Red Flags When Hiring for Web & Marketing: What Your Gut Knows But Can’t Prove

Perfect resume. Great portfolio. Charming interview.

Then 3 months in, you realize you hired the wrong person.

Cost of a bad hire:

Salary waste: $60,000-$120,000
Project delays: Months
Team morale damage: Hard to quantify
Client relationships at risk: Worse

Here are the red flags that predict failure, before you sign the offer letter.

The Developer Red Flags

1. Can’t Explain Their Own Portfolio

The test: “Walk me through this project. What was the challenge? What decisions did you make?”

Red flag answer: “Uh, I worked on the frontend. Used React. It was a team project.”

Why it’s bad: Either they didn’t do the work, or they did it without understanding why.

Good answer sounds like: “We had performance issues with the initial approach. I suggested implementing virtual scrolling for the product list, which reduced render time from 4s to 0.8s. Here’s the before/after Lighthouse score.”

Specific. Technical. Shows thinking.

2. Portfolio is All Templates

The pattern:

Every project looks like a template
Similar layouts with different branding
No custom functionality
Stock photos throughout

What it means: They customize templates, they don’t build solutions.

Not always bad if: You need template customizers. Bad if you need custom development.

How to check: View source on portfolio sites. See the same template framework? That’s your answer.

3. “I Know All the Technologies”

The claim: “I’m proficient in React, Vue, Angular, Svelte, Next.js, Gatsby, Astro, WordPress, Drupal, Laravel, Django, Rails, Node.js, Python, Go…”

Reality: Knows none of them deeply.

Why it’s bad: Specialist beats generalist on complex work.

Better answer: “I specialize in React and Next.js. I’ve dabbled in Vue, but wouldn’t call myself proficient. For back-end, I prefer Node.js but can work in Python if needed.”

Honest. Focused. Actually believable.

4. Can’t Show Code on GitHub

The excuse library:

“All my work is proprietary”
“I don’t have time for open source”
“Companies won’t let me share”
“I keep meaning to start a portfolio repo”

Reality check: Every good developer has SOME code to show.

Side projects
Code challenges
Open source contributions
Even pseudocode examples

Not necessarily a dealbreaker but: Combined with other red flags? Walk away.

5. Buzzword Bingo in Resume

Example resume: “Experienced in leveraging cutting-edge technologies to deliver innovative solutions using agile methodologies and best practices in a collaborative environment.”

Translation: I’ve worked on websites.

Red flag: Can’t communicate clearly about technical work.

What you want to see: “Reduced API response time from 2.4s to 0.3s by implementing Redis caching and optimizing database queries. Decreased AWS costs by 40%.”

Numbers. Specifics. Results.

6. Doesn’t Ask Technical Questions

Good candidates ask:

“What’s your current tech stack?”
“Why did you choose that framework?”
“What’s your deployment process?”
“How do you handle bug tracking?”

Red flag candidates ask:

“When can I start?”
“What’s the salary?”
“Do you have ping pong tables?”

Why it matters: Good developers care about the work, not just the paycheck.

7. “I’m a Full-Stack Developer” (at 23 years old)

Math doesn’t work:

Frontend mastery: 3-5 years
Backend mastery: 3-5 years
Database expertise: 2-3 years
DevOps competency: 2-3 years

Total: 10-16 years Their experience: 2 years

Reality: They’re junior-to-mid across all areas. Not senior anywhere.

Not bad if: You need someone scrappy who can touch everything. Bad if: You need deep expertise in any specific area.

8. The Portfolio Site is Slow/Broken

If their own showcase site:

Takes 6 seconds to load
Breaks on mobile
Has console errors
Fails accessibility checks

Then your site will be worse.

Why: Their portfolio is their best work. Your project will be their adequate work.

Test it yourself: Open DevTools. Check Console. Run Lighthouse. If it’s garbage, they don’t care about quality.

The Marketing Red Flags

1. “I Can Get You to #1 on Google”

The claim: “I guarantee first page rankings in 30 days.”

