Interview Red Flags

Getting a new job can be an exciting and wonderful thing. Sometimes, in our haste to make a jump or to get back into the workforce, we ignore obvious signs that the workplace into which we are entering may be toxic. Here are some red flags that my clients have shared with me over the years. All of these are clear indicators of a potentially toxic culture. 

I was at a second interview with the hiring manager when he let this one slip: “I’m really looking to build my own sweatshop here.” What???? Why would you admit that to a candidate? I withdrew from consideration shortly thereafter. 

When I asked about the company’s poor ratings on Glassdoor, the interviewer became enraged and told me that this was not an appropriate question. 

I got to the meeting with the interviewer, and the first thing he asks me is, “What do you know about our company? What markets do we serve? What are our products?” The interview is supposed to be a 2-way street. I don’t know anything about your company other than what is on the website. That’s why we are having this conversation. 

“We can reevaluate your comp plan after three months.” No thanks. 

I never even interviewed with this company, based upon the information in their email inviting me to interview. It said that before anyone is hired, they have to work for 20 hours as a contractor in order to ensure that the hire will be the right fit. I am not working another 20 hours outside of my regular job, even if it is paid! This has to be one of the stupidest recruiting practices I’ve ever heard of. 

“It’s not a 9 to 5 job.” The hiring manager told me this after proudly announcing that she regularly works 70 hours per week. I’m not working that much to make money for someone else. 

I had an interviewer question me extensively about my experience with an underperforming direct report and how I would manage someone. I took this to mean that one of the first tasks in the job would be to manage someone out. I thought that was a grossly unfair burden to put on a new manager, not to mention a bit shady.

I think a general red flag is when people seem like robots. They don’t smile, make eye contact, or come across as genuine; rather, they are like some kind of corporate automatons. 

Too many buzzwords during the interview. I appreciate the need for “leveraging our proactive synergies across the spectrum and then socializing the findings with the rest of the organization,” but come on.

Any job that brags about all the so-called perks—free catered lunch, foosball table, happy hours, etc. 

Any trash-talking of a previous employee is an immediate no for me. 

When the interviewer doesn’t seem to grasp that I’m also interviewing them and that I have just as much power as they do—a major red flag that speaks volumes about the culture.

These anecdotes are by no means an exhaustive list. What are some other interview red flags for which job seekers should be aware?