Job Interview Red Flags To Not Overlook

Author image for Eric Lund
Eric Lund
Oct 17, 2021 9:00 AM EDT

Sure, a job interview is about selling yourself to a potential employer. But it's also about making sure that that employer can facilitate a functional workplace. Too many times have people overlooked the warnings and ended up working for a total psycho. But don't despair, because there's always another opportunity right around the corner. Here are reasons people quit their jobs on the first day.

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  • 01
    Font - MyNameIsJohnDaker 9m 3 2 The one question every job applicant must ask is: "Why is this position open?", and watch the faces of everyone in the room before they answer. If they tell you the company's growing and it's a new position, great! If smiling Mary says it was her job but she was just promoted, terrific! If they tell you that the last couple of people they tried in the position just didn't work out, thank them and leave.
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  • 02
    Smile - glitterpumps · 9m 5 e 3 I brought up a company's awful Glassdoor reviews and they got so mad they ended the interview. Well. Guess I dodged that bullet
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  • 03
    Head - beard_lover 9m 2 e 3 3 4 When you ask, “what do you like about working here" and the interviewer talks about the location of the job ("it's a great place to live!") instead of the actual job.
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  • 04
    Font - DragonsLoooveTacos · 9m 4 2 4 This actually happened to me: Interviewer: Do you have any questions for us? Me: what is a challenge this department has recently faced? Interviewer: Job security
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  • 05
    Rectangle - Couch_slug - 9m 56 34 I didn't know it at the time, but "you'll be wearing many hats" was a sign that they were going to give me the work of four positions and the wage of one. I didn't last a year there before I left and now I won't even finish reading job ads that include that line.
    via AskReddit
  • 06
    Smile - Bitch_Tuna · 9m 2 I once turned down a job offer because they mentioned that the previous person in the position had quit after a few months, and most of the people I interviewed with seemed stressed out.
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  • 07
    Hair - pissingintherain1220 - 9m 2 3 2 "We only want the best of the best" Me: "how much are you paying?" "Minimum wage"
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  • 08
    Smile - accidentpronehiker · 9m "You are required to wear clothing that has the company logo. You must purchase it yourself. From the company."
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  • 09
    Smile - [deleted] · 9m 2 S You'll get full-time hours but wont be "full time" aka we'll do everything in our power to avoid giving you benefits even though we have you working more than 40 hours in a week.
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  • 10
    Font - Miss-Impossible - 9m - edited 9m 3 3 3 E 4 I came in for a job interview at 7:30 PM. The entire staff was still in the office. Should have known right then that 9 to 5 was not ever going to happen. One day I worked until 2:30 AM to finish up a big project, and my boss said to me I could come in an hour later the next morning. Gee thanks bro, with my public transport/travel time that gives me a solid 2 hours of sleep instead of just the one.
    via AskReddit
  • 11
    Font - 53raptor - 9m 9 3 e 3 4 I once showed up for an interview and the manager wasn't there that day. No one called me to let me know. The assistant manager was not apologetic for the scheduling issue at all. She was literally just like "oh, she's not here today" in a tone that suggested I should somehow already know that. She said they would call me to reschedule some time the next week. I told her I was currently unavailable M-W but could come in any time Th- F. She said if I couldn't make t
    via AskReddit
  • 12
    Smile - Kirill47 · 9m 3 S "We don't like 'clockwatchers' here. We expect everyone to be committed." Expecting more work for no extra pay. Getting mad at you when you leave at 5 even though your stated work hours end a 5
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  • 13
    Human body - kitten896 · 9m - edited 9m 4e Everyone looks tired, also you dont see anyone in your department before working in it other than the boss. Made this mistake a few time was the worst jobs
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  • 14
    Smile - princessarielle6 · 9m S Employees are either new hires or have been there for 15+ years with no in between. There is rno room for improvement - it's better to leave for advancement
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  • 15
    Font - Saxon_Shields69 · 9m 5e When you are signing all the forms they give you and you are taking your time to read over every document so that you can fully understand what you are getting into and people come in and start telling you that you don't need to read this and that just sign here and so on.
