People List 30 Major Red Flags To Spot During A Job Interview That Scream ‘Bad Working Environment’
We all survive not one, not ten but a solid amount of job interviews throughout our lives. It would be hard to find a person who genuinely enjoys them unless they’re on the opposite end of the table and sit in the shoes of a recruiter.
And although many people dread them, every now and then we still have to pass them in order to stay in the increasingly competitive job market.
Sometimes, however, job seekers become too desperate to sell themselves and land a job so they forget that the company that’s interviewing them should also impress you. We may even be blind to the telling signs that show this workplace is not just unworthy of your attention, it’s downright toxic.
So today we looked at a handful of illuminating Reddit threads that got people sharing the red flags that scream not just walk, but run from this workplace, closing the door behind you. More telling signs of a job you do not want can be found in our previous article.
This post may include affiliate links.
Didn't even get to the interview. Got a call to set up interview. I say ok, I can do Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. He says "I need you to come in today." Okay. I need a job so I say I can try, where do I need to go. He was an hour away by car. I said I couldn't and he got all huffy. Like dude, if you're this shitty when I don't work for you I don't even want to know how you treat employees.
I was once asked during a job interview about my tolerance to verbal abuse. When the person noticed that I was a bit taken aback by the question, he quickly followed up and said the keep in mind that he was asking about VERBAL abuse and not Physical abuse. I immediately realized that this would not be a job for me and I excused myself from further consideration for the position.
In a lot of industries, "We work really long hours sometimes, so we're really looking for someone who's willing to put in the hours and is interested in making a bigger impact" is code for "we're looking for someone to sacrifice their weekends on the alter of our arbitrary goals and expectations because we can't be bothered to pay a second person for this role."
“The biggest piece of advice I can give relating to any red flags that arise during an interview is to take them seriously,” Christine Mitterbauer, a licensed and ICF-approved career coach and serial entrepreneur told Bored Panda in an interview.
“Often when we go for interviews, we focus so hard on performing well and getting the job offer, that we forget that an interview is a two-way process. This is also a chance for you to decide whether the job is right for you,” the career coach explained.
When you walk through the site and you don't see a single person smiling. I don't mean those fake customer service smiles, either. If everyone there looks miserable I'm out, life is too short for that.
"Would you be willing to give up a few vacation days to help out some of your fellow co-workers finish their work?"
lol nope
If they can't finish their work they are either not qualified or overworked...
My father-in-law said he recently had an interview at a place and some of the perks were food: breakfast lunch and dinner were all provided.
... wait why would I need dinner?
I don't plan on being here for dinner.
That was a red flag if i've every heard one.
According to Mitterbauer, red flags are often based on hunches, but hunches are based on subconscious experiences gathered over time. “You really should listen to it if you want to avoid falling into the trap of just accepting an offer because you ‘got it’,” she said.
Mitterbauer’s advice is to go into the interview with an open mind, having done thorough research on the role and company beforehand, and collect some important questions. “Be prepared to walk out of the interview if it didn’t feel right, even if you can’t immediately put your finger on why.”
What’s more, “never accept an offer right there and then, always say you need to think about it/ discuss it with your partner. Often when we sleep on things, we wake up seeing things with new eyes and a fresh perspective.”
I always ask directly "have you ever had to lay off employees as a result of budgeting issues?"
I don't want to lose my job because someone couldn't responsibly allocate the funds to pay me.
I used to be in commercial fishing, and one of ny first skippers gave me this advice:
When you're checking out a potential boat to take a position on make sure to look in the engine room first. If it's neat, clean, and orderly then that's a solid boat to work on. If it's filthy, cluttered, and in disarray then get off the boat and don't take the job.
Anyone using the phrase "work hard and play hard" during the interview
When asked what are the signs that a workplace is not for you, Mitterbauer said that any bad feeling you got during an interview, “whether it was due to what was asked or said, or the way it was communicated by the interviewer, is a red flag that you shouldn’t ignore.”
“Even if you can’t put your finger on why it gave you a bad reaction, sleep on it, and consider discussing the experience with someone close to you. Particularly, some signs could be the interviewer putting pressure on you, saying something that sounds too good to be true, or saying anything that simply goes against your personal values,” the career coach concluded.
