Ex-Microsoft exec recalls best candidate's interview: ‘She worked her network…’

Former Microsoft HR executive Sabina Nawaz listed the red and green flags she sees in candidates and recalled one of the best candidates she interviewed.

What are some of the red flags and some of the green flags that HR executives at top companies look out for in candidates during interviews? Former Microsoft HR executive Sabina Nawaz shared her list with CNBC Make It and recalled the time she felt a candidate “had clearly done her homework”.

Former Microsoft exec recalls the best candidate she ever interviewed and lists what she loved about the person (AFP)

Arriving late, not researching about the organisation you are applying for and showing up dressed inappropriately are some of the red flags she pointed out.

Recalling her experiences, Nawaz said years ago, when she was still new at Microsoft, a woman who had just graduated from Smith College came in to interview for a program management job.

What was special about her?

Nawaz said the woman “had a sense of what it would be like to work in a company of that size” ,"knew the program manager role was somewhat unique to Microsoft at that time and [also] knew the idiosyncrasies of the role that not everybody understood".

She said that the candidate asked relevant questions. Quoting an example, Nawaz recalled that she'd ask for more details when faced with a work scenario and try to understand the context instead of straightaway explaining how she'd behave in a particular situation.

The candidate had likely done extensive research, Nawaz said, adding, “She had probably worked her network and gotten some scoop from people.”

Nawaz further recalled that the candidate “really could put herself in the shoes of the end customer and then speak to the design of the product”.

“The term emotional intelligence gets thrown around a lot…But I would say she seemed to have emotional intelligence in spades,” Sabina said.

For her, the bottom line was that the candidate did her due diligence to get to know about the role, which hadn't gained popularity among work culture till then.

“She just blew me away,” said Nawaz.