How can you tell that the person you’re interviewing would be a toxic element in your office? Because I was just burned by a candidate who seemed flawless on paper. His resume checked every box, and he was so charming during his interviews. But pardon my French, he turned out to be a major jackass. He's toxic and causes nothing but drama. He’s making me question my ability to read people.

You can usually find them during the interview process if...

1️⃣Flip the talk ratio.
Aim for an 80/20 split—them talking 80% of the time, you only 20%. Toxic candidates often reveal themselves when they talk too much, too vaguely, or too arrogantly when not steered by the interviewer. As a candidate, I'm usually hired when the interviewer did almost all the talking. They walk away from the conversation thinking it was the best interview, while I'm thinking, they don't know me at all.

2️⃣Test for self-awareness and emotional maturity.
Ask questions that probe how they handle conflict, failure, or feedback. Try prompting ChatGPT with:
“Give me interview questions to assess whether a candidate may be toxic or lack self-awareness.”
Example:

“Tell me about a time you disagreed with your manager or coworker. How did you navigate it?”

3️⃣Introduce gentle friction.
At some point, disagree with them or correct something they say--especially if it’s a minor point. Pay close attention to their body language, tone, and how (or whether) they recover.
People who respond with defensiveness, condescension, or blame often struggle with authority, collaboration, or self-regulation.

4️⃣Reference checks but don’t just ask, “Would you rehire them?” Ask:

“Tell me about a time they faced a tough interpersonal situation—how did they handle it?”

“What kind of team environment brings out their best—and worst?”

5️⃣I stole this from the Shake Shack Founder. Ask this question: "What's the biggest misperception other people have of you at work?" Does their answer demonstrate real vulnerability and accountability? Do they have self-awareness?

That is a tricky one because some people are able to hide their true natures when interviewing but then drop all their acts once they secure the job. It's not an issue with your judgement, some people are just great actors.

Referrals. Use them to the fullest.

When I am prepping a client for important interviews, we have the "tell me a time questions" answers prepared very carefully. I never want my clients to lie. However, my job is to help them get hired and present themselves to be the best candidate. So relying on how they answer these questions is not a good method to deciding whether they are going to cause drama in the workplace.

Be listening for verbiage. Do they speak as though they have been an active participant of a team? Are they using the words we and I in balance? Are they saying disparaging things about their company, boss, or coworkers? Do they speak as though their challenges have been the faults of others? Can they tell you what they've learned about themselves in the situation's where they have had conflict? Are they showing ownership and responsibility for their own actions?

Listening to verbiage will tell you a lot about how a person sees the world. Good luck.

Scenarios like that are probably not uncommon. The thing about malignant characters is that they've learned to be stealthy about some of their toxic traits when you first encounter them. You can see examples of this all the time, and not just in the workplace. Learn what you can from the experience, but don't be too hard on yourself, some of these characters are good at fooling people. It's what they do!

please be gentle with yourself :) It's a good learning lesson if anything