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  • 16
    Font - coffeeinvenice · 9m Had an online interview with a company a few years ago. Was interviewed by the regional manager, seemed like a normal interview. Halfway through, he let slip that there were six other people from his company watching and listening in, but the software was set up so I could not see or hear them. And he actually got a kick out of telling me this. It was like being on a first date with someone, and finding out later she had a hidden camera on her and her parents and six o
    via AskReddit
  • 17
    Font - dachjaw - 9m e 3 3 I was once told “Sometimes the hourly workers go on strike and they lock us in to keep the production line running, but management brings us steaks and we have an informal agreement with the unions so you can cross the picket lines once a week to visit your wife."
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  • 18
    Smile - oreomurder · 9m When they tell you "what I'm paying you stays between you and me, don't discuss pay with anyone else" usually means they are trying to pay you less than your coworkers who do the same job and don't want you to know.
    via AskReddit
  • 19
    Font - Posaunne · 9m 2 At my last place of work, the person interviewing me had a printed cartoon on their wall of someone who looked like a bomb had blown up in their face, with the caption "I spoke with 'boss' name' about it.. I guess we're still doing it". That wasn't subtle at all, but I ignored it. The boss was an absolute tyrant who wouldn't listen to her staff, consider changing her mind about anything, or let people do the work they were best suited to do. She wouldn't show up for weeks
    via AskReddit
  • 20
    Font - ManiacDan - 9m 2 6 I was once part of a group onboarding for an IT job. They handed us all the one-page new hire "contract" and everyone except me signed immediately. When I read the paperwork, I discovered we were signing a mystery document. Clauses included "I agree to abide by the personal search and seizure security policy (attached)." Without other pages, there was no way to determine what I was agreeing to. I kept requesting more and more pages until the HR drone said "ok, I guess [
    via AskReddit
  • 21
    Font - Xerodo · 9m 4 3 2 Jobs where the expectations of the position aren't clear. The person hiring you should be able to give a clear idea of your responsibilities are day to day in a practical way. It shows that the company understands what it wants out of the position. I've worked a couple positions that had a really hard time figuring out who was supposed to do what that lead to a lot of confusion and both of them had this in the interviews. If the company you're working for can't define wh
    via AskReddit
  • 22
    Smile - IM_OK_AMA · 9m e 2 "Well, the overtime isn't mandatory, but most folks stick around after hours most days." Spoilers: The overtime is mandatory.
    via AskReddit
  • 23
    Font - sevencoves · 9m Not getting to speak with who your direct manager will be. A game room or ping pong table is advertised as a perk. The blatant overuse of buzzwords about your profession, clearly written by someone with no clue. People seem tired.
    via AskReddit
  • 24
    Human body - [deleted] · 9m If they seem too relieved that someone actually showed up for the interview.
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  • 25
    Font - JimboSpicyPorn - 9m · edited 9me They dodge questions on pay, meaning they don't pay enough for what they expect of you. The word "Family" in reference to the employees. Means they want you to work lots of unpaid overtime. EDIT: Also forgot, but if they keep talking about the "experience" you'll gain, that's also code for "We know we're going to be underpaying you."
    via AskReddit
  • 26
    Font - kharmatika - 9m My current boss gave me a great tip on the last interview I had. He said "Ask them if you can pick an employee to chat with about how they like the position you're applying for. They'll give a better impression of the place than management". I got the job I was interviewing for. I turned it down because the above is the kind of management I want to keep in my life. Also the place undercut my pay offer I found out which is certainly also a red flag.
    via AskReddit
  • 27
    Font - lempiraholio - 9m Once an interviewer straight up asked me if I had any trouble working for free on weekends... I told them my free time is more valuable than anything and that the only way that I would work a weekend is if they are paying me and if I felt like working a weekend. She got really mad at me and ended the interview right away. Biggest red flag I've ever seen because they didn't even try to hide it.
    via AskReddit
  • 28
    Font - khanman504 - 9m Was interviewed by a Senior programmer and the department head. The department head was continuously making condescending remarks towards the other interviewer. Poor guy just sounded broken. Hope he's somewhere else now.
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