If they ask if you are on medications and if so, what medications and why?
He asked me (on the phone) whether I was good looking? He asked me what my body was like etc. I was like okay, I’m going to hang up now. This was a job advertised in the London Evening Standard, a respected newspaper. They were really pissed off when I told them and this guy must have realized he crossed a line because he wouldn’t answer the phone when they tried to get in touch.
What pisses me off is that I was so desperate for work that I stayed on that phone a few moments longer than I should have instead of telling him to f—k off straight away. I hate it when people in a position of power abuse it.
Edit: I’m a woman. If you’re wondering whether I’m good looking and what my body is like I have been told that by goblin standards I am quite a beauty.
People who visibly show they haven’t looked at your resume. I have no issues go in depth about my experience or things that may need clarification. But, to blatantly not know anything about the person interviewing shows they don’t even value their potential employees at a minimum.
Was invited to interview for a remote position, but did some research and found out they made employees install software that took a photo of their face every 9 minutes to ensure they weren’t goofing off. Can you imagine? I don’t want my employer to have a huge collection of the awkward a*s facial expressions I make. Declined interview.
Interview was at 10AM, they made me wait until 10:45 before someone could finally see me.
First question they asked me was how I feel about working overtime. They asked me another 2-3 times if I was REALLY sure I was okay with it, which tells me that A. They're going to make me work over a lot and B. they've had people quit shortly after being hired because this job clearly SUCKS.
When I asked them to describe the work environment/culture, one guy says they get at each other's throats sometimes and its intense, but they're like a big dysfunctional family. No thanks.
I'm actually looking out for a job and the other day the HR asked why I wanted to leave my current job. I said I was done with 12hr shifts and being forced to work an extra day on a weekend on a small incentive.
He said, "That's how outsourcing works my friend"
I politely refused.
When asked if they had a radius requirement (that I needed to live within X miles in case of emergency), they laughed and said "doesn't matter, you won't be going [home] very often."
Right after college I got an interview to be a store manager for an Abercrombie and Fitch clothing store. Before the interview I was told to dress in my own personal style but that "in" clothes would be preferred. I was then given a list of what that meant. At the interview I was asked to make fun of or be judgmental of people walking around us, what they were wearing, their style, Hair styles, designs on shirts etc. For example, when a lady walked past us wearing jeans and red Mickey Mouse sweatshirt. The lady interview me scoffed and said, can you believe her wearing that out in public? I mean what is she? like 12."
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I shrugged and said "What does it matter if that's her style?"
​
I didn't get the job. I realized she was trying to see if I was a judgmental prick and when I wasn't she chose not to hire me. Later on I found out this was a standard practice for Abercrombie.
"We're a human-sized company with a great start up spirit"
--> Unpaid extra hours + micro management
I went to a job interview and it was very informal. The office looked like it was still getting put together, and not very organized. They told me there were going to be several interviews, and the second interview was going to be like shadowing someone, and that I should wear comfortable shoes. I straight up asked if it was a door-to-door sales type gig and they found some bullshit way to try and say that it wasn't. But it totally was.
Stay away from these places.
UNFORTUNATELY IVE BEEN CAUGHT UP IN THESE MLM BEFORE. UGHH MAKES ME FEEL GROSS JUST THINKING ABOUT IT.
Years ago, I applied for a job at taco bell. The manager set up a day and time for me and we sat down in the dining room and he talked about his life for well over an hour. His ex wives, his old band, the thrills of hitchhiking.
Then he shook my hand and said “whenever we get an opening, I’ll keep you in mind.”
I got suckered into listening to a life story for no job.
They started asking me if I was married, if my significant other worked full time, and if we were ever planning to have kids.
Edit: I'm a gal. I was probably 25 or 26 at the time.
I had a job offer me "unpaid bonus hours" as a form of "community service"
If you give the community help then you'd do it in your own time as a 'donation' of your time. If you do it in work time you should get paid. We have banks here that allow their staff to do some community service to some of those charities they sponsor. They get paid for their time.
Not every time, but I've noticed when they seem too excited and eager to hire you, there's a reason and it's not your resume.
Definitely ask about the rate of turnover.
