Common red flags during interviews you've seen? (employee, credit, interview)

[branh0913]

As a job hopper, I've been to my share of interviews. That means tons of places with tons of personalities. What I find fascinating however is when companies are proud of silly things. Or when they wear things that are red flags as a badge of honor. One of the things that I've found funny is when companies promote what is pretty blatantly a toxic culture.

I love with companies say "we move fast, and you we love context switching here". Which to me translate to "we'll just randomly pull you away from work constantly for higher priority items". To me which is basically fertile ground for hostile environments. Or when companies promote themselves as "just about everything is high priority around here". Which means that the job is in an endless state of "crunch time". Crunch time means that it's appropriate to tell you to work late hours or weekends to get stuff done because of said "high priority"


I also love companies that say "work hard, and play hard"

This translate to either:


"We talk about work at a fuse ball table"

or

"you co-workers are you family now, get use to being around them 10-12 hours a day as you close out high priority initiatives"


I've also found that when companies promote culture, it's typically a red flag as well. Companies that go out of their way to promote culture probably are trying too hard. Culture is very important. But culture should be organic. Not some directive from the top down issued from some "cultural consultant".

Ditto for employees who robotically promote the "culture" slogans. Words like "the mission", or other such cringeworth anecdotes like the "the 3 Cs". I find that companies that put way too much emphasis on culture probably has the most to hide.

[Citykid3785]

Ah......good ole' realtor speak:

"cozy" = 800sqft, tiny as all hell
"walkable" = right off a busy, double yellow street
"charm" = out of date, old, stuffy
"character" = roof and windows need replaced ASAP!!!

For me, interview red flags include:

- everyone seemed rushed, and/or everyone was late to the interviews
- they almost didn't vet me enough, in other words, are they just looking for warm bodies?
- they struggle to explain why the position is vacant
- lack of diversity in age groups (no millenials in mgmt is not a good sign)
- they say things like, "I'll have you defer to HR on that" when asked questions about culture
-overall sloppiness in the process. Recruiters don't follow up when they say they will, complete disregard for my time

[BusinessManIT]

One red flag is when your interview is on a Saturday. You come into the office and see the whole office staff there, busily working away like it was a Monday or a Wednesday. This is explained by the interviewer as "they are working hard because they are working for something better. Eventually they will get ahead."

[grneyedmustang]

• Fast Paced Environment = We're going to work the he** out of you
• We need you to be flexible = Your job roles/responsibilities will not be clearly defined but you'll still be held responsible
• Interviewers aren't prepared = Poor communication within management/leads
• Work hard, play hard = We expect you to work crazy hours, but every now and then we'll take you out for drinks and get drunk, but you better be in the office the next morning at 8am. If you don't go with us to the drunk fest then you're antisocial and not fitting in with the team.

[MarianRavenwood]

I agree that culture shouldn't be top-down defined. I've seen so many places where HR tried to define the culture, never seeming to realize that you can't make the company fit your marketing pitch, it's the other way around. A good culture is usually self-evident in your interactions with your interviewers.

A messy office is a red flag for me too--I don't mean one desk I mean the whole office. When the room you interview in feels like a hoarder's delight, I've found it's a sign that the whole company is in disarray.

A company that is constantly advertising open jobs is not good. It doesn't mean they are in growth mode, it means they are in churn mode.

[gobucks86]

Every time a company has said their "turnover rate is very low" that basically means it's very high and they certainly don't want to admit it.

At least, that's what I've experienced in the bigger law firms I've worked in.

[G-fused]

I think it is in the best interest of a potential employer to tell it like it is - good and bad. I would not want to fool anyone into working for me, red flags must be waived.

[MinivanDriver]

"Fast paced" = One of three things: Sorely understaffed, chaotic workflow, or a sales team that always overpromises. Or maybe a toxic combination of all three.

"We're more like a family" = Uh oh. That means you're going to have to go above and beyond without any reasonable expectation of commensurate pay out of some mysterious, almost feudal code of family honor. The CEO will make all kinds of boneheaded decisions that everybody has to live with. It also means that you'll have to endlessly socialize with other staff members. And, by the way, your mom and dad aren't going to fire you from the family.

"Visionary leadership" = You have a CEO with severe ADHD who is constantly pulling random stuff out of his ass at 3:30 pm on Friday, wanting to see it on his desk by 9 a.m. Monday.

"We have a [basketball court/pinball machine in the breakroom/other random amenities]" = If you're ever actually caught using those before 8 pm at night, you'll hear about it in your next employee review.

"Start up opportunity" = Not only are we starved for cash, but the owner was too stupid to ask the bank for a decent line of credit when asking for the small business loan.


"We are looking for committed individuals" = Hope you like working weekends.


"In six months, you'll see opportunities open up for promotion" = You will die at the same oars that were issued to you the day you boarded this slave ship.

"You are empowered to make your own decisions" = In other words, we are throwing all responsibility in your lap and will endlessly nitpick your decisions, even if it was the right one

"Close-knit office" = The president is banging half the women who work there.

"We like to support our community'" = You will be shanghaied into building houses for Habitat for Humanity at least 2-3 weekends a year.

"We are a faith-based company" = Hoo boy. First, every single word you say will be parsed to see how it measures up to someone's inner moral code. You'll start staff meetings with prayers and face relentless pressure to attend Bible study on your lunch hour. In conversations by the water cooler, you'll be asked about where you go to church as if it's their damned business. And, if it isn't whatever fundamentalist Church of What's Happening Now your boss and his minions attend, you'll always be on the outside looking in. Speaking of, buoyed by his sense of self-preening righteousness, the CEO will make decisions regarding pay and benefits that would make Ebeneezer Scrooge look up and say, "Damn, that's cold." Yet, he'll periodically have to take his laptop off to get debugged from whatever porn site he likes to visit when the doors are closed to his office.

"The customer is always right" = "We desperately need your business and we'll suck your d*ck to get it."

[ccm123]

During interviews, they don’t readily allow you to tour the facility and/or meet staff. What are they hiding?

[Maddie104]

"We pay competitive salaries" but won't tell you the salary range for the position. This means we try to get you as cheaply as possible.

"We expect you to be a teamplayer" means we hope you will carry the weaker links.