Typically, while interviewing potential employees, a company attempts to put its best foot forward. However, some workplaces are so toxic that their “red flags” even permeate initial interviews…
That’s why when I recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to share the job interview “red flags” that sent them running for the hills, I received dozens of responses, and I have no words. From asking for social media info to a “family” atmosphere — here are 19 of their most enlightening responses:
Feel free to share job interview “red flags” you’ve encountered in the comments or answer anonymously using this form!
1. “Asking for your social media information or any inappropriate or intrusive questions about your personal life outside of work is becoming a huge red flag. Sorry, but I don’t need my coworkers getting involved in my personal life.”
“It doesn’t matter if I never post anything or if I post 10 times a day, I have learned the hard way that bringing your personal life into the workplace is not a good idea. They are looking to find out how much you will work for free, or they want to find things they can gossip about.”
—u/AccidentalAgitator
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2. “The hiring manager emailing late at night is always a red flag for me.”
—u/Whodeytim
“Once I had a hiring manager email me at 8 p.m. about a second interview and then call me at 8 o’clock the next morning because I hadn’t answered the email.
I told her I wasn’t interested because if she’s doing that during the interview process, it was going to be much worse if I took the job.”
—u/roses269
3. “When the company says they’re looking for a ‘ROCK STAR,’ they just want someone they can overwork and underpay you and expect them to hit unrealistic goals with little to no help or support.”
—danizarr1
4. “Once an interviewer asked me how I handled men making dirty jokes and rude comments, and wanted to know if I could let jokes roll off my back because they had some ‘feisty’ guys working there. The hint was that, as a woman, I would receive inappropriate comments and feel like I needed to quit on day one.”
©AMC/courtesy Everett Collection
“There was another woman on the panel who gave me a look when I walked in. I am almost positive sure she was who I was replacing, and she was trying to warn me because her eyes widened whenever they mentioned the jokes.”
—u/Pomegranate_1328
5. “When they describe the workplace as ‘a family.’ Most families have dysfunction, and some have unhealthy boundaries that are not acceptable in the workplace.”
“If a company says they treat each other like family, it’s usually an indicator of boundary-less behaviors and intrusive (and sometimes overbearing) expectations.”
—Anonymous
6. “I recently got interview feedback from a recruiter stating, ‘We think he’s really arrogant because he kept smiling when we were trying to put pressure on him to see how he’d react.’ Wow, thanks.”
—u/DefiantTelephone6095
“I once had a team interview — six engineers and their manager — grilling me on technical questions, etc. I did fine.
Their stated reason for not hiring me? I was ‘too relaxed.’ Apparently, they expected me to quiver or something, but at the time, I had about 40 years of experience and had worked at 20 of those types of places. I had simply developed thick skin.
I wasn’t the least bit disappointed in not working there.”
—u/drebinf
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7. “I interviewed for an office position with a daycare company. When I was asked if I could work with difficult people, I said I could. Turns out the ‘difficult’ person was my immediate supervisor.”
“She later went on to call me dumb because I wasn’t familiar with spreadsheets (something never mentioned during the interview), insisted I misspelled a word in a document I typed for her (I actually corrected her misspelling), had a hissy fit because I went outside for my only 15 minute break to smoke (she declared I had to be IN the building in case I was needed).
I could go on, but you get the gist. I lasted a week.”
—Anonymous, 68, MN
8. “The question ‘Are you coachable?’ translates to ‘I’m a micromanager who has no concept that people approach things differently, and I will hound you until you bend to exactly what I want.'”
—u/eliota1
9. “When I was interviewing with a private ambulance company, I asked the interviewer about the employee turnover rate. She asked me, ‘Am I interviewing you or are you interviewing me?'”
“The next day, she offered me a job to start the day after that. I politely declined.”
—Anonymous, 59, Las Vegas, NV
10. “When they refer to the work environment as ‘work hard, play hard.'”
“Here’s what ‘work hard, play hard’ actually means:
Work hard: We expect you to be at your desk an hour early, and leave for home at least an hour late every day. Lunch is to be eaten at your desk, so you can read/reply to emails while you eat. Your work phone will be with you at all times, even during your time off. No, you will not be compensated if you receive a call during your personal time. If you don’t answer that call, it will be noted in your performance review.
Play hard: We have a foosball table in the break room. If you ever use it, it will be mentioned in your performance review. Once a month, the company will host a drink session at the bar located next to the office. There will be a two-drink maximum, with domestic beer and wine only, and no snacks are allowed. Attendance isn’t mandatory, but management will be present and will take note of any absences. Despite the drinks limit, management will be downing $12 cocktails, all charged to the company credit card, but we can’t afford raises this year because we all have to make sacrifices.”