Happened to me earlier this year with a global insurance/risk management company. Interviewed, got the job offer email two hours later. Gave me the salary I asked for, no questions asked. Took the job worked one week and said f*ck this. I initially thought they really wanted me for my experience and knowledge, turns out they were just desperate for people. I could have told them I was an axe murdering cannibal and they would have just asked me when can I start.
When they ask you if you have any questions for them and you ask "what is your favorite thing about your job/working for this company?" And they reply "Well I'm not the one being interviewed..." proceeds to answer and then says "...was that good enough for you?" Immediately made me realize that even if I did get a job offer, I did not want to work for someone like that.
Interviewer has visible anger issues with other staff. I encountered this at the beginning of my career. They didn't hire me, which was good.
So the interviewer was someone who can't even pretend to be professional towards collegues.....
I'm a teacher.
When you ask about discipline procedures/administrative support and they skirt around the question, run for the hills.
A sketchy answers means is that you will either be stressed because admin won't answer your pleas for help/view you calling them as a sign of weakness, or flabbergasted that an administrator would jump to conclusions about your classroom management without consulting you first.
Had an interview where the interviewer said "so you probably made what like $40k last year?" I had made double that and knew if I went with this company I'd only make a little more than $40k.
If he hadn't said that I probably would have taken the job.
If he hadn't said that, wouldn't you have asked about the salary anyway?
Just had this one today. "After your 30 day probation period you will get your first paycheck."
not a big deal over here, we get paid monthly - but get paid for every day in probation period, even if after 3 days company or you decide job is not for you...
Them: 'It's about getting the job done. Most of our people come in up to an hour early to get everything done'
Me: 'Oh, that's cool. It's nice to have an overtime option available'
Them: 'Nooooo, they come in off the clock because the job just can't be done in a shift'
Me: 'Wait, so you expect people to work off the clock?'
Them: 'Absolutely. It's about getting the job done even if it's not something that even CAN be done in the time you're working'
Me: 'LOL, that's illegal'
This dude had been working there 20 years and said he'd come in a minimum of an hour early every f'ing shift and expected everyone working under him to do the same!
Unlikely to happen during an interview but if you can get a peek at the break room, that gives a very good look into the kind of people you will be surrounding yourself with. Dilapidated and dirty break room usually means dilapidated and dirty employees. Stinky and aging poorly? Yellowing and anemic? Stained and dimly lit? Missing (table) legs and shedding rust? That and the employee bathrooms. Working in a shit hole is draining... and the people who work there that don't mind working in a shit hole are even more draining.
I usually asked for water if the interviewer offered a drink (so wouldn't be too much of a disaster if I spilled it), in one place the mug was so dirty outside and tea stained inside I would probably catch a Victorian disease if I touched it! That was a really quick thanks, but no thanks from me.
"We're like a family here!"
Every job I've ever had that used this was correct: But like, a super dysfunctional, petty and incestual family with none of the actual love and camaraderie that comes with an actual family.
Be wary if you see the interviewer either getting frustrated or talking down to someone in the company DURING the interview.
Also, any time you ask a question and they effectively dodge the question or don't give you a straight answer is a HUGE red flag, beware.
Also, a high turnover rate/low retention rate often suggests something is amiss with management.
"we pay competitive rates" - We pay just enough to be on par with all the other lowballers in town and do not give you even the median salary your position should make
or
100% commission
I have a weird one, the interviewer asked me about my hobbies and I mentioned some typical ones: reading, writing, cooking, etc. He then asked about my writing and I just mentioned I've been working on a novel in my spare time.
"Hmm, in my experience, writers make poor engineers," he said.
I didn't really know how to respond to that. He elaborated that, "Writers typically think that they will hit it big once they finish their book and don't focus on the job," I assured him that I applied for an engineering job because I wanted to do engineering and that writing was a hobby. Kind of thankful I didn't get that job.
Went in to a job interview for a manager position, halfway through the interview they said "i don't think this position is a good fit for you, but we have another exciting opportunity for you to look at" they then said a fancy title "Operations in statistical numeric data input" and i asked what does the job entail?
i would be filling out TOS reports... that wanted low level data input, i asked about salary, it was half of what they had said for the manager position.
i laughed, got up and left.
