Job interviews are never much fun to begin with, but things can really go off the rails when you start to get that second sense that something about the workplace is just…wrong.
For whatever reason, you get that feeling in your stomach that makes you think you need to get the hell out of there.
Check out the red flags that AskReddit users think you should be aware of when you’re in a job interview.
1. Declined!
“In one interview I was enthusiastically assured that overtime wasn’t an issue, but if you pick up an extra shift they pay in gift cards so that it saves you on taxes.
I know they’re trying to save themselves employment taxes and time and a half, they’re not doing me any favors. I declined their offer.”
2. Lowballed.
“An interviewer tried to convince me to lowball myself after I said what I’d accept as a minimum salary which was in their offer range from the posting.
“If we pay you more you wouldn’t get a bonus at the end of the year, and you’d be really upset when everyone else got one.”
What he was “able” to offer salary wise was $10k below their posted range.”
3. You’re lucky to be here.
“The interviewer keeps telling you how fortunate you are to be there like they are doing you a favor by giving you the job.”
4. Okay…
“Had an owner of a restaurant tell me “If you have a problem don’t come to me ’cause you won’t like how I fix it”
Yeah, keep your job.’
5. Sketchy.
“I applied to a position out of state and was offered the position during the phone interview.
When asked when I could start I replied two weeks, but stated I couldn’t accept without knowing how much it paid and having that in an official offer letter/email.
This dude lost his shit and said all huffy puffy “Well, I mean, I don’t have the numbers right in front of me, but I guess if you have to know I can get that for you.”
I said yes, I have to know. He said he’d call back. He never did.”
6. Uh uh.
“Being pushy about you starting earlier even if you told them you can only start from a certain date.
Or giving you assignments in the meantime as a great way to get you started without getting paid for it.”
7. Nope.
“I interviewed for one once where the manager spent the whole time asking me the usual questions in between rounds of berating some poor tech support employee on the phone about their payroll software.
Also any time a hiring manager talks up the company’s bonuses and raises to justify their low salary, you’d better believe you’re not actually getting either.”
8. Too many questions.
“Once I had an interview where they silently gave me a questionnaire to fill out for 50 questions and just went to another room.
The questions were very detailed and stupid, mostly about money. ‘Is your goal to make money in our company?’ (If the answer is ‘yes’, then you didn’t pass). I left before I even finished answering this list.
And then I found out that they register employees for an incredibly low official salary, promising to pay most of it at the end of the month, but they delayed money for six months and don’t give it out if the person quit.”
9. A HUGE RED FLAG.
“I drove about 4 hours to an interview in another city.
I told the person interviewing me that I was happy at my current job and wouldn’t consider leaving just for the higher pay.
He stood up and looked over the cubicle walls to make sure no one was around and whispered, “You don’t want to work here.”
I passed on that job but while in the new city I applied for another job where I have been happy for the last 25+ years.”
10. No respect.
“I drove 3 hours to a interview and the secretary took my info then said so n so isn’t available for a interview right now…. I said okay, I can come back in a hour, I drove a long way to get here.
She goes to his office, comes out and says I can come back next Friday. I asked you can’t do a interview today? You asked me to come today?
No respect for anyone’s time.”
11. See ya!
“When I mentioned a company’s dismal Glassdoor evaluations, they became so enraged that they ended the interview.
I suppose I escaped that one.”
12. Yuck.
“I had an 18 year old coworker who got scammed into joining a high pressure commission sales job where he didn’t realize the format has you making cold calls until a senior sales guy leaves and then you might inherit part of their customer list and actually make money.
They told him that if he didn’t start the Friday of the interview, they’d just go with someone else, so he didn’t give 2 weeks’ notice. A month later, he was calling to get his job back, but HR informed our boss that not giving 2 weeks’ notice results in an automatic 3 year ban on being hired back.”
What are some more red flags to look out for in job interviews?
Let us know what you think in the comments.
Thanks a lot!
