we send an interview, when we schedule an interview, we're sending a calendar invite through Outlook, through Google. Maybe they're scheduling it online. Much more common these days. I look to see do they accept the invitation? Do they confirm the invitation? I know this is like a very little minor thing. So this is not a deal breaker for me. However, it is something that I check and that I notice to see one, if it's a Zoom call, I 100% want them to be accepting a calendar invite. If it's an in-person interview, I always want them to accept the interview, right? But I'm not like as it doesn't seem as important to me. It's like, okay, maybe they saw the invite, they know it, it's on their calendar. The important thing is that they are there. So that's where it's like, okay, if they show up, if they are there, if they are there on time, that is what matters. However, it's a red flag, I think, if they accept it. Because one, they're it's it's showing you their comfort level with technology. It's also indicating like their ability to be organized, because if they don't accept calendar invites, then maybe that means they don't use a calendar as a system to keep themselves organized. So maybe they use sticky notes, maybe they use pen and paper, maybe they're all over the place, maybe it's the steel trap, you know. It just it'll it points to their organizational system. And I don't know, I guess I'll just live in a world where I have so much going on that I couldn't function without a calendar, especially of like kids and work and friends and just and vet appointments, you know, it's just like I need a calendar. So yeah, two things like the systems and how they keep their life organized, and then two, just their comfort level with technology of like, yes, I use a digital calendar versus a paper calendar or a calendar that's on my fridge. But hey, if you have a calendar that's on your fridge and that is what runs your life and it works, I am not judging that at all. Like, as long as you have systems that work for you, that is the most important thing. Okay, red flag number three, using AI. This basically is specific to doing a Zoom or a Teams, a virtual interview. It could be even, I guess they could be using it if it's just a quick screening phone call. So basically anything outside of a face-to-face interview they're using. I've seen this happen a lot. It's it scares me how much this happens, actually. It's so easy now to use AI for resumes to go to AI and say, I am applying for this specific role. So I'm applying for a customer success manager for a B2B implementation firm. What are the questions that I'm gonna get asked? What are the things that they're looking for? And then it's so easy for people to prep and script and kind of have rehearsed answers based on what they know the interview is looking for versus what is actually true. This is, I think, gonna be one of the biggest uphill battles with recruiting and hiring in the future. I think, I mean, it's already here, which goes back to these like high signal questions that I have and this principle that we don't ask hypothetical questions. We only ask questions that are based on what has actually happened in a person's life, and we're always looking for evidence. So we actually just talked about this in a previous episode. We talked about how to get past surface level claims and look for evidence. So check that podcast out if you haven't already. So AI, the red flag there is where on a Zoom call or a Teams call, you ask a question and you're noticing their eyes are like repeatedly dropping to the same spot because they have like notes on their screen that they're referring to, or they have notes on their desk that they're referring to. And they some people do a good job about this where it's like it's pretty natural, but you still see the eye drop. Some of them are like blatantly obvious where it's like clearly you are reading this. You know, it's like they're the way that they talk changes, they have like a weird pacing, unnatural emphasis and cadence. Like they're just like reading things off. So anytime someone uses AI in an interview, for me, that's a deal breaker because they're choosing to not be themselves. And I always like to set an expectation at the beginning of an interview that says, we just want to hear the real version of you. Like we're trying to get to know you as an individual. I'm not looking for the right answer. So by setting that expectation up front and then seeing if someone makes a conscious choice to revert back to something that they have rehearsed or prepped, that's a conscious choice that they make to not be honest, to try to be deceitful in some way. And so that's a a no-go for me. Red flag number four is being delayed, like having a delayed response in providing information. So if we're sending out an invite in an interview and they take a while to respond, if we're asking someone to confirm that they will be at an interview, if we are asking for some documents, like a driver's license or references or asking them to take a personality test, how long it takes them to get back to me, and even the amount of information or the context or the level of thoroughness in how they communicate tells me a lot. Because actions always speak louder than words, so someone can say all the right things, but it's their actions that really tell us what we need to know. So how long someone takes to respond to anything that I ask is a very clear indicator to me of how long, how responsive they are just in general, and the level of responsiveness I can expect from them. Because, like, if you don't see something that impresses you up front, I guarantee you will it will only be more and more disappointing as this person gets more comfortable. Okay, so red flag number five is within the interview conversation, they are very focused on the pay and the benefits. And you hear this by the candidate repeatedly bringing it up or asking questions about it. And so for me, I'm kind of looking for three