When I was asked what my husband does for a living. They wanted to see how little they could offer me
The interviewer was selling me on taking the job more than I was selling myself on getting the job.
The interviewer gave me feedback on revising my resume, offered to advance me to the next interview round and coach me on how to handle the interview, etc.
Never been offered that much support before or since. Really put me on the guard and I turned down the job.
About a year later, I ran into her while having lunch at a restaurant. I actually didn't recognize her at first because she had a big smile on her face but was dead-serious during my job interview.
She admitted that company had been a stressful place to work. She now worked somewhere else and was much happier.
For me it’s the schedules. Someone offered me a job were I would have to often do 12 hours shifts and have meetings until 11pm. All of this for minimum wage.
I ‘m 46 I can’t do 12 hours shifts on my feet all day anymore.
12 hour shifts should not be normal anywhere... I can't function properly after 10 hours of work.
Just went on an interview where the guy challenged everything I answered. Like if I said 'water is wet' he asked me to prove it and show experience working with water.
If he's that obnoxious in the interview, he'd be insufferable to work for. When I left I immediately called the recruiter to say 'nope!' to that job.
I interviewed for a job last week that had openings in different cities. I asked how exactly they determine which job to offer to the candidate. The response I received was (I'm paraphrasing) "the location of this job shouldn't be a deciding factor".
Well of course it shouldn't... If you inform them you work only remotly in that case ;-)
Illegal questions should always be a red flag. It's amazing how many people don't know what questions in an interview (or application) are illegal to ask. Not only do these questions hurt their chances of being hired, but they also might point to the employer being unfair/discriminatory. Try to be aware of some tactics employers use before going in for an interview or applying for a job.
"We're legally not allowed to tell you not to take your breaks, but nobody here does it, so keep that in mind."
Yep, had that. Lasted two weeks and was let go because I dared not to have lunch at my desk so I could take calls
Last year I declined an offer to work at a company with a couple of friends for two reasons:
1. As part of the interview process, I had to complete an assignment and I _hated_ the assignment.
2. I got a vibe from my friends that they weren't super happy at the company.
Since turning down the offer, both of the friends have complained to me about their boss and one of them told me that their "unlimited PTO" policy basically doesn't mean anything because they don't get to take much time off.
Work descriptions that include:
Fast paced (Nightmarishly overwhelmed staff)
Work hard, play hard (Work nonstop and have beer and wings at Applebee's sometimes, and be chastised/shunned if you don't show up)
"Your goals" (which will be quotas, and borderline unattainable)
Competitive (aka Backstabby)
Free meals. that is code for "We're a sweat shop and you'll be working here so late that you'll be blowing by dinner"
When you drive four hours to get the interview and they show up half an hour late, act surprised to see you, and ask if you can come back in three hours.
Or when you're told it'll take about 30 minutes with public transport to get there, only to find out it takes over an hour during the day and it's impossible to get there without a car for the advertised working hours.
I was interviewing for a local gas station. The pay was great. I went to the interview and woman immediately said, "Good! You're not a millennial!" I am, in fact, a millennial... "I don't hire millennials. They are lazy and entitled." We chatted for a while and somehow she got into explaining how she punishes employees. She would schedule them for shifts they didn't want, save them tedious tasks, cut hours, etc. That was a big nope. I'm glad she was stupidly honest.
To me talking about "millennials" would be a red flag. I know that's abou the year someone is born but not even sure the exact meaning. To me is just another dumb internet attempted segregation bs like saying "I don't like you because you're a taurus"
When I was young I went to a job interview and they wouldn't say what the job was or how much it paid. They acted like it was really important and there were a bunch of people waiting. The guy said I quilified for some advanced testing and when they got me into the next room there was an E meter on the table and a list of questions. It was a front for scientology and they were looking for people to work the org with out being paid. I got up and left.
They ask a lot of questions about something on your resume that isn't really relevant to the job you're applying for or of interest to you, and hint that they want you to do that as well.
If it's something you don't mind or actually enjoy, that's fine, but be careful of getting locked into a role different from the one you interviewed for.
Having 'trombone playing' as a hobby must be quite interesting... Applying for deskjobs in shipping industry I found that quite a lot of times about half of the interview time was about them asking me questions about that. Only reason I mention it to try and show i am a teamplayer, being able to follow a conductor and on the other hand have my own input as well...
