Whether you interview dozens of candidates a year, or only a few, train yourself to pick up on the signs that a potential employee is not the right one. If you know what to watch for, you can successfully spot these job interview red flags before making a job offer that you’ll regret.

1. The candidate shows no knowledge of your company. If a candidate hasn’t conducted at least basic research before the interview, that’s a big red flag. Either they’re not serious about the job, or they’re lazy. A motivated candidate will know what kind of company you run, what products and services you offer, and who you serve.
2. The candidate badmouths a previous manager or employer. Whether this is an indication that a) the candidate has an issue with authority, b) the candidate doesn’t get along well with others, or c) the candidate doesn’t know better than to speak badly about others in a job interview, it’s not good. No matter what.
3. The candidate asks about vacation days. Obviously a candidate will want to know about benefits, including paid time off. But asking this question first, or too early, could be a sign of a weak work ethic.
4. The candidate can’t give you details or examples about resume or cover letter claims. Candidates should be able to offer proof of their claims. If a candidate says she increased sales by 5%, then she should be able to explain how she did so. If a candidate says she managed 10 employees, she should be able to answer questions about how she handled performance issues.
5. The candidate treats higher level interviewers differently. Your interview team will probably include the hiring manager and an HR representative, then possibly potential coworkers down the line. If a candidate responds rudely or poorly to receptionists, assistants or fellow employees, but turns on the charm for executives, this is a big red flag.
6. The candidate arrives late, or not at all. Getting to an interview late is careless and shows a lack of respect for other people’s time. If there is a reasonable explanation, you can take that into consideration the first time. In most cases, though, interview tardiness indicates the kind of person who keeps clients waiting and arrives late to meetings.
7. The candidate doesn’t take responsibility for failed projects or mistakes. They blame coworkers, bosses, a lack of resources, or their team members’ lack of skills for every failure they describe. You want to hire people who admit errors, make thoughtful mistakes and fix them, but always take responsibility while they own and repair the problem.
8. The candidate exhibits poor communication skills. Yes, interviews make people nervous, and you can’t expect every candidate to have the communication skills of a top salesman, but effective communication is one of the skills most frequently listed by employers in their job postings. Because it’s critical.
9. The candidate fails to dress appropriately and carefully for the interview. Appearance, appropriate accessories, and especially, cleanliness and good taste matter. In the case of a candidate at an interview, what you see is exactly what you get. You don’t necessarily need a fashion plate in expensive clothes, but dirty, unkempt, wrinkled, and inappropriate are loud signals to skip this prospective employee.
10. The candidate shows signs that he doesn’t plan to stay very long on the job. You can’t predict – and you can’t ask – how long a potential employee plans to work for you, but watch for signs that your company is just a stepping stone. Candidates provide all sorts of clues about their plans, if you listen. If they mention that their close family and friends live on another coast, or that they have tried to relocate unsuccessfully to where their significant other lives, that’s a red flag.

As if interviewing isn’t stressful enough, each interviewer has different criteria and methods they feel will best assess a candidate. Some like to confront a candidate aggressively to see how the candidate will respond, especially to difficult, open-ended questions. Often, the questions will focus on weaknesses or failures. One of the most difficult to answer is “Why shouldn't I hire you?”

Hiring managers ask this question for three reasons.  First, they want to make you a little uncomfortable to see how you react. Second, they’re evaluating your ability to self-assess and admit limitations. Third, they may be fishing for a weakness that they haven't spotted.

This is just a different version of “Tell me what your weaknesses are.” Don’t say you don’t have any weaknesses – we all do, and if you say you don’t, you’ll be out of the running. You need to show the interviewer that you’re able to recognize places in your professional life that need improvement.

The key to answering this question is to call attention to a weakness, then explain to the interviewer what you’re doing to correct this weakness. The solution should not be external. You should be the one taking action and actively working on the issue. This question is about confidence and the ability to prove that you know how to work out a problem.

Here’s one potential type of answer:

"I can’t give you a reason why you shouldn't hire me, as I feel I'm a great fit for this job. However, like all people I do have a weakness and it is [time management, for example]. I realized this in my last job and now [first thing every morning and last thing every afternoon I go over a checklist to make sure I am getting my projects done, for example]."

Another approach is to briefly state your strengths, then mention your weaknesses, and relate these to the job.  For example, say you are an experienced plant manager interviewing for a new position:

“Throughout my career, I have done an excellent job of motivating teams, holding employees accountable for their performance and controlling costs. I've picked up a lot of technical knowledge along the way, but I am not expert on the equipment. I have succeeded by using the technical expertise within my team.”

You can even show your knowledge of the position’s needs and question their perspective by adding something like, “If your organization needs a hands-on plant manager that can troubleshoot processes, I'm probably not the best candidate for the job. I will perform much better in a role where technical expertise exists but needs skilled leadership to maximize its effectiveness.”

Don’t be afraid of this “trick” question! You can use your answer to show a potential employer that you are a self-aware problem solver and therefore a strong candidate.