different instances. Like obviously, if someone wants to ask about the pay or the benefits, that is not a problem. If they bring it up more than once, my alert status goes higher. And if they ask it up to three times or they mention it up to three times, if they mention pay, money, benefits about your company, about previous companies, however they choose to mention it. For me, that then becomes a deal breaker because I'm like, that clearly suggests that money and benefits are their main motivation for work. So it's not that they're looking for alignment within the role, they're not looking for alignment within the company. They are looking for pay and security and benefits as their primary motivator. Now, at the surface, that's not a terrible thing. The problem with this motivator is that they're probably leaving their previous job because of that. They're looking at you for this like new bump, and the likelihood of them leaving you for the next bump, for the next extra, you know, benefits, better benefits, better compensation is very high because that is what is driving them. So what motivates them is really important. So if you are looking for people who stay and are loyal, and yes, they want to be compensated well, but there have to be other motivators that drive why they show up to work every day. And you have a choice to recognize this red flag and avoid it, or you can see the red flag and make the hire anyway, but it's just the likelihood of them leaving you then is just so high, which is very much related to red flag number six, which is the focus around promotion. So before, like pay and benefits, we're looking at money, but promotion were looking at status. So candidates who left their previous jobs because they weren't promoted. Like, oh, I was I worked for this company for 10 years and I kept applying to be the manager and they kept passing me over. And then they hired this guy who had only been there for a year or who was outside of the company and they gave him the manager job, and I just felt undervalued and underappreciated. Now that's something I would dig into because there's I think there are absolutely companies where yes, people are we don't know the company's intentions, we don't know how they're structured, we don't know what they value. It's something where I would really dig deep on that specific flag, and I would really make sure that this person is not motivated by status. And they're saying things like, yeah, I'm applying for this sales role, but I want to be a manager one day. I want to lead people one day. And so that tells you, like, oh, they're only applying for this job right now because they see it as a stepping stone and a foot in the door to what they really want is to be validated by status and promotion. And that is their primary motivator. Well, that's gonna tell you that they kind of expect that, that that's in their head, like, oh, I'm gonna work for you for X amount of time, and within that time period, I expect to be promoted. Now, they won't always come out and tell you that, although I've seen some people do it, but it it's pretty easy to pick up on. I also see that as a red flag. Because if I don't promote them, if I don't see them as being the type of leader that I want, if they are not the right fit for that specific role, you know, that is not how we promote within this company. And therefore, if they work here X amount of years, they get passed over promotion, they're gonna get frustrated, they're gonna get mad, and then again, they're gonna leave you and they're gonna go and find something else. Grass is greener on the other side, looking again for that validation through status. Red flag number seven, lack of strong personal relationships. So this is important to me because if someone lacks healthy relationships outside of work, it signals that they are going to struggle to have healthy relationships inside of work. Because when you're in healthy relationships with people, it means you're learning how to communicate, you're learning how to deal with conflict, you're learning how to be vulnerable, you're learning how to work on a team, you're learning how to balance your gifts with another person's gifts, you're learning how to come beside others, you know, those are all skills that we need in team environments. And so if you have a company that's how your team works together is important, which for most businesses is the case because they're either working with their coworkers or they're working with clients. And relationships are incredibly important in how a team operates and how we're able to connect and build trust and solve problems because we can only do that when we have trust. A book that I think explains this really well is Patrick Lincioni's Five Dysfunctions of a Team and how results is at the very top of the pyramid. But the very foundation of how a team works together is built on trust. So if someone is a loner with outside of work, let's say they they just don't have any examples of strong relationships. And it is important that we ask questions about these types of things. One question you could ask that someone told me once that I thought was really great was one of the questions he likes to ask is what would your friends say is the best thing about being your friend? Because it indicates one, whether or not they have friends. And two, it gives you an idea of what those friendships look like. And that is super important into how we carry over into how we build relationships at work. So red flag number eight is whether or not they are oversharing information and talking about some stories that where there's like a lot of drama or a lot of emergencies, a lot of things just coming up, you know, like there are people who are attracted to drama, and there are people where drama follows them because they struggle with placing healthy boundaries. And so someone over-sharing in an interview and giving me too much information and too much detail about their life and what's going on, and that that