Most of my work has been lineman work for cable/telephone providers and driving trucks, and if they start asking about prior workers comp claims I’m out.
Have had owners ask me if I got hurt would I allow them to let them take care of it and keep the government out it. Yea, no way.
I usually check Glassdoor.com. I think it's every job seeker duty to do their due diligence for every company they're interviewing for. One thing I look for in the comment section is consistency. If you continue to see the same con for one particular issue then most likely it's not a lie.
But to answer your question, anytime they're in a rush to hire you for a low pay position with bad work/life balance. If they ask you to take a pay cut while trying to lure you in with free food, events and upfronts while working 10 hours a day. And HIGH TURNOVER, they can't keep workers is a huge redflag and something is going on that's making people leave.
When the owners of the business can't tell you how large the business is.
When the business owners tell you that they used to employ 20+ people, and that they only have 4 now because there was some personal family business that needed tending to, but now they want to grow again.
When you tell the recruiter that you feel like they're a bit disorganized and request $10k more than originally discussed, 100% full medical dental benefits, 100% paid parking, and a week of paid vacation time, thinking they'll never give you all of that.... But they do.
I really walked myself into a shit show here. one of the reasons they wanted me so badly is because the one other person in my department is not easy to get along with. She acts like my boss, my bosses tell me she isn't my boss, then she reports every tiny thing I do wrong and they "have a talk" with me... Seriously? How is that not essentially my boss!?!?!?
"We work hard but we play hard."
Translation: We expect 80+ hours a week from everyone until they crash and burn, but we like to think that our monthly summer outings on Thursday evenings for some beers on a sunny patio at the nearest Kelsey's or Montana's or whatever generic big box restaurant chain is nearest, and the December holiday lunch with the CFO and director of the department makes up for all of that.
Too much money.
You need to know what the industry standard is for your position, and if they offer you more than that, you need to be very suspicious.
Companies only pay well when they have trouble attracting applicants. Note that I didn't say quality applicants. Everyone likes to believe they're waaay cooler than they are. Reality check yourself. I had a weird ass hosting company poach ~11 dudes from my crew with absurdly high salaries. Five quit, and the other six got laid off when the place shut down.
If the salary is too good to be true, that place is almost certainly a hellzone.
If you're applying for a food service job and you see the manager you're interviewing with yelling at a server right in front of you... I did the interview, they told me they liked me, but I never contacted them again.
When you see a lot of candidates in the waiting room and/or its a group interview in my experience.
When they make sure to tell you that you cost them money until you get up to speed, and it would be good to come in on my free time to get there, or they "normally hire other types of people" but will extend the job offer to you. Both of these happened to me and I told them I wasn't interested after they offered me a job.
I don't train on my own dime and I refuse to take a job from someone acting like they're doing me a favor. Especially when I'm more qualified than those they normally hire.
They give any hesitation on you asking what the hours are, what typical hours are, how often overtime is....etc.
There shouldnt be hesitation. They should know what a team member typically works in a week. How often that happens, if there is a busy season....etc.
Also pay attention to the wording and how they say it.
Often if they promise quick promotions (you'll be a senior manager in 6 months), you should leave. The reason for the quick promotions is that the job sucks and has a high turnover.
I would say a place that promotes themselves as a family. They'll end up attempting to use it against you in the future and let's be honest, it is business not personal.
During the Cold War, a Western reporter asked a Polish farmer whether he considered the Russians as friends or family. "Definitely family", the farmer replied. "You get to pick your friends."
In the UK: if they can't provide parking for their employees. I've had 3 jobs that didn't provide parking and they were absolute shit shows.
Anything that requires you to buy a kit to get started, it's a bunch of bullshit and you need to get up and walk out. You aren't getting in on the ground floor of any hidden gems of opportunity, you're about to fall into a goddamn high pressured sales funnel.
Also I've learned to be extremely leery of companies that spend a lot of time talking about how much money their industry has made.
The mixture of employees. If there are a lot of new employees, and if they have hiring ads - run! They likely rip through employees.
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Also, beware the places that have a lot of people who have been there forever and no one who has been working there for an intermediate amount of time. In my experience it turned out that this place had a lot of old timers and new hires, because the new people would be excluded/chewed up.