—u/ConstableBlimeyChips
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11. “As a safety guy: ‘We’re kind of old school here’ means ‘we didn’t do anything about safety and regulatory authorities are nagging us and/or our workers comp provider jacked up our rates or is threatening to drop us, and we need YOU to be our fairy godparent who is going to make all of this magically disappear.'”
—u/wishforagreatmistake
12. “In my experience, the CEO invited me to lunch to discuss the position, and didn’t discuss work during the entire hour and a half interview — he only discussed his boat and how he envisioned retirement.”
“I declined the position and later learned that he had retired and left abruptly within a year.
He was just looking for someone to dump work on so he could go sailing more often.”
—Anonymous, 60, Pittsburgh, PA
13. “Not being asked anything by the interviewer that goes beyond ‘yes and no’ questions.”
“In my last year of college, I had a job interview for a full-time position that would start the week after finals. During the interview, I was not asked any questions about my education or background, nor was I asked any questions that required thought.
I kept asking them questions in the hopes they would ask me more challenging ones, but it didn’t happen. Asking serious questions speaks volumes about how seriously they take the position, and what you can expect from the employers.
If they don’t ask questions, that means they don’t care about the job or who gets hired.”
—Anonymous
14. “Disorganization, especially if you show up and no one knows who you are, why you’re there, or who you’re supposed to be talking to. I understand that miscommunications can occur, but when they involve multiple levels, it’s essential to be cautious.”
“I had a job interview like that, and it went from bad to worse (long story). The interviewer offered me the job at the end of the interview and asked when I could start. I politely declined and gracefully exited!”
—u/LovelyLilac73
15. “I’m sure this is common knowledge, but it’s a bad sign when the company won’t give you firm answers about your compensation, benefits, and time off — or if those numbers keep changing depending on who you talk to.”
—Anonymous, 24, NC
16. “I applied for a store management position for a large chain retailer, and got a call back the next day. The person who called me said they wanted to schedule a virtual interview, which was fine, but seemed irritated that I didn’t have immediate availability, as I was still employed at the time. I set it up during my lunch break a few days later, but the interview time was changed to 30 minutes prior to the original agreed-upon time without even emailing me or calling me to verify first.”
“When I joined the call, they scolded me about being late because I should have checked with them to confirm first, apparently, and that I would have to reschedule because this job was an ‘opportunity of a lifetime.’ I did end up taking the second interview, but I’m glad I didn’t accept the job because the whole time they just told me how lucky I was to get the chance to speak to them.
With 15 years of experience in retail management, I was well-qualified for the position. It was a truly bizarre interaction from start to finish.”
—Anonymous, 35, CO
Related: Professionals Are Revealing The “Harsh Realities” Of Their Jobs — And Whew, It’s Making Me Rethink Everything About My Career
17. “If you have to pay for uniforms or tools needed to do the job out of your own pocket, that’s a red flag. This includes using your personal cell phone for work purposes.”
—u/AN0NY_MOU5E
18. “If you’re interviewing with the manager, ask them for an example where they made a mistake and see if they give an empathetic or human response.”
“If not, they may be a narcissist and run for the hills. Narcissists can never admit fault or take accountability, which means you will be their scapegoat.”
—u/MongooseProXC
19. Lastly, “Just go with your gut. If something seems off, it likely is. I once interviewed with a well-known international company, and from the get-go, something seemed ‘off’ about the interviewer. The interview began with a few generic questions after she reviewed my resume. Then she started asking me about the town where l lived because she was considering moving there. I might get asked a question or two like that in an interview, but she spent half an hour asking me questions about where I lived — it was very strange. I tried to redirect the interview to no avail. So, I just tied things up as quickly as I could and ended the interview.”
“She called me three days later and offered me the job, at a decent salary too, but it just didn’t feel right. At the time, I had a job I liked well enough, so I was in a position to be selective. I thanked her for her time and declined the position. She started yelling at me for ‘wasting her time’ and ‘making her start all over again.’ She then hung up on me! The whole thing was bizarre and just confirmed the ‘off’ feeling I had about her. I moved forward and left that company behind.
About two months later, I attended a party and met a woman who had been working at that company for two years. I mentioned I’d interviewed there, but declined the offer. She asked who I’d interviewed with, and when I told her, she just shook her head and said, ‘Man, you dodged a bullet there. She is AWFUL and can’t hold on to a staff member for more than six months. You definitely were right to decline the offer.'”
—u/LovelyLilac73
Did any of these surprise you? What’s a job interview “red flag” you’ve encountered? Tell us in the comments or answer anonymously using the form below!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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