Interview Tips : Red Flags Recruiters Look For

Know Interview Tips To Get You Past An Interview In Kenya

By Selipha Kihagi

Passing a job interview today is no longer about answering all interview questions and answers. No, it is more about impressing recruiters and interviewers to a point that they cannot say No to you. It may seem like one of the uncalled for interview tips to be part of, but with the current competitive job market, candidates don’t have much of a choice. You have to focus on impressing interviewers if you want to get hired in the role. Impressing recruiters means that you have to be familiar with common red flags that recruiters pick up from interviewees, and avoid them as much as you can.

So, how do you know what red flags recruiters look out for in an interview? This post will give you interview tips that will help you identify the red flags to avoid in your next interview and get hired into any role you are qualified for.

5 Red Flags Recruiters Pick Up From Interviewees

Have you been to an interview that you thought went very well only for you to not get the role? I want to believe that most of you have and the bigger question in your mind is, just what went wrong? Sometimes our demeanour and body language is what betrays us in an interview and no matter how qualified you may be recruiters choose someone else over you. To avoid this happening again, here are some interview tips about interview red flags to always remember.

1. Having a bad introduction

You know how people say that an interview is like a first date? Well, this is very true. How you present yourself the very first time is how you will be remembered, and this is why it is very important that you always have a great introduction in an interview. Recruiters don’t want to remember your sweaty handshake, that bad suit or the long speech about why you were late for the interview. No, they want to remember the collected woman or man that wowed them in their every word and demeanour.

So, make sure that interviewers are impressed by you from the first time they see you, talk to you and when you are leaving the interview room. Practise your firm handshake, rehearse your first lines, remember to take a seat away from the door and arrive early to avoid unnecessary panting and anxiety.

2. Not being clear on the kind of role you want

Applying for a position and getting an interview are just the first few positives in you getting hired, but if the interviewer picks up on your application as random then they might not be as happy. What does this mean? Employers and recruiters will want to know why you applied for the role you will be interviewing for and that’s why you will encounter questions like Why should we hire you? Or why do you think you are the best candidate for this role?

If you cannot put together an answer that impresses the interviewers, then they will not be very impressed to consider you for the second interview of for the role either. You need to understand why you applied for the role and why being hired in it would be a good thing for your career. This way you will not have a hard time convincing interviewers that you are the best candidate.

3. Bringing up the salary conversation

It is not a bad thing to discuss salary in a job interview, but you also need to do it at the right time and in the right way. You may be looking to change jobs because your previous role did not compensate you enough for your effort and now you are seeking a better paying role, but talking about salary at the wrong time will raise flags you did not intend.

Interviewers already know that salary is a subject they have to discuss with you at one time during the interview, but you have to let them bring up the conversation. If they do not, then you can borrow these interview tips about salary in an interview. Talking about salary is a sensitive issue for both parties in an interview; as a candidate you have to make sure it is done right.

4. Showing a lack of motivation

As I mentioned earlier, acing an interview is more than being good at interview questions and answers. Most interview tips point to candidates being well prepared and portraying their excitement for the role they are interviewing for. This is very true and a slight show of lack in motivation by interviewees can make recruiters and interviewers have doubts about hiring you. Why? A candidate who does not show energy or motivation to get hired in a role points out to employers that they don’t really need the job.

Employers will see this as an indication that if hired, the candidate will leave the moment they get a better deal or they will start looking for other positions as soon as they are hired. No employer can afford this kind of risk in their business so interviewers will always seek out a candidate that is motivated and driven.

5. Your social media profiles don’t reflect what is on your CV

Most of you never want to hear that interviewers do take a look at your social media profiles as part of the recruitment process, but the truth is that most of them actually do. Your LinkedIn and Facebook profiles will tell recruiters more about you than your CV will. The question is, did you lie on your CV? Being that social media profiles are public, most people have been known to tell the truth than they do on their CVs and this is why recruiters and employers like to compare information on the two platforms.

So, like most interview tips out there will advise you, always go through your social media profiles and avoid lying on your CV. You never know if interviewers stalked you a little bit before you got to the interview room.

The secret to passing interviews and getting hired is to be true to who you are. Know the roles you want to take up from the very beginning, apply with a professional CV that explains your qualifications and avoid being someone else during the interview. Being true to yourself may not look well to some recruiters, but it will get you in good times with the good ones and get you that dream job.

Got a question on interviews? Ask below and we will do our best to answer.

19 Comments

Thanks a lot for the advice, my question is how should one answer this question in an interview, “where do you want to be in the next one year?”

I agree, nowadays we are actually teaching candidates to be more of actors that is train them to say anything even if it is outright lying and pretending just to get a job a good example is that “people are told don’t say the real reason you left a job if it is a negative thing from your previous employer” so already there you are teaching the candidate to lie for me as a manager I would rather know that the worker was mistreated and decided to leave rather than be lied to about wanting “new challenges” e.t.c

Interviews need to be broad in this day and age.Asking the same questions, does not give you an insight on individuals interest or competency level.
By all means let both parties put out their playing hands, the interviewer yes has the upper hand,but its not a contest.
I agree with Nyaga,practical interviews will tell you more about the person by far.

How do You answer when the employer ask you why should I hire you?

Thanks for the above highligts. As HR professional, i believe its very unfair to go snooping into other people personal details i.e in fb or even linkin. Secondly, remember interviews are acting arenas (whether you like it or not) and most of the decisions made in recruitment are based on perceptions. I am a firm believer that practical interviews i.e presentations, competency based interviews are the best as they bring out that desired technical competence in a candidate. All in all, there are so many other elements that you look for in a candidate rather than technical skill and often which you cannot measure in an interview i.e attitute, team work ete, …… Real interviews happen when you are looking for CEOs, GMs, and or managers positions ……. for all other levels its all a very subjective process, unless there are practical aspect into it.

not all be very brief

I agree, when you look at most job adverts it simply say either send your application and updated CV or CV alone for recruiter to go snooping at what comments you put on facebook with your friends is in bad taste, lets be honest 10yrs ago LinkedIn and facebook were never an issue so are we saying most of those ppl with over 10yrs experience are incompetent and bad workers.Let have people enjoy some privacy.

Im loise how am i supposed to answer aquestion say about your self should i talk all what is in my cv

This article has help so much because i am expecting an interview this week. thank you

I don’t think it’s fair to compare social media issues to the real person’s issues as an interview selection because, most people use nicknames in social media like facebook while on job interviews they use their real real names on their vital documents.