Heeds These Ten Red Flags Before Making an Offer

You've just interviewed a job candidate that has a treasure trove of work experience, a friendly approach and a confident attitude. Before drawing up an offer, look out for these 10 red flags that could signal that your promising candidate might not be the best choice after all.

1. Only Talking About the Pay

Interviewers expect candidates to bring up the subject of salary, but if they keep coming back to pay, bonuses, benefits and perks, take caution. The interviewee may be more interested in the pay than in the job itself.

2. Not Having Genuine Questions

When the time comes for the job candidate to ask the interviewer his own questions, he should have a few that demonstrate his genuine interest in the company and position. Passing on questions or only asking some standard ones is a big warning sign.

3. Too Many Jobs in Too Little Time

Job-hopping is fairly common, particularly in millennial workers, but too many positions with short timespans on the resume may mean the employee isn't likely to stick around at your business, either.

4. Having All the Right Answers

All job candidates practice their answers to common interview questions. However, if you ask unexpected questions about a time a candidate was almost fired and the answer comes quickly, take heed.

5. Employer Blaming

Candidates who state that they're leaving their current employer because they've stagnated or have no room to grow are definitely a red flag. There is always something to learn. Likewise, job candidates who seem to demonstrate a victim mentality, such as stating their boss or coworkers are out to get them, may have trouble taking responsibility for their own decisions and reactions.

6. Lack of Listening Skills

If a job candidate has a hard time understanding questions, whether from lack of attention or poor language skills, future communication problems are likely. However, shy and introverted candidates can still be good communicators.

7. Unprofessional Video Interviews

A video interview with a cluttered background shows a lack of foresight on the candidate's part. Just because the interview isn't taking place in person doesn't mean professional etiquette doesn't apply. The same applies to phone interviews; if the background is noisy or full of other speakers, this shows a lack of professionalism.

8. Pretending to Know it All

Honest candidates admit they don't know something or that they're making their best guess. If a candidate pretends to know something he clearly doesn't, this can be a bad sign.

9. Overconfidence

Candidates should value themselves, but bragging about other job offers isn't the way to do this. A lack of humility could lead to a sense of entitlement on the job.

10. Living Far Away

A long commute shouldn't automatically disqualify a candidate, but if he doesn't show strong initiative and commitment, this could lead to a faster burnout.

You should also look out for an overly informal interview approach or a lackluster attitude. There are no hard and fast rules for predicting a good or bad job candidate, but these warning signs are a good start.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Jarrett at Flickr.com