🚩 7 common ‘red flags’ to avoid at interview
As a recruiter and an interviewer, I have witnessed first-hand the shock of hiring managers who are completely displeased by certain responses and behaviours displayed at interview. These ‘red flags’ are uncovered during the recruitment process and leave a lasting negative impression. Some red flags are completely avoidable.
I have detailed common interview red flags that should be avoided at interview:
Showing late to an interview: sometimes this is genuinely out of your control. External factors like traffic, directions, etc. cannot always be controlled. Although, the truth is, if you are late to an interview, it is never a good look and can come across as though you are a disorganised person. The interviewer may think that you lack time management skills and may be unable to meet deadlines and manage your time well. The best thing you can do if you are late to an interview is to let the interviewer know as soon as you can. This shows that you respect their time, and that you are a transparent communicator.
No eye contact: eye contact is essential to creating a positive and genuine connection and shows that you are confident and possess strong interpersonal skills. Although sometimes nerves can get the better of us at interview, it is important to display positive body language. You will be assessed on this, particularly if you are in a customer or client facing role that requires you to build relationships with people. It is important for you to demonstrate that you can build a connection quickly.
Unwilling to talk or lack of detail in response to questions: If you are unwilling to talk, or not forthright in bringing detailed responses to the table when answering interview questions, this is a red flag. It can indicate several unfavourable things, such as:
A lack of interview preparation
It may come across as though you have little interest and motivation for the role
A lack of basic interpersonal skills which are important to any workplace and developing positive peer relationships
A lack of resilience or the ability to deal with ambiguity
And finally, it could indicate that you are less experienced because you are unable to bring relevant information to the table
Speaking poorly about previous employers: not everyone has great employee experiences and can be the case for many varying reasons. Avoid discussing negative aspects of previous employers when being asked about them as it will not do you any favours and will raise red flags for further questioning. It may come across as though you are unable to collaborate and work well with others. Instead focus on the key learnings and skills developed.
Inappropriate behaviour at interview: keep it strictly professional! Keep your personal stories at the door and stick to discussing your skills, knowledge, and experience in a professional manner with workplace appropriate language. Do not use electronics during your interview, turn your phone on silent or switch it off and be respectful to the interviewer. Displaying inappropriate behaviour at an interview will halt any further progress.
Dishonesty or inconsistency in responses: Never be dishonest. This is not going to get you anywhere. The interview questions are designed to extract specific information relating to your experience and situations in the workplace. If something does not sound quite right, or the interviewer is not getting the full picture of the story they will probe to find out more. If you are dishonest or have inconsistencies in your responses, it will be revealed during this process. There is no reason to be dishonest at an interview. If you made it to an interview, this is a strong sign that you are a great candidate, and the company wants to find out more about you. If you are asked a question that is challenging or are unable to answer, be honest and explain the reason you are unable to answer, do not make it up!
Unwilling to provide referees: This is a major red flag. Be prepared to explain and have a valid reason as to why you are unable to provide a reference. Sometimes there are genuine reasons that can be taken into consideration and recruiters or hiring managers can produce an alternative option. References forms a critical part of the recruitment process. It is a way to verify information that has been gathered during the recruitment process. In most cases a candidate who is unable to provide references will not proceed.
I hope you enjoyed this content as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you would like to request a specific recruitment content piece that you would like to learn more about, I absolutely welcome your suggestions, leave a comment in the comment section below.
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