'I don't believe in vacation': 30+ Interviewees who spotted red flags at the workplace and ran the other direction

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  • 01
    Product - 'I just got out of an interview. Red flag 1: was never informed that it was a group interview.'
  • 02
    Font - What are subtle red flags at a job interview that say, "Working here would suck"?
  • 03
    Font - Well thatwas_random Mine was going for a corporate job that required travel ~40% of the time, which to me didn't sound so bad. I interviewed separately over a day with like 8 people on the team. I'd say about 4-5 of them had negative things to say about the travel aspect. So that was a red flag for me.
  • 04
    Font - lorinisapirate While waiting in the lobby for my interviewer to come out, a man flung the work area door open as he was screaming and literally sobbing about the place being worse than h It was like a red flag factory exploded in my face.
  • 05
    Font - unicornsuntie This wasn't during the interview but after the fact...I went for the interview at a dental office for reception work. Was offered the position about a week later. 20 minutes after I accepted the job, the lady called back and said "Dr so and so actually hired another person for a job at one of our other offices but they need to train here. Unfortunately, there isn't enough space in our office to train two people at once so we'll have you start in a few weeks."
  • 06
    Font - It's been a year and they still haven't called me back. Luckily, about 45 minutes after that phone call, I got an interview at a different company, something in my gut said take the interview even though you were offered a job, and I got that second job two weeks later and I'm about ready to hit my year mark with that company and even got a promotion and raise 4 months ago. Sooo yea...good idea i didn't wait around for that other job. Occasionally I want to stop by that dental office and
  • 07
    Font - whiteknight521 In science: "We work hard". "Professor Y has high expectations". "I don't believe in vacation". - actually heard this one on an interview once.
  • 08
    Font - willislol Applied for a Guitar Tech job at guitar center. Went through three levels of interviews. Right during the last one, this fing dude, goes through all my paperwork and is like "you got the job, we're gonna start you off in sales." And I was like "I didn't apply for sales, I've interviewed the last three weeks for the Guitar Tech position." An he just said, "I know." And had this s Fy stupid smile on his dumb face. And that's when I realized, they probably don't care for their empl
  • 09
    Font - Redsox933 One place my wife interviewed asked her if she had any kids or planned on getting pregnant soon. Both questions are illegal to ask during an interview.
  • 10
    Gesture - GamingTatertot If they dodge the question when you ask about hours.
  • 11
    Font - Appetite4destruction I just got out of an interview. . Red flag 1: was never informed that it was a group interview. They said they were hiring for several positions as they were a new branch in a new market. Ok fine. Red flag 2: when we walked in the office, the receptionist was on the phone. I heard her say "well no, the training isn't paid. It's only 5 days spread out across 2 weeks..."
  • 12
    Font - Unpaid training means they don't want to invest in you until you've proven to be valuable. The only way they can afford this is to hire groups of desperate people and train them with no pay. The ones that stick around keep the s ty job. Red flag 3: compensation was briefly mentioned as a commission rate on different products we would be selling. Letting someone leave an interview without a realistic understanding of compensation means that you know that's a deal killer more often than not
  • 13
    Organism - OkaySeriously Bro If to move forward in the hiring process you have to pay them for anything
  • 14
    Font - RadleyCunningham. I had an interview at Tops where the interviewer talked for minutes about how her honeymoon begins at the end of that workday. I got the job, technically because she said she would contact me when she got back about when I could start working. Years of unemployment had finally ended! I couldn't wait!
  • 15
    Font - 2 weeks and 4 days later I called to ask about the job only to be told "I don't remember you and I don't remember any interview." I was devastated. A year more with no job and I began the rotation of searching again and got an interview. 8 to 10 years of cashier experience gets you an interview but never a job. I went in to the second interview thinking it might be someone new. It wasn't. What she said when she saw me made me see red: "Oh I remember you!"
  • 16
    Font - [deleted] When they mention the high turnover rate several times during the interview.
  • 17
    Font - somanytictoc If the interviewer cancels and forgets to tell you. I once drove an hour each way just to learn that my future boss took the day off. Not a sick day. She had booked a vacation months ago and didn't bother clearing her schedule (or checking it when scheduling my interview). That job ended up being very short-lived and traumatic. She was fired like a month after I quit.
  • 18
    Font - zidanetribal If they show you large commission numbers from a few years ago. Hotels.com did this, but what they didn't say was the large checks were from a year ago and they changed their commission structure since then an those checks are no longer obtainable.