Ask why they have a lot of new hires. We have about 20 new hires because we've expanded a whole new department thanks to growth in our industry. Expansion growth is a fine reason for a sudden influx of new hires. If there's no sign of growth, yeah that's a turnover problem.
When you ask "What do you like about working at company?" And they avoid the question or give answers like "Well this is really great city to live in!" If they can't tell you what they like about the work culture or what they like about the job, then chances are it's not a great place to work.
In sales interviews, when the interviewer asks you to sell something on the desk. A cup or something. It's lazy interviewing.
They wanted us to use an entirely fake resume, claim we worked on projects we didn’t, I wish I had realized that was their meaning before I hopped on a plane to meet up with them. This compounded by the fact their office looked half finished, and the second I signed the offer, I’d owe them 25k if I quit within two years. Immedietly screamed get out, they seem cordial gave me a day to think about it, even implied they’d help with travel home. Until I decided against signing then I needed to be out of accommodations ASAP and any offer for fare back home dried up. I spent my last bit of money buying a ticket back home, and I don’t regret it one bit. I know I’d be in a worse place now then I am if I had accepted that job.
Okay, seriously? They were so offended that you rejected them they took away their offer to help you fly home? That's not just unprofessional, that crossed the line into personal.
If its retail you can usually tell the work ethic of the employees by seeing how clean or dirty non customer areas are kept, if its a pigsty in the back offices or the cooler chances are its completely dysfunctional and likely lacks any kind of safety culture.
Vague or negative answer when you ask about work/life balance
Most of the people who interview you have been there for two or fewer years
Interviews keep getting shuffled around
If you're making something (art, software, etc.), you ask them about interesting work they've done and they don't have an answer.
They talk a lot about their benefits, the work clubs people are in, and various lifestyle things, but don't say a single thing about the actual day-to-day work life.
When you have to pay money to begin, because you need a special license/ product or whatever.
weeeell, depends. if you can use the license/product later for other jobs, then maybe. Like a forklift license for example.
Two things, really.
I was interviewing in for a job to work on a new Windows based spreadsheet (a long time ago.) The group of people I interviewed with all seemed in fear. That was the first thing.
The second thing was that on the way out, talking with HR, they said that they had paid $10,000 to the recruiter to send recruits, and if I left before one year, I would have to pay them back $10,000. It would be in my employment contract.
You could not pay me enough to work for that place. I never want to talk to them, ever. Next.
When the first thing they ask is if you're a available outside of your listed availability
Sure, as long as they are willing to pay beyond their stated earnings.
“How negotiable are you on payment?” Like bruh, your salary range was already scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Extremely negotiable. Let’s double what you’re offering and then go from there.
I interviewed with a certain big satellite tech company, for a shitty L2 tech support job.
When the hiring manager took me for a tour of the rest of the team/building, every room we went into there was a sudden attitude shift, when everyone shut up, straightened up, stared at their screens, stopping idle chat amongst themselves, etc.
I realized basically he was a shitty manager from everyone's body language of the current employees.
The interviewer is very late. I'm in hr at a nursing home. My director of nursing sometimes leaves people waiting for 30-45 minutes. Then can't understand why they don't accept the offer. She feels like HR is not qualified to interview nurses although my hr director has been doing this for 30 years. So we are forced to make people wait.
Doesn't give a rat's a**e about waisting prospective employee's time and wonders why they decline...
If they don't allow vacation time, or it's not encouraged.
Seriously : WTF is up with the US that having vacations are not a basic right ???
"If the company did something illegal, how would you handle it?"
Someone that was hired at my MIL's current workplace was asked this question.
If they don't answer you directly as to why the person in the position before you left.
If they allow phone calls to them during the interview, or if people just walk into the office and interrupt.
If you tour the office with a supervisor, and people all of the sudden look "fearful" or pretend to suddenly be busy.
If you are interrogated instead of interviewed. You should have a conversation with your interviewer, not just rattle of questions.
If they have absolutely no original questions (where do you see yourself in 5 years, what's your biggest strength/weakness, why do you want to work here, etc.)
“We will figure out your variable comp after the first year…”
“What are your salary expectations? No, we won’t tell you what it pays.”
