By Kimberly Stevens, NPI, Inc.’s Marketing & Business Coach

One skill that can be difficult to develop for small business owners is how to recognize red flags when they show up. Red flag interview answers aren’t just bad answers, they are the types of responses that should alert hiring managers that it might be time to move on to the next candidate altogether. All hires are important for small businesses, but nailing those early hires is pivotal when it comes to long-term success. This is why good business owners place so much focus on their early interviews.

Entrepreneurs likely don’t have extensive experience with interviewing prior to starting their own businesses, so they often can’t reflect on the early warning signs of lousy employee behavior. While candidates who have a talent for answering interview questions aren’t necessarily always the best people for the job, there are some seemingly innocuous interview answers that should actually be major red flags for hiring managers.

But First, A Few Thoughts On Delivery (A Message to Job Seekers)
Interviews can, admittedly, feel intense, nerve-wracking, and anxiety-inducing. Although this might add even more pressure onto job seekers, there are a few behaviors related to anxiety that can start an interview off on the wrong foot, regardless of what answers are given. For example, avoiding eye contact, fidgeting, and an overuse of filler words like “um,” “so,” and “like” can give off the impression of a lack of confidence or preparation (even if that isn’t true).

If a candidate displays behavior consistent with a lack of self esteem, this can be particularly troublesome. It’s important for workers (and people in general) to find peace and self assurance in their own skin. Unfortunately, employees that struggle with self esteem can be somewhat inconsistent in how they relate to each other, and how they conduct themselves in their work.

Great questions to better understand a candidate’s self perception include: How do you receive criticism? How do you respond to adversity? How do you self regulate?

It may be easier said than done, but job seekers should make it a goal to calm their nerves as much as possible prior to their interview in order to display their most natural self. Good interviewers should be able to look past obvious signs of nerves, but many will walk away from a tense interview largely remembering the mood in the room and the candidate’s energy over their actual answers. With that said, here are a few red flag answers hiring managers should be watching out for:

If you are looking to hire, contact the marketing team for more information on candidates in your area! Interested in opening your own inspection business? Learn more by receiving a free info packet today!