Sam Andrew reveals the psychological insights that help him hire wisely as a small business owner

Neuropsychologist turned SME owner Sam Andrew shares the psychological red flags and green lights that can help small businesses hire with confidence

Hiring choices make or break small businesses. SME owners know that recruitment isn’t simply about filling a vacancy. Each new hire has the potential to shake up everything from customer service to company culture and even the bottom line. The wrong decision can be costly, but the right one can be the start of something very special.

That’s why bringing a psychological perspective to interviewing is so powerful. It gives small business owners a framework to spot the subtle signals that separate a great fit from a potential problem. Decades of scientific research into human behaviour reveal useful clues about how people present themselves in interviews and what these signs may mean for their future performance.

As a neuropsychologist turned microbusiness owner (I now run pottery teaching studio Seven Limes Pottery in Manchester)  I know that psychology can offer real, practical tools for spotting what’s going on beneath the surface in an interview.  Drawing on psychological research, I will outline three red flags to watch out for plus four encouraging signs that you’ve found someone who could thrive in your team.

Three red flags

1. Politician’s answers: By a politician’s answer, I mean when you ask a question, which is totally ignored and instead the person replies with a pre-prepared speech on a topic of their choice. Aside from being really annoying, this brings to mind the Erving Goffman term impression management. This refers to how people control how they come across in order to influence how others perceive them. This is not inherently a bad thing, but if someone is maintaining this extreme level of control over what they say, it would make me cautious about their sincerity.
2. Inconsistent body language: This could also be a sign of insincerity. For example, if someone says they would be really excited to work for your company, but their eyes don’t look excited, they could simply be going through the motions to gain a job offer. Though it is important to be aware that this apparent inconsistency could also be as a result of neurodivergence rather than insincerity. It is common for autistic people’s body language or tone of voice to seem at odds with what they are saying.
3. Negativity about past or present employers: Psychologist Fritz Heider was the first to talk about the perceived locus of causality. In simple terms, the theory refers to the extent to which people believe their actions are the result of internal or external factors. So, in the example of a job that turned bad, someone with an external locus would entirely blame their employer or other team members, whereas a person with a balanced locus would be able to reflect and see how they could themselves could have done things differently. Basically, if someone always blames others, chances are they will repeat the pattern in your team.

Four green lights

1. Good listening and turn taking: Carl Rogers and Richard Farson introduced the term active listening in 1957 and it has stuck around for a good reason. Active listening is an essential part of good communication and building strong interpersonal relationships. It is about demonstrating that you are present in the conversation and not just waiting your turn to speak. If an interviewee shows this skill, it is a clear sign that they could be a strong team member and even a potential leader.
2. Offering concrete, well-described examples: There is a whole body of psychological research on deception, with consistent findings that truthful stories contain more detail than fabricated ones. I always bear this in mind when asking a candidate to describe how they solved a problem at work or to give an example of when they supported a colleague. A good, highly detailed answer tends to ring true and gain a big green tick on my score sheet.
3. Showing interest: A strong candidateshows a real interest in your business and demonstrates this by asking you pertinent questions – if you like, they interview you back. Failure to ask questions can signal a self-focused interpersonal style. Research shows that question-asking increases likeability, whereas the absence of questions is associated with reduced warmth and reciprocity (Huang, Yeomans, Brooks, Minson, & Gino, 2017) and even narcissism (Raskin & Terry, 1988). However, when interviewing it is important not to lose sight of cultural contexts. In some cultures, not asking questions may be a form of respect (Ting-Toomey, S. 1999).
4. Positive attitude: Elaine Hatfield and colleagues’ work on emotional contagion shows that moods spread. If an interviewee is bursting with enthusiasm and positivity (though not too much, we are British) I know that this energy has the potential to lift the whole team. It’s another tick from me.

As SME owners, the stakes are high when making hiring decisions. The lesson I’ve taken from psychology, and from running my own small business, is that interviews are less about catching people out, and more about spotting the subtle signs that indicate how they might behave as an employee. Trust your instincts, but back your thoughts up with evidence. That’s how you find the people who will help your business to thrive.

Sam Andrew is a former neuropsychologist and the owner of Manchester pottery teaching studio Seven Limes Pottery