Reality: SEO takes 6-12 months. Rankings depend on hundreds of factors. Nobody can guarantee anything.

Why they say it: They’re selling dreams, not realistic outcomes.

What competent marketers say: “We can improve your rankings over time. Here’s what we’ve achieved for similar clients. No guarantees, but here’s a realistic timeline.”

2. Shows Only Vanity Metrics

Their portfolio:

“Increased traffic 400%!”
“10,000 new followers!”
“Impressions up 250%!”

Missing:

Leads generated
Sales closed
Revenue impact
Cost per acquisition

Why it’s bad: Vanity metrics don’t pay bills.

What matters: Did the business make money?

Better answer: “Increased traffic 40%, which generated 180 qualified leads, resulting in 12 new customers worth $240K in revenue against a $15K ad spend.”

Business outcomes, not social media metrics.

3. Only Shows Big Brand Work

Pattern:

Worked at Nike (for 2 months, as intern)
Consulted for Apple (sent one email)
Collaborated with Google (attended a webinar)

Resume inflation.

How to check: Ask specific questions.

“What was your role on the Nike project?”
“How long did you work there?”
“What metrics were you responsible for?”

Liars get vague. Truth-tellers get specific.

4. “Everyone is My Target Audience”

Bad marketer: “This product is for everyone!”

Good marketer: “Primary audience is 35-50 year old business owners in professional services with 5-20 employees who currently use spreadsheets for CRM.”

Specific. Targeted. Shows research.

Why it matters: Marketing to everyone = marketing to no one.

5. Can’t Explain a Failed Campaign

The question: “Tell me about a campaign that didn’t work.”

Red flag answer:

“All my campaigns have been successful!”
“The client didn’t listen to my advice.”
“Budget was too small.”

Good answer: “We launched a LinkedIn campaign targeting CFOs but got poor engagement. Analysis showed our messaging was too sales-y. We pivoted to educational content, and cost-per-lead dropped 60%.”

Honest. Analytical. Learned from it.

6. Obsessed with One Channel

The pattern: “Instagram is the only platform that matters.” “Email marketing is dead.” “SEO is all you need.”

Reality: Different channels for different businesses.

Why it’s bad: They’re a hammer looking for nails.

What you want: “Based on your B2B SaaS model, I’d focus on LinkedIn and email nurturing. Instagram won’t drive qualified leads for enterprise buyers.”

Strategic. Channel-agnostic. Matches solution to problem.

7. Name-Drops Tools, Not Results

Their pitch: “I’m expert in HubSpot, Marketo, Salesforce, Google Analytics, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Hootsuite, Buffer…”

What they’re not saying: What results they achieved.

Better answer: “I use Google Analytics and Hotjar to identify funnel drop-off points. For one client, found 60% abandoned cart rate. Implemented email recovery sequence. Recovered $40K/month in lost revenue.”

Tools are means, not ends.

The Designer Red Flags

1. Portfolio is All Dribbble Pretty, Zero Reality

The pattern:

Beautiful mockups
No live websites
Lots of gradients and animations
Zero business context

Question to ask: “Is this live? Can I visit it?”

Red flag answer: “It’s just a concept.”

Reality: Concept designers vs. product designers.

Not bad if: You need brand exploratory work. Bad if: You need functional, converting interfaces.

2. Can’t Discuss Design Decisions

The test: “Why did you choose this layout?”

Red flag: “I thought it looked cool.”

Good answer: “We tested three layouts. This one increased time-on-page 40% and reduced bounce rate from 60% to 35% because the key CTAs are above the fold and follow the F-pattern eye tracking.”

Data-driven. Testable. Results-oriented.

3. Doesn’t Understand Development Constraints

The design:

Requires custom WebGL animations
Needs proprietary fonts
Has complex hover states for every element
Ignores responsive breakpoints

The problem: Beautiful but unbuildable (or costs $100K to build).

