Being mindful of red flags when interviewing helps you make effective hiring decisions. Adding the right candidates to your accounting and finance team helps reduce hiring, onboarding, and training costs.
Discovering red flags during the interview process decreases the number of candidates who advance to the next step. Narrowing down your candidate pool helps you make more informed hiring decisions.
Be mindful of these four interview red flags when hiring.
1. Disinterest in the Job
A lack of interest in the role indicates the candidate likely does not anticipate remaining with your organization long-term. The candidate might just want an income source until they can find a position that better fits their interests.
If the candidate cannot provide a clear source of motivation to work for your company, they likely do not care enough to stay for an extended time. Therefore, you should focus on other candidates instead.
2. Speaking Negatively of Previous Employers
A candidate who shares negative opinions of previous managers, colleagues, or coworkers might be difficult to work with. The candidate could have a poor work ethic, lack accountability for their actions, or have difficulty getting along with others. As a result, you should continue to look for a different candidate.
3. Lack of Questions During the Interview
A candidate who asks questions during an interview is interested in the job and company. They want to learn as much as they can to determine whether the role and organization are a good fit for their goals and qualifications.
As a result, a candidate who asks no questions likely is not invested in working for your company. Therefore, you should find other candidates to interview.
4. Questionable References
An inability to reach any of the references a candidate provided suggests the references might be fictional. Because professional references are highly responsive, you should be able to get a hold of them within a reasonable amount of time.
Listing questionable references implies the candidate might have poor interpersonal skills and be difficult to work with. As a result, you should focus on other candidates instead.
Would You Like Help with Interviewing?
Be mindful of interview red flags such as disinterest in the job, speaking negatively of previous employers, a lack of questions during the interview, and providing questionable references. Candidates who display any of these issues might not be a good fit with your organization. Therefore, you should look for other candidates who could provide more value to your company.
Casey Accounting & Finance Resources is available to help you interview accounting and finance professionals. Contact us today to get started.
