The biggest red flag in a job interview, according to hiring expert of 20 years | CNBC
We’ve all been there—messing up at work or school and wondering how to explain ourselves. Adriane Schwager, CEO and co-founder of the hiring platform GrowthAssistant is no stranger to asking candidates about their past mistakes. But here’s the twist: Schwager isn’t just interested in what went wrong; she’s focused on whether you can own up to it. When a candidate blames others for their mistakes, it raises a red flag for Schwager. Why? Because it signals low ownership—meaning you’re not taking responsibility for your actions.
Take a big mistake, like forgetting to send a crucial document to accounting, costing the company $250,000. If a candidate shifts the blame to someone else, like a manager or colleague, Schwager sees that as a problem. On the flip side, if they acknowledge their role and explain how they fixed the problem by setting up calendar reminders to prevent it from happening again, it shows they’ve learned and grown from the experience. That makes someone stand out: the ability to reflect, adapt, and take control of their actions.
For Schwager, it’s about understanding that mistakes don’t just happen in isolation. Even if you’re not leading a project or team, you still contribute to its success or failure. Accepting this fact doesn’t mean you’re a bad employee; it just means you’re self-aware. And that awareness is exactly what Schwager looks for. If you can talk about what you’ve learned from your blunders, then you’re showing a level of maturity and responsibility that employers crave.
But owning up to mistakes isn’t just about fixing errors—it’s also about understanding why you left your last job. Schwager listens closely when candidates explain why they moved on. Did they leave because of a bad boss or because they weren’t managed well? That’s understandable, but she also wants to know if they tried to take ownership and improve the situation before walking away. And if burnout was the issue, did they recognize it and make changes to avoid it happening again?
In the end, Schwager’s focus is on finding people who are aware of how they contribute to the team’s successes and failures. It’s not about being perfect but about learning from your imperfections……….
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Rising Dough
How does a company’s emphasis on personal ownership influence its success from the viewpoint of leadership and its relationships with investors and consumers?
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