Trying to hire the right person can keep you up at night. Why? A bad hire can quickly turn employee harmony into raucous noise and tank confidence in you.

If you know what you’re looking for, you’ll find it. If you don’t, oh well!

The biggest mistake hiring managers make is not paying attention during the interview. Sounds incredible, right?

Too often, interviewers are focused on themselves, specifically their:

• greeting, hand-shake, and small talk
• style of questioning
• pitch about the job and the company

In other cases, they become so absorbed in the content of the candidate’s answers, they forget to:

• Ask good follow-up questions that probe for richer detail
• Notice what isn’t being said—the information left out
• Watch the non-verbal communication

When you don’t pay attention, you miss important stuff—like the “red flags.”

Here are my top ten “red flags” when you’re face-to-face with a candidate:

1. Too much “we”: You need to know what results the candidate achieved in prior jobs, not about the mysterious “we.” Ask the candidate specifically, “What did you do?” and expect an “I” answer.

2. Rambling: Candidates that can’t grasp the point of your question and answer it concisely are probably unprepared, poorly qualified, or in a knot. This is telling, right? Your questions, after all, are about them not nuclear physics.

3. Pitching: Inflated egos generally don’t integrate well. You need an individual who explains factually their measurable and observable achievements. Results make the grade, not puffery.

4. Vagueness: Generalizations don’t cut it. Keep probing until you get the information you want. Tell the candidate that you want them to answer your questions this way: briefly explain the situation s/he faced, describe sequentially the steps taken, and state the outcome achieved.

5. Overly casual or tense posture: An interview is an important business meeting. To treat it too casually is either a cover or a show of disregard. Being too tense often indicates lack of preparation, self-confidence, or experience. Amp!

6. Negativity: A candidate who is negative or critical about a former company, boss, or colleague still has resentments that may carry over to a new position. Negative comments show poor judgment.

7. Focus on salary and benefits: Interviews are about the work. Employment offers are about the goodies. Candidates with pressing questions about salary, time off, benefits, and working conditions reveal much about their priorities.

8. Short-sightedness: Candidates that over-explain the details of their work without mentioning the implications lack the big picture view that makes them a good prospect for future growth.

9. Poor questions: A candidate that asks insightful questions at the end of the interview shows you his/her understanding of the job, the company, and the protocol going forward. That’s what you’ll want day to day.

10. Lacks fit: If the candidate doesn’t connect with you, chances are s/he won’t fit with your work group. S/he doesn’t have to be like your other employees but should have a compatible style and collaborative nature.

Your final decision has big implications. No one wants to repeat the hiring process any time soon if they don’t have to. There is no fool-proof system, but it’s a fool who doesn’t take time to read between the lines and stop when the “red flags” go up. You’re good to go!