Interviews can be deceiving. In fact, it is almost impossible to vet whether or not a candidate ranks high on the “asshole meter” using traditional interview questions. Typical questions like “Tell me about a time you faced a challenge,” or “What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?” are rehearsed, polished, and designed to highlight the candidate’s best traits—or at least the traits they want you to believe they have. These questions often fail to reveal critical information about how someone interacts with others under pressure, handles conflict, or treats people they don’t need to impress. The result? Assholes can easily slide through the cracks, armed with charisma and surface-level professionalism, while hiding the red flags that make them a disastrous fit for your team.
Here are a few characteristic the asshole may possess, that you are likely not going to ferret out in an interview, or by looking through their resume:
1. Ego-Driven: They prioritize their own interests and recognition above the team’s success.
2. Disrespectful: They belittle, criticize, or dismiss others’ ideas and contributions.
3. Manipulative: They use others to achieve their goals, often at the expense of fairness or trust.
4. Unreliable: They fail to follow through on commitments or shift blame when things go wrong.
5. Condescending: They act superior, talk down to others, or constantly make others feel small.
6. Conflict-Oriented: They create drama or instigate conflict instead of resolving issues constructively.
7. Unaccountable: They avoid taking responsibility for their mistakes or shortcomings.
8. Negative Influence: They constantly complain, spread gossip, or inject negativity into the team.
9. Micromanaging or Controlling: They lack trust in others and insist on having everything done their way.
10. Lack of Empathy: They fail to consider the feelings, perspectives, or needs of others.
11. Credit Stealer: They take credit for others’ work or successes while deflecting blame for failures.
12. Unethical: They cut corners, violate policies, or act dishonestly to get ahead.
13. Intimidating: They use fear or aggression to manipulate others into compliance.
14. Inconsistent: They treat people differently based on favoritism, mood swings, or hidden agendas.
15. Sabotaging: They actively undermine others to make themselves look better.
And to make things even more complicated, these traits are also shared by The Asshole’s close relative, The Narcissist. It’s safe to say you don’t want either of them on your team. The problem is that some traits, like self-promotion, confidence, risk-taking, and charisma, can be shared by both a real go-getter—the kind any team would love to have—and The Asshole, who will create chaos in your kingdom.
Book Excerpt:
Prevention is key. There are several moves you can make in your hiring process that could act as a safety net, such as adding situational assessments to the interview questions and closely observing their communication style during the interview. Look for hints like conversation domination or taking credit for a past team’s performance. But there is nothing that beats a discussion with their previous employer.
When speaking with a former employer, it’s important to ask direct questions that will wave the red-flags.
“How did the candidate handle conflicts with colleagues?”
“How was the candidate perceived by their colleagues and peers?”
“How did the candidate interact with the team? Were they collaborative?”
“Did the candidate demonstrate a willingness to help others or contribute to team success?”
“Did the candidate maintain professionalism in difficult or stressful situations?”
How did the candidate take direction?"
“How did they respond to feedback, both positive and negative?”
“Were there any concerns about their interactions with others, and if so, how were they addressed?”
If you have ever had The Asshole on your team, you know there is no amount of productivity that can outweigh the damage they will inevitably cause to your team morale. Weed them out fast, or better yet, have a better way of vetting your candidates so you don’t accidentally let The Asshole join your team. In the long run, the cost of managing their behavior far exceeds any short-term gains they may bring to the table.
♜ Have your team go through Chapter 41 together to assess how effectively you’re implementing this move ♜