**Billionaire CEO Reveals Two Key Hiring Red Flags**

Jay Chaudhry, a billionaire CEO with a wealth of experience in the tech security industry, has shared two major red flags that deter him from hiring prospective candidates. With a string of successful ventures under his belt, including SecureIT and CipherTrust, Chaudhry’s insights are drawn from a vast hiring history.

Chaudhry, who co-founded SecureIT in 1996 with his wife Jyoti before selling it to Verisign in 1998, has continuously made his mark in the cybersecurity sector. Following SecureIT, he launched CipherTrust in 2000, which he later sold to Secure Computing Corporation for $274 million in 2006. His entrepreneurial journey didn't stop there; he went on to establish multiple successful companies, including CoreHarbor and AirDefense, eventually creating the cloud security firm Zscaler in 2007. According to Forbes, his net worth stands at an impressive $9.7 billion.

Having hired numerous people throughout his career, Chaudhry has identified specific traits that are deal-breakers for him. The first red flag he points out is candidates who seem overly interested in amassing a large number of direct reports. Describing such individuals as those who "focus on building fiefdoms," he believes they often equate their success with the size of their team and budget rather than their actual performance and results. This tendency could potentially lead to workplace resentment, especially if these individuals are placed in supervisory roles.

The second red flag involves how candidates deal with less-than-stellar performance results. Chaudhry is wary of those who try to make disappointing figures appear better than they are by spinning the data. Rather than seeking to package their outcomes attractively, he prefers candidates who focus on what they can improve for the future. He emphasizes the importance of growth, stating that at his company, Zscaler, only 10 percent of meeting times are dedicated to celebrating success, while the remaining 90 percent is spent identifying areas for improvement.

Chaudhry's approach underscores the value he places on genuine effort and continual progress, qualities he deems essential in building a successful team.