The interview red flags for Senior Executives I have learned to stop ignoring.

After a few years, a few roles, and a few mistakes, I have developed a simple rule:

When a company feels the need to explain something away during the interview process, pay attention.

Because very often, the explanation is the warning sign.

Some of my favourites:

🚩 “Our culture is… unique.”

🚩 “There are one or two people in the executive team who are a bit special.”

🚩 The role was previously held by someone who is now becoming your CEO, your peer, or your main internal stakeholder.

🚩 Weeks of silence, poor communication, or a process that feels improvised from one step to the next.

🚩 Every interviewer gives you a different version of the strategy.

🚩 The previous person “wasn’t good enough”… and apparently neither were the two before them.

🚩 Everyone proudly tells you they move “very fast” and thrive in “constant ambiguity.”

🚩 Leaders speak badly about former employees, colleagues, or competitors.

🚩 Emails, invitations, and follow-ups feel surprisingly unprofessional for the seniority of the role.

Over time, I have learned that the biggest red flags usualy come from what they tell you openly, assuming you will either ignore it, rationalise it, or consider it normal.

And perhaps the biggest lesson is this:

The interview process is usually the company on its best behaviour. If something already feels off during the courtship, do not assume marriage will improve the manners.

What interview red flags have you learned never to ignore?