When it comes to vetting potential employees, Bethenny Frankel has one "red flag" that always jumps out at her.
The self-made millionaire tells CNBC Make It that she doesn't like getting too many questions from her interviewee early on in the conversation, especially when they aren't related to the responsibilities of the job.
"I've found that people interview me when I'm interviewing them. They want to know exactly how much time they actually have to be at work, how many vacation days they get, when lunch is," she says. "And that's a big red flag."
Frankel, who will star alongside Kevin O'Leary on the upcoming season of CNBC's "Money Court", says she is also wary of people who seem to want to work with her because of her fame and celebrity.
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
"I avoid fans and people who are applying for the job simply to be near the limelight," Frankel says. "It's not all glamour and fun as one might think. It's really actually business."
Less important to Frankel during an interview is that a prospective employee demonstrate that they are the smartest person in the room or that they come armed with an endless set of skills that might be useful to her.
In fact, she says that there's no need for her employees to be "brilliant" or have gotten great grades in school so long as they are a "hustler."
Money Report
"You could know that, like, you didn't do that great in school, and no one's ever called you particularly intelligent. But you are a hustler," she says. "You work hard, and that's almost more than enough."
Frankel says that demonstrating a strong work ethic in an interview is more useful than bragging about organizational skills or attention to detail.
"The only really important thing to me in an employee is [that you] work your a-- off," she says. "You don't have to be a genius to do any of this. I'm not slicing somebody open and doing brain surgery. I'm really smart. You're going to learn. If you want to work hard, you'll figure it out."
CNBC's "Money Court" premieres Wednesday, November 30 at 10pm ET/PT on CNBC.
Want to earn more and work less? Register for the free CNBC Make It: Your Money virtual event on Dec. 13 at 12 p.m. ET to learn from money masters how you can increase your earning power.
Sign up now: Get smarter about your money and career with our weekly newsletter