Good designer asks:

“What’s the budget?”
“What’s the tech stack?”
“What are the performance requirements?”
“Any accessibility needs?”

Designs WITH constraints, not despite them.

4. “I’m a UX/UI Designer” (But Only Shows UI)

Their portfolio: Pretty interfaces.

Missing:

User research
Journey maps
Wireframes
Usability testing results
A/B test data

Reality: They do UI, not UX.

Not bad if: You need visual design. Bad if: You need research and strategy.

5. Uses Only Stock Photos in Portfolio

Pattern:

Same Unsplash photos seen everywhere
Stock business people shaking hands
Generic office environments
No custom photography or illustration

What it says: Doesn’t go beyond the obvious.

Better: Custom illustrations, real product photos, or thoughtfully chosen stock that fits brand.

The Content/Copywriter Red Flags

1. Everything Sounds the Same

Sample writing:

“Leading provider of innovative solutions”
“Cutting-edge technology”
“Passionate about excellence”
“Customer-focused approach”

SEO slop. Corporate speak. AI-generated vibes.

Good writing:

Specific examples
Clear differentiation
Authentic voice
Avoids clichés

Test: Ask them to write 100 words about your business without using “innovative,” “leading,” or “solutions.”

2. Can’t Show Range

Portfolio is all:

Blog posts, OR
Social media, OR
Long-form content, OR
Technical writing

Not bad if: You need that specific thing.

Bad if: You need versatility.

What to look for: Samples across formats, tones, and audiences.

3. “I’ve Written for 100+ Industries”

The claim: “I can write about anything!”

Reality: Can write generic content about anything.

Why it’s bad: Deep knowledge beats surface-level understanding.

Better: “I specialize in B2B SaaS and fintech. Here’s a whitepaper I wrote on blockchain compliance that generated 200 qualified leads.”

Niche expertise > generalist writing.

4. Doesn’t Ask Questions About Audience

Red flag: Starts writing immediately.

Good writer asks:

“Who’s reading this?”
“What action should they take?”
“What objections will they have?”
“What’s your brand voice?”
“What’s worked before?”

Strategic. Audience-focused. Not just word-pushing.

5. Can’t Explain ROI of Content

Vague answer: “Content builds brand awareness.”

Better answer: “Created a ‘Buyer’s Guide to X’ that ranks #3 for high-intent keyword, drives 300 visitors/month, converts at 8%, generating 24 qualified leads monthly worth $60K in pipeline.”

Content marketing is a revenue channel, not a nice-to-have.

The Project Manager Red Flags

1. “I’m an Agile Scrum Master” (But Can’t Explain It)

The test: “What does your sprint planning look like?”

Red flag: Vague process description.

Good answer: Specific cadence, tools, rituals, and why they matter.

Reality check: Lots of people took a 2-day Scrum certification. Few understand Agile principles.

2. Everything is “Flexible” and “Adaptive”

Translation: No actual process.

Why it’s bad: “Flexible” becomes chaos without structure.

What good PMs say: “We have a defined process, but adjust based on project needs. Here’s our standard workflow. Here’s when we deviate and why.”

Structure with intentional flexibility.

3. Can’t Show War Stories

The question: “Tell me about a project that went sideways. How did you save it?”

Red flag: No examples, or blame external factors entirely.

Good answer: “Client changed core requirements 3 weeks before launch. I renegotiated timeline, identified must-haves vs. nice-to-haves, and we launched MVP on original date with phase 2 scheduled 4 weeks later. Client was thrilled.”

Problem-solving. Creativity. Results.

4. Focuses on Tools, Not Outcomes

Their pitch: “I use Jira, Asana, Monday, Trello, MS Projects…”

What they’re not saying: How projects succeeded.

Better: “I choose tools based on team. Here’s a project I delivered 2 weeks early and 15% under budget.”

Results > tools.