“This is a brand new role for which we have not yet determined what success looks like.”
To name a few…
If they're hiring you as a Change Agent
You have my permission to laugh in the interviewer's face and leave
When the interviewer isn't there, and the people who are know nothing about the fact you're scheduled for one.
I was once desperate for a paycheck and set up an interview for a truck washing job. I showed up in my nice clothes only to find that not only were they interviewing 3 candidates at the same time for 1 open position, but that it was a “learning interview”, so we would be washing trucks while interviewing. I told them I had to use the bathroom, walked out a bay door, and never looked back.
I interviewed for a "private investigation firm" when I was 20 and in school. They primarily were trying to catch bars that showed pay per view fights or games on more TVs then they were allowed with the contract. I said I'm not allowed in the bars since I'm only 20 (need to be 21) he then asked if I had a fake I.D.
"We're really looking for someone who can grow with the company."
i.e. You're too old. After hearing that phrase several times, I said screw it and I retired early.
"Were looking for a team player"
Aka
"We are looking for someone to constantly dump our shit on and expect them to take it without complaining, and then be the fallguy when shit hits the fan"
Motivational posters hanging anywhere in the office.
Any manager that unironically hangs one of these anywhere is not smart enough to be competent at their job.
I'm nearing 40 years old, I've been working since I was 15, and in that time I've held more than a dozen positions in various companies. Full stop. If you see one of these posters hanging in an office and it's not a joke, you are going to work in a terrible and probably toxic environment.
The employees look too busy or unhappy and seem extremely stressed. That and your employer seems to have unreasonable contract clauses or they seem desperate for help. All of this indicates bad working conditions, lack of care for their staff as well as a high turnover rate. All of which are bad signs.
I ignored all of these at my last job and went through hell for the 6 months of my contract.
My worst interview was at a growing tech company and the interviewer used the red-flag phrase "work-hard, play-hard". And to prove it, his "desk" was in an open area and two workers were playing foosball (loudly) about 3 feet behind the interviewer's chair, I couldn't understand half what he was saying due to the cheers and grunts of the players... and every so often the interviewer would turn around and give one of the players a high-five after a big score. They asked me in for a second interview, I declined... I can't play that hard while I'm supposed to be working.
Had an interview once, where, if hired, they fully expected me to completely change my hairstyle (I have dreadlocks and apparently those weren't allowed) and during the interview, they expected me to enthusiastically know everything about the company, basically be a fangirl. It was for a car wash. A damn car wash. Oh, and we're expected to work in the hot sun (100°F+ during the summer) while in full uniform at all times, which was a long sleeved shirt and long black pants and we can only keep water in the office, not actually near us. I didn't work there.
I just left a job where only two of its employees had been there longer than three months. More than half had been there less than six weeks. I found out that six people quit in one week alone. It paid well but even that wasn't enough to stop the ludicrously high turn over rate.
Yeah. Always ask how long people have worked there. It usually tell you pretty much all you need to know about the workplace in one question.
Load More Replies... My worst interview was at a growing tech company and the interviewer used the red-flag phrase "work-hard, play-hard". And to prove it, his "desk" was in an open area and two workers were playing foosball (loudly) about 3 feet behind the interviewer's chair, I couldn't understand half what he was saying due to the cheers and grunts of the players... and every so often the interviewer would turn around and give one of the players a high-five after a big score. They asked me in for a second interview, I declined... I can't play that hard while I'm supposed to be working.
Had an interview once, where, if hired, they fully expected me to completely change my hairstyle (I have dreadlocks and apparently those weren't allowed) and during the interview, they expected me to enthusiastically know everything about the company, basically be a fangirl. It was for a car wash. A damn car wash. Oh, and we're expected to work in the hot sun (100°F+ during the summer) while in full uniform at all times, which was a long sleeved shirt and long black pants and we can only keep water in the office, not actually near us. I didn't work there.
I just left a job where only two of its employees had been there longer than three months. More than half had been there less than six weeks. I found out that six people quit in one week alone. It paid well but even that wasn't enough to stop the ludicrously high turn over rate.
Yeah. Always ask how long people have worked there. It usually tell you pretty much all you need to know about the workplace in one question.
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