Spot him during the interview: He's fashionably late and blames the traffic, has too many jobs on his resume, and possesses only negative comments about previous employers. His references talk about how smart he is, and how in the right position he might achieve his remarkable potential. Sure he will. But as Einstein said, “genius is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration.“ Show him the door.

The Used Car Salesman
He's devious, untrustworthy, and ready to stab you in the back or bite you in the ass, whichever is more accessible. His true colors are never displayed until he establishes a comfortable power-base for himself. Basically, this shall consist of a small network of similarly devious types who despise the people they work for. Get ready, you are in for the ride of a lifetime with this one.

Spot him during the interview: He smiles way too much. What's he smiling about? Is he listening to some sardonic voice that only he can hear? Eye contact is non-existent as he searches for the next line of bullshit to feed you or they shift ever so slightly when you try to lock into it?

The Brown Nose
He idolizes and emulates you for no apparent reason. He will agree with everything you say even if it’s; “Controlled substances should be legalized and genocide should be an Olympic sport.” We all know this special person and are terrified to be associated with them for obvious reasons. This one possesses no personal opinions and generally one fry short of a Happy Meal.

A Brown Nose is useless for various reasons. He's afraid of offending you or diverting even a tiny bit from what he perceives to be your plan. The thing is; you have no plan. The key concept of successful management is surrounding yourself with smart people who can provide advice and guidance. Now you're screwed.

Spot him during the interview: Easy. He's way too animated for somebody who's just applying for a job. He knows too much about you as well. He's Googled you and found out the name of your first-grade teacher. He's read every quote you've ever given to any newspaper. Get rid of him, you don't need sycophants...

The Sociopath
It's nice to visualize the concept of having a person even more focused on the obliteration of your enemies than you are. At first, you may not mind the sociopath. However, as his character cultivates, his liabilities become immediately obvious to the casual observer. His small world is inhabited with adversaries who must be terminated with extreme prejudice. When you finally grow fatigued of his bizarre style, he will unexpectedly turn against you, his new betrayer. Sound familiar? It should...

Spot him during the interview: Look at how his mouth is set. It's hard and fixed. Peer into his eyes. They're vague and indifferent, until you mention the upcoming elections or the possibility of global warming damage this year’s banana crop. Stand back. His orbs shall burn like lustrous embers in a bonfire. Now get him out of there before he does considerable damage...

The Corporate Clone
He's callus and extremely capable. He possesses no heart, no family, and has no dog. Empathy is generally an afterthought. All he has is his MBA and is the “Stepford Wife” of business. He works weekends and can’t comprehend why you don't. He follows orders perfectly, but all his ideas are mean-spirited and cost somebody, someplace, his or her livelihood. Achieve at any expense no matter who you step on while climbing the corporate ladder...

Once hired, he will immediately discover fellow clones within the company and begin bonding process. They share a salad and bottled water for lunch in the executive dining room or in our case, the Cuban Club, and talk about the next contractor to win the bid. They have no loyalty to anybody beyond that which is required by corporate handbook. He will drain you of your enthusiasm of doing business, and devastate any affection your team members have toward one another. Be very afraid, because this person lurks amongst us...

Spot him during the interview: Notice where he got his business degree. Wharton or Harvard educates a ruthless, calculating approach that makes people very rich while stripping away a layer of inconvenient humanity. Talk to this one about whatever hideous merger is destroying the most lives at the moment and monitor him light up like a nuclear power plant. Then suggest he head over to Lockheed right away. They're generally hiring the next-gen horsemen of the apocalypse...

The Future CEO
This guy is going to run the company one day. He has the story line all worked out, and you're a chapter in it. He is a legend in his own mid and self-proclaimed genius. The problem for him, if you're sharp enough to spot him, is that he's wrong. This is the story of your life, right?

Spot him during the interview: Count the number of times he says "I."