The AI Era Red Flags (New for 2024-2025)

1. Their Portfolio is Clearly AI-Generated

Signs:

Generic AI art style
Inconsistent branding
Writing with AI “tells” (overly formal, repetitive structure)
No authentic examples

Test: Ask them to explain their process.

Red flag: Can’t describe actual design/writing decisions.

2. “AI Does Most of the Work, I Just Supervise”

Translation: I don’t actually have the skill, I rely on AI.

Why it’s bad: AI needs expert guidance. Without expertise, you get AI slop.

What good candidates say: “AI speeds up execution. I still handle strategy, QA, and refinement.”

3. Can’t Work Without AI

The test: “If I took away ChatGPT, could you still do this job?”

Red flag: Hesitation or “it would be much harder.”

Good answer: “Yes, I did this for 5 years before AI. AI just makes me faster.”

4. Too Good to Be True Speed Claims

The claim: “I can write 10 blog posts a day.”

Reality: 10 AI-generated drafts that need extensive editing OR bad SEO spam.

Good answer: “I can produce 2-3 quality posts per day with AI assistance and thorough editing.”

The Interview Questions That Reveal Truth

For Developers

“Show me your favorite piece of code you’ve written and explain why.”
“What’s a technology you tried and decided NOT to use? Why?”
“How do you stay current with development trends?”
“Debug this code: [show buggy snippet]”
“What questions should I be asking that I’m not?”

For Marketers

“Show me a campaign that failed and what you learned.”
“How do you determine marketing budget allocation?”
“What metrics do you track? Why those specifically?”
“How do you qualify a lead?”
“Critique our current marketing. What would you change?”

For Designers

“Walk me through your design process from research to delivery.”
“How do you handle feedback you disagree with?”
“Show me a design that tested well vs. one that tested poorly.”
“What makes a design ‘good’ vs. ‘pretty’?”
“How do you balance aesthetics and usability?”

For Everyone

“What’s something you believe about [their field] that most people disagree with?”
“Tell me about a time you were wrong and how you handled it.”
“What do you want to get better at?”
“Why are you leaving your current role?”
“What questions do you have for me?”

The best candidates ask thoughtful questions that show they’re evaluating YOU too.

The Gut Check Framework

Trust your gut, but verify with data:

Red flag score (1 point each):

Portfolio doesn’t match claims
Can’t explain their work
No specific results shown
Blame external factors for failures
Everything is “proprietary” (can’t show work)
No questions about your business
Focuses on tools/buzzwords over outcomes
Can’t work examples in real-time
Oversells capabilities
Avoids technical depth

Score of 0-2: Probably fine Score of 3-5: Proceed with caution Score of 6+: Hard pass

The Cost of a Bad Hire

Real example:

Developer hired at $120K/year:

Month 1-2: Onboarding (learning curve, normal)
Month 3: First project delayed (excuses made)
Month 4: Code review reveals quality issues
Month 5: Other developers spending time fixing their work
Month 6: Performance improvement plan
Month 7: Termination

Direct costs:

Salary: $70,000
Recruiter fee: $24,000
Lost productivity: $30,000

Indirect costs:

Project delays: 4 months
Team morale: Hard to quantify
Client relationship damage: Nearly lost $200K contract

Total impact: $350,000+

Prevention: Better vetting process.

The Bottom Line

Most bad hires look good on paper.

The difference:

Resumes can be inflated
Portfolios can be borrowed
Interview skills can be coached
References can be friendly

But:

Specific questions reveal knowledge
Technical tests expose ability
Process discussions show thinking
Problem-solving shows competence

Trust but verify:

Check their work is actually theirs
Test their skills, don’t assume
Ask for results, not responsibilities
Probe for depth, not breadth

The 5-minute gut check: If you removed all the buzzwords, credentials, and polish from their pitch, would you still want to hire them based purely on demonstrated ability?

If not, you’re hiring potential, not proven competence.

And potential is expensive.

Building a team or need to audit current staff? We’ll help you evaluate technical and marketing candidates based on real competence, not resume buzzwords.