How to Spot Red Flags in a Developer’s Resume

Challenge: Spot the Difference

A) I worked on a project that involved automated tests in Python and REST APIs in Django.
B) I built REST APIs using Django and wrote automated tests in Python with PyTest.

On the face of it, same experience.

But scrutinise. What did (A) actually do? The person who arranged the scrums could say they “worked on the project”. Doesn’t mean they know Python.

When recruiting, spotting software developers’ CV red flags helps you avoid costly mistakes. 

Whether that’s wasting time interviewing someone unsuitable or, worse, onboarding someone who isn’t right. 

This article will help you quash the issue early – at CV stage.

You’ll learn to review CVs critically and assess candidates' credibility, filtering out the undesirables and welcoming the stars.

Table of Contents

• We’ve All Got Red Flags – What’s the Big Deal? 
• 6 Common Software Engineer Resume Red Flags to Watch For
• Red Flags Don’t Always Mean Bad

We’ve All Got Red Flags – What’s the Big Deal?

Software developer resume red flags could be nothing. But they might be something.

They can hide skills gaps. They could even mask interpersonal issues like team compatibility.

Left unchecked, they can result in hiring the wrong person.

Given the unquantifiable elements, the figures on how much it costs to hire the wrong person vary. Still, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation puts it at over 3x salary to resolve.1 That’s not petty cash.

And it stands to reason it carries a major bill. Disrupted project timelines. Upset team cohesion. Wasted compensation.

Yet it happens to almost everyone. Nearly half of new hires fail in the first 18 months.2

Is it avoidable? In some cases, it seems so. Skills issues account for more than 10% of failed hires.2 And these issues are things you can assess from a CV, whether they’re technical or soft skills.

Of course, if your candidates are pre-vetted, you don’t need to worry. Remote Crew has over 10,000 previously qualified candidates on their books, which saves heaps of time.

But the ones who apply directly will be unknown quantities. So how do you review a developer’s resume? As an employer, what are the red flags to look out for?

6 Common Software Engineer Resume Red Flags to Watch For

1. Vague or Overly Generic Job Descriptions

Remember the challenge from the start of the article? That’s an example, but it can be more (or less) subtle.

A job title with no description of responsibilities is the most obvious red flag, but lack of specificity about what the developer did on a task-by-task basis is also a concern.

It might be an attempt to hide knowledge gaps. It could be a simple oversight. It’s your job to find out which – don’t assume it’s what you want it to be. Ask for concrete examples of what your applicants did, and how they did it.

1. Lack of Specific Technologies or Skills Mentioned

If I’d knocked out Prime Mike Tyson, my CV wouldn’t say “handy in a fight”. I’d be specific. Frankly, I’d get a tattoo of it.

So if a software engineer’s CV lists general skills, like web dev or programming, but lacks specific tech, that’s a red flag.You’d expect them to highlight their expertise in whatever frameworks, languages, or tools. 

But, again, just because they haven’t put it in their CV, it doesn’t mean they haven’t got the skills. If they’re missing, ask.

Listing too many tech skills or programming languages can be just as concerning. Do you really want a Jack-of-all-trades? Delve into their expertise on each one that’s relevant to you.

1. Job Hopping (or Clinging) Without Explanation

If a candidate’s had multiple jobs in a short period, it behooves them to explain why. It could be perfectly reasonable – bad luck with redundancies or relocations, say – but it could also be indicative of poor performance, instability, or difficulty fitting into teams. 

On the flipside, if they’ve been at a company for ages without any progression, why? Is it just the way the business is set up, or have they been kept down for good reason?

Look for patterns – is their tenure roughly the same at each company? And is that reason enough to be suspicious? If they haven’t explained the “why” well enough on their CV, ask them outright.

1. Unexplained Employment Gaps

Similar to the last one. Long gaps between jobs really need explaining. Of course, it could be nothing sinister – maybe it was further education, freelance or volunteer work, or personal reasons. But it could also indicate difficulty in securing roles due to skill gaps or workplace issues.

Decide what’s important to you, and for the role. Are long periods of unemployment an issue? Could they have forgotten knowledge or gotten rusty on skills? Have they kept up with developments in the field? 

Then ask about the reason for the gaps. Question the parts you need to know more about.

1. Overuse of Buzzwords Without Substance

“I used blue-sky thinking to shift paradigms and synergize”. 

Once you’re done throwing up, you can throw this CV in the red flag pile. Vague terms like "passionate developer," "highly skilled," or "thought leader" don’t mean anything by themselves. 

If someone can corroborate them with evidence – like a passionate developer codes in their spare time, or a thought leader does after-dinner speaking on their area of expertise – then fantastic! 

But without, it’s either a poorly written CV or, worse, a candidate trying to hide something and fluff up their experience.

If you spot buzzwords that don’t mean anything to you, ask what they mean. Can they back them up with real-world examples? 

1. Job Titles Inconsistent with Work History or Skills

If someone’s job title is Ninja or Rockstar, that’s an immediate red flag. Even if they’re good, it’s just not cool. You don’t want to hire someone uncool, right?

But what if your software developer lists a senior-level title but only has a few years’ experience? 

It might just be the hierarchy at the companies they’ve worked at. Or, they may be artificially inflating their skill level to appear more experienced than they are.

As usual, you can ask them about it. But you can also check LinkedIn profiles of their colleagues at similar levels – do they have comparable job titles for their experience? Try snooping their GitHub contributions for complexity, duration, and type of project, or contacting their references to ensure accuracy.

Red Flags Don’t Always Mean Bad Developer

Being a good software developer doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll write a good CV. So red flags don’t mean the resume needs binning. It means there’s more work to do to learn the truth. 

But that “more work” can be daunting. You’ve probably noticed that the majority of the fixes here are “ask them”. At the initial interview, you can ask behavioral and technical interview questions to assess depth of knowledge. But even if there are common technical interview questions you can ask, it can be easier said than done.

Then there’s the option of skills tests to verify technical competence. But then you have the dilemma of whether to go with technical assessment or live coding, vs online tests, vs take-home assignments...

And you might get dozens, maybe even hundreds, of CVs for a role. It could take days – even weeks – to fine-tooth comb them all. And you’ve got other things to be getting on with. Your job, for example?

It might make sense to outsource it. Find out if Remote Crew can help you avoid wasting time and money interviewing or – perish the thought – hiring the wrong person.