is an indication that they don't know what's appropriate to share, what's not, what's talking too much, what's oversharing. Like I'm all for sharing. Like I love to get a better idea of who someone is. But if they're oversharing, that is a red flag that they struggle with boundaries. And if they struggle with boundaries, even in an interview, then that means they likely struggle with boundaries in other relationships. And when good relations good boundaries don't exist, it affects our ability to show up at work and draw that line and not allow drama from home or drama from family members or constant emergencies to distract us from what we need to be focusing on. So that is a red flag. Red flag number nine is the overemphasis on hobbies versus professional growth. So I think it's so important to have hobbies and to have a life at work outside of work and to have things that you're pursuing, things that you're growing in, things that you're becoming better at, things that you're building relationships and connecting with people through. So I'm, I think having hobbies outside of work, I mean, that that speaks to personal growth, it speaks to challenge, it speaks to relationships. But we what we want is to see is that more important to them than their personal growth or sorry, their professional growth. Because there are some people where it's like, okay, I go to work to make enough money so that I can spend all my time focusing on everything outside of work. And my job is just a paycheck. And so I'm not looking to invest myself or my talents or my contribute contributions into a company as much as I'm just doing what I need to do so that I can prioritize everything else in my life. And when I'm looking for team members, it's like I want team members who care about the work that we're doing here. They care about serving the clients to the best of our abilities, bringing in ideas and fresh perspectives. And that's, I need that balance to align. So overemphasis on hobbies to me is a red flag, not necessarily a deal breaker, but definitely something I am going to dig into deeper. Red flag number 10 is giving pretty generic or vague answers. So this is giving surface level claims without proof. Or they're giving you a lot of yes-no answers without offering any additional information or offering any additional context. And what we're really looking for are specific examples. We're looking for details, we're looking for patterns and consistency in someone's life. So if someone's like, oh yeah, I just want to join a company that I can bring my skills to, okay, great. What skills specifically are you looking to bring? Well, I'm a really hard worker and I'm a fast learner. Awesome. Tell me about a time where you had to go above and beyond and work hard to get a project done. And then we're looking for something specific, like not generalities, right? Like a specific, here's a time when I was working on this project. And then I'm going to check for consistency because that's only one story in one environment. And I also want to see that context outside of work or in a different environment. So what's something outside of work where you've worked really hard at that or you've learned really fast? You've learned something really fast. And I'm looking for more specifics, more detail, more depth. And then I want to verify that this is consistent and a pattern in their life. And I'm not just gonna accept their surface level claim right then and there. Like, okay, I'm a hard worker. Okay, give me stories and examples that actually point to that. And then if they can't go into that detail, if they can't provide those specifics, that is a major red flag for me and often a deal breaker because I can only make a decision based off of information that I'm given, like information that I have to work with. And if they can't give me specific information, then I don't have what I need to make a good decision. And so therefore, I will either have to keep pursuing, but at that point, it's a red flag. So chances are I'm gonna be like, okay, thank you for your time. That is just not what I am looking for. So red flag number 11 is sugarcoating everything. So we're asking for stories. And in the stories, we're not hearing any flaws or mistakes or challenges or obstacles. Like it's it's just too perfect. I heard a guy one time, the question was like, tell me, tell me about one of the biggest challenges that you have had to face in your previous role. And basically he said, I've had to, I've had to face challenges, but I've overcome all of them. And so nothing's really ended up being a challenge. And I was just like, oh my gosh. Like, and like red flag, red flag, red flag. So one, it was too general, it was too vague. And anyone who says that like challenges aren't really challenges because you've overcome everything, like that is just blowing smoke. And no, I want someone who tells me that they messed up, that they learned something the hard way. Like, I want someone to show me the real side of them because it's like being able to admit mistakes, admit struggle, like that that speaks to honesty, that speaks to vulnerability, that speaks to transparency. Someone willing to be that honest with me at the beginning of a relationship, that speaks volumes. And actions are always louder than words. So I don't need someone to tell me the perfect answer. I don't care about that. I'm not looking for that because no one is perfect. We are all human, we all mess up. But what I want to know is what did we learn from that? What did we grow from that? And are you the type of person who can lead with vulnerability and lead with transparency? And you're gonna show me that example by by doing it in that interview process. Red flag number 12 is too polished and too wordy. So you ask a question, and it's just like boom, like they're spouting off answers for everything, just like right away. And it's a lot of talking, it's a lot of words, but it's like you ask a question and you get this like five-minute