Red flag test: former CEO explains why he rejects job candidates who say they can start right away

Like many CEOs, Gary Shapiro, the executive chair and former CEO of U.S. trade association Consumer Technology Association, has one make-or-break interview question he asks hopeful new hires—and says he will turn candidates down if they answer it wrong. Picture this: You’ve spent hours applying for the dream job and sitting through multiple interviews. Finally, you think you’ve won over the hiring manager when they ask, “when can you start?” You’d be forgiven for thinking the right answer, is “straight away.” After all, you want to seem eager. But be warned: Shapiro says being available within two weeks is a big red flag that could land you in the rejection pile. “They don’t get the job, because they’ll treat us the way they treat that former employer,” Shapiro recently told CNBC in 2024. “I want an [employee] with a level of commitment to their organization—even if they don’t love their job—where they won’t leave their employer hanging.” Unless, of course, you’re unemployed—in which case, the pass-fail question doesn’t apply. Fortune has contacted Shapiro for comment. The loyalty test applies to exiting employees too It’s perhaps unsurprising that Shapiro values loyalty among workers—after all, the 69-year-old has worked in his current post as CTA’s chief exec for more than three decades. For Shapiro, it doesn’t matter how senior the prospective candidate is, they’ll still be subject to the same test—and the longer their notice period, the better. Shapiro said he used the go-to question when hiring the company’s chief operating officer. He recalled being “very thankful” that she said need up to six weeks to adequately transition from her former job. “I said, ‘That’s perfect. You got the job,’” he added. Although Shapiro didn’t specify her name in the interview, Glenda MacMullin is CTA’s COO according to the association’s website—which means that he’s been using the question for at least 20 years, as she joined the company in 2004. He even applies a simi