Bob is excited.
He hasn’t been on a date in a while and Alice was pretty enough he told himself.
Bob’s mom had told him to just keep being himself and eventually the perfect “one” would come along. Is this the night she’s right?
No. Bob’s mom is wrong again.
Alice is nervous.
Alice gave Bob her number after meeting him at a bar last week. He seemed nice enough – and nothing looked too creepy on his instagram.
Alice has been on so many bad dates she stopped getting her hopes up.
In other words, the bar for a good date in Alice’s book is REALLY low.
But Alice is about to be disappointed again.
RED FLAG NUMBER 1*
When Bob first saw Alice, he was half-buzzed at the local sports bar. He elbowed his buddy Jim, “Hey, Jimbo, smoke show at 5 o’clock, checker out!” Before Jim could stop him, Bob made a beeline for Alice.
Only God and Alice know what he said, but to Jim’s surprise, Bob came back with her number.
A few days later, Bob told Jim he and Alice were going to dinner.*
RED FLAG NUMBER 2**
Instead of offering to pick Alice up, Bob tells her to meet him at the restaurant. Bob chose a local dive bar that has great burgers. Alice has never been, but decides maybe it could be fun.
Bob has already been there for a couple hours. He’s sitting at a table with several other guys. Alice walks in and Bob does one of those awkward hand gestures in the air to motion her over. When Alice walks up, Bob tells his friends, “This is the girl I was telling you about.” When Alice walks up, Bob high fives her.
Alice, polite, plays along.
RED FLAG NUMBER 3***
Alice tries to make polite conversation with Bob. She figures she’ll give it a chance. But Bob doesn’t get it. Instead of reciprocating questions, Bob talks. And talks. And talks.
Bob drones on about everything from his ex girlfriend and his fantasy football roster to how much money he makes and how cool his friends think he is.
Bob doesn’t ask Alice any questions. Instead, he tries to impress her by talking the entire time.
RED FLAG NUMBER 4****
After an hour and a half nonstop soliloquy, Alice interrupts Bob to attempt an exit. Bob hardly takes notice at first and keeps talking. Alice has to stand up from the table for Bob to break his stream of consciousness.
Bob – thinking the date went great – invites Alice over for a night cap. She politely declines.
Bob: “We should do this again sometime.”
Alice: “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
Bob: “Really? I thought we had a great time.”
Alice: “Thanks for dinner, Bob. I really better be going.”
Assuming the candidate isn’t an axe murderer and brings it up in the interview – the above scenarios cover a number of the most common red flags to run away from. If you’re a hiring manager and have ever felt like Alice, God bless you.
*RED FLAG NUMBER 1:
Let’s pretend Bob is the candidate. He doesn’t know anything about the company – but he heard it sounded cool. He does no research before showing up. He took no notes on his initial phone screen call. Bob treats this role and company as if it’s no different than any other company.
Bob’s approach to the job hunt is like a drunk guy on a bar hitting on girls – with a quantity over quality approach. If Bob just hits on enough girls, surely one will talk to him.
This often comes out in the interview quickly. Look for key phrases from the candidate like, “What do you all do here?” or “I just thought the company sounded cool.”
**RED FLAG NUMBER 2:
Bob shows up to the interview unprepared. It looks like he rolled out of bed and made no effort to present himself. Plus, he’s behaving way too informally – acting chummy like everyone is an old college buddy.
He talks about the position as if it’s already a foregone conclusion. He’s not making any extra effort to stand out.
***RED FLAG NUMBER 3:
During the interview, Bob drones on and on. He takes 5 minutes or more to answer every question. He talks only about himself. He overshares information. He talks poorly about former employers and co-workers. He blames other people for mistakes. His best examples of experience are things that don’t indicate he has a depth of knowledge or expertise in.
Bob also asks no relevant questions himself. Bob takes no interest in the interviewer, the company’s mission, or the results that drive the role he’s applying for.
Bob does not reference how he can create value for the company – and seems entirely unconcerned with value creation. Instead, Bob focuses solely on himself.
***RED FLAG NUMBER 4:
Bob demonstrates he is socially unaware. Both from his interactions with the people he’s encountered while on site and the way he phrases some questions.
Bob borders on inappropriate with some comments. Something strange about Bob just gives you a creepy feeling, too. Bob tries to extend the conversation beyond the point it has clearly ended – suggesting he’s not aware nor respectful of others’ time.
Bob is also over-assuming. He behaves as if the interview is nothing more than a formality to get the job.
Don’t be like Bob.
*This post was originally published on Quora in response to the question What is the biggest red flag to hear when being interviewed?