Red flags for employers are signs that may be seen in an interviewee or candidate. They could be body language, mannerisms, behavior or the resume. Identifying red flags can help you sort out who will get the job offer and who will be rejected.

• Showing up late in the interview

Being late is not a good sign of a serious candidate unless there are legitimate reasons or such candidates maintained his/her composure, honesty, and professionalism. Showing up after 30 minutes or an hour means he/she is not prepared or not eager enough to get the job. On the other hand, some reasons are acceptable, such as:

• An interviewee called ahead of time (1 day or an hour before a schedule) that he/she won’t make it or will be late because of emergency reasons.

• The late interviewee took responsibility for being late.

Reasons for tardiness that could range from silly excuses (a donkey jaywalked so there was traffic, or my brush went stuck) can be personal things but if such lateness is a chronic issue then that’s a red flag. 

• Unexplained employment gaps

Employment gaps are the periods where there is no formal employment history between the two corporate experiences. A three months employment is Ok as this is the period when a candidate is looking for a job. 

Here are some acceptable employment gaps:

• Freelancing with proof of work or portfolios - Further, probe the candidate why he/she will want to return to the corporate world

• Assisted the family members in building a business

• Assisted a parent or relative who is under assisted living

• Studied an additional course or skill to enhance a career

• The company went bankrupt or downsized

These are the reasons why you shouldn’t ignore applicants with employment gaps.

• They may have soft skills (Emotional Intelligence).

• Their technical skills may or might not be affected by the gap

• They might study to further their skills.

• They might take a volunteer job to gain more experience.

Employment gaps aren’t bad themselves but if the candidate outrightly lies, then that’s a red flag.

• Job Hopping

When an interviewee shows you a resume with lots of short stints or constantly switching jobs within two years, that could be a red flag. Constantly changing jobs may mean job dissatisfaction, fights with coworkers or superiors, being fired, or some other behavioral problems. Frequent job changes raise a question if they would stay in your company for a long time.

• Badmouthing former employers/bosses

An interviewee might tell about his/her former bosses’ bad temper, habits or micromanagement but legitimate or not, bringing their old grudge can be a sign of past grudge, ethical issues, behavioral issues and emotional intelligence issues on the part of the candidate. You would want people who will help you solve a problem and not a complainer. Further badmouthing means:

• A lack of emotional maturity

• Unprofessionalism

• Negative vibe

• He/she may also do the same when the resignation time comes.

• Showing poor body language 

Body language is a non-verbal communication that can reveal the true emotions and feelings. It comprises gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, gaze and posture. What a candidate is telling could be incongruent to what his/her body language. An applicant can detail all the sales figures that (I raised the two consecutive months sales to 5%) but his/her eyes looking downward. 

You may have conducted a panel interview and upon asking two of the interviewees (Mr.A & Miss B), with the question, “Why are you confident?”,  Mr. A answers with his voice trembling and hands shaking. Miss. B responds with crossed arms. Such poor body language can raise questions about their confidence or manners.

Some negative body languages and meanings:

Some positive body language and meanings:

The bottom line

So there you have it. The five red flags for you to watch out if you are a hiring manager or an interviewer. Such red flags or signs can help you sort out if an interviewee would fit your company culture and team. They’ll also aid to streamline your hiring process.