monologue, and then you're like, wait a minute, you you didn't say anything, like you just talked a lot, and it wasn't there was no reflection, there was no like, huh, let me think about this, you know. Which one, if they can do that with your questions, that's actually a red flag for you that your questions are not deep enough, they're not high signal enough. So, one, we want to be asking questions that catch people off guard. We want to be asking questions that make people think and pause. And if they're not, it means we're asking questions that are just pretty standard, that they've that they've gotten a lot of times. Maybe these are the questions that they put into Chat GPT and it spit out a few ideas and answers for them. And so they prepped this and they had it ready. It's not what we want. That's a red flag. So I'm looking for things like, yeah, let me think about that. Hold on, that's a really good question. And in that case, when they do that, I'm like, yes, absolutely, take your time. Like, I don't expect you to have these answers figured out. Like, that is that is not what we're after here. Red flag number 13 is blaming others for past failures. And so this is candidates who are just doing a lot of finger pointing. Like they're telling you about some things that have happened, but it's never their fault, right? It was it was the bad boss that they had. It was the coworker who was just horrible and did all these things. It was the manager who didn't see the potential in them. It was the the client who was just a nightmare to work with. Like, and when we ask multiple, when we ask questions that give us multiple examples that point to the same characteristic or trait that we're looking for, this is where that stuff actually starts to show up because we're gonna hear stories about like the soccer team and their kids and their friends and their employers and their coworkers. And then that's where we're gonna see these patterns of do I see a pattern of this person taking responsibility for their mistakes and showing ownership in their role of how something didn't turn out, and then demonstrating like the growth and the change that's happened since then, like the humility there? Or is it a lot of stories about people who just did all these terrible things to them and it makes them look like they were just innocent in all of that? That to me is a red flag, also a deal breaker. That's something if I see that, I will just I'll walk away, not even interested in pursuing that further. And then red flag number 14 is just lack of a genuine connection in the interview. And maybe this is because they're just too polished and guarded, like they just won't let their guard down. I I can't pursue that further. Like I cannot continue that relationship because if I don't see the real version of them or a glimpse into the real version of them, I I can't make a decision. And because someone, like the real version of them, is going to show up on the job, like whether it takes 90 days or six months, however long it takes for that guard to come down, the real person will always show up. But if I can't get a glimpse into who that is in the interview process, I cannot, I cannot confidently make a decision to allow them onto my team without knowing who that person is. Maybe they let their guard down, you guys have conversation, they answer your questions, but there's just not rapport and connection there. Like maybe it's just awkward, you guys just don't see eye to eye. Like maybe they could do the role, you have questions and concerns about how they're going to interact with the team. Trust that because at its base, you are basically choosing who are you gonna spend a lot of time with and who is your team gonna spend a lot of time with. Throw all of the responsibilities and tasks and whatever out the window. You are choosing to who you are going to spend 40 hours of your week with. You are choosing who your team is going to spend 40 hours of their week, work week with. You are choosing who you're gonna solve problems with, who you're going to have lunch with, who you're going to brainstorm with. Do you want it to be this person? Because if you don't genuinely like this person, don't choose to spend more time with them. Like this is just this is your life. And if you are the owner and the hiring manager, choose to be around people you want to be around. It's gonna change, it's gonna make everything better. So at its base, just don't hire people you don't connect with or can't connect with. And that's okay because in the end, it is only ever going to be either a lose-lose or a win-win. There's never a lose-win. Like it is if you bring on the wrong person, it is a lose for them and it is a lose for you. If you bring on the right person, it is a win for you and it is a win for them, and that is all it ends up coming down to. So we're just using this process to be as wise and as discerning and as careful as possible in who we choose to invest in, build relationships with, connect with, build our business with, grow with. And that is such a big decision. I think of all the decisions that we make, hiring is the biggest decision. It is if it's not the biggest decision, it is like very, very, very important because there's that saying, like, you become like the top five people you hang out with. Well, guess what? The top five people you hang out with more than likely are the top five people you spend time with at work because you spend more time with people at work than you do with people outside of work. So this choice is so important. So pay attention to those red flags. Those small things, those small things are usually big indicators that will save you from a lot of pain and cost down the road because that is inevitable. So, once again, if you need help with asking better questions and getting into some deeper territory with people, check out those high signal interview questions at clearauthenticbrands.com slash resources. That is all for this episode. I will see you next time.