  • 19
    Font - [deleted] Hostile interviewers. I had an interview years ago, where they had a good cop, bad cop routine going. The good cop asked me about my hobbies, and seemed interested. The bad cop, scuffed and rolled his eyes.
  • 20
    Font - WonderingLives. Had a similar experience. Was waiting in the lobby to interview at Lockheed. 2 employees walk past escorting someone to the door they had just interviewed. Everyone is talking pleasantly, they hold open the door for the girl who just interviewed, she leaves. As soon as the door closes they burst out laughing and start making fun of her. In the lobby, in front of other people waiting.
  • 21
    Font - + [deleted] Orientation isn't paid, meaning that people quit every other week, meaning the job and management probably suck.
  • 22
    Font - [deleted] When the person interviewing you is the person whose job you'll be taking, and they're quitting because the job sucks. This comment is oddly specific, but I'm currently interviewing candidates to take over my job. It's a real ethical dilemma, encouraging someone to take the job I'm leaving due to dissatisfaction, but I tell myself that they may enjoy it better than I have.
  • 23
    Font - Clickum245 I once interviewed with a company and they had a paper that showed the breakdown of how all the shifts reported. It was basically a flowchart with names... And start dates for their employment. Only one name had been there longer than a year. Edit: This has become by far the most important thing I have ever said on reddit!
  • 24
    Font - pizzaheadstand Posted this before but my roommate once was asked to do a trial run as a waitress since she had no experience. Sure that's cool. It was for Valentine's Day lunch, surely she will be shadowing and letting drinks and what not. Nope. They put her out there solo for a 5 hour shift THEN ASKED HER TO COME BACK THAT NIGHT TO WORK A DOUBLE. She never got paid for it and never returned.
  • 25
    Font - pagirl023 I once went to a four hour job interview that was 4 different 50-60 minutes sessions each with a different group of people. Every single group asked me the same d while repeatedly warning me how busy the department was all year round. questions,
  • 26
    Font - It raised a red flag. If you're so fing busy all the time, then why don't you get more efficient and interview me all at once!!! I got the job and learned that this was pretty typical. They were always "busy" because they were inefficient. In reality, they really didn't have to be so busy all the time. I often did extra work to fill my time because I did things much more quickly than the previous person to do my job.
  • 27
    Font - GreenStrong One that I've experienced- they asked me to start immediately. "When can you start"? "Tomorrow!" "How about right now, we're way behind." Thanks for joining the crew of the Titanic! Watch your step, she's listing about twenty degrees to starboard, but a finer luxury liner has never sailed the seas.
  • 28
    Smile - ChuckZombie If they say they don't like favoritism and drama....they love favoritism and drama.
  • 29
    Font - ace_vagrant When they ask how much I'd like to get paid, I say $11 an hour, they chuckle and counter with minimum wage. Why'd you bother asking in the first place, Sam's Club?
  • 30
    Font - renegadecanuck I had an interview where the guy said "we - we work hard here. I'd like to say we play hard, too, but.. we work hard here". Then, later on when I asked about what happened to the predecessor "he left. Unfortunately, he took on a little too much, became unhappy and left. He's taking some time off before he decides whether he wants to stay in IT or not." So you overworked a guy to the point where he decided he needed a new career?
  • 31
    Mammal - PIST jb00gi3 If the interviewer seems stressed or rushed, that's your first sign.
  • 32
    Font - dopkick They mention that you can use the position to get your foot in the door at the company and after that if you don't like it you can use some internal application and hiring process to switch to a different position. The initial job is going to suck and switching to a different position is going to be much, much harder and more time consuming than they let on. There will be no availability in the area you'd really like to work in, despite constantly hiring new people from the outsid
  • 33
    Font - Blinkskij They wanted me to explain my tardiness stats from high school. I'm in my thirties.
  • 34
    Human body - caspain1397 Unlimited earning potential.
  • 35
    Font - vengeance_pigeon If they say, "It's like a family here", they mean "the drama is unbelievable and yes, it gets very personal".
  • 36
    Font - Rivkariver "Looking for a rock star!" Especially at a startup. Looking for someone who works late for no pay and does the work of 5 people, while having no outside life.
  • 37
    Font - o hpstrprgmr. Ah. been waiting to share this story. So interviewing for a programming job. things are going well and its near the end of the interview. The VP of IT asks me in all serious and candid tone. "how would you feel or what would you say if the CEO called you into his office and said hpstrgrmr why is your work just s? why do you suck?" I nervously laugh a little expecting it to be a joke or a lead in question. But no, this was a serious question. "I don't think I would respond ve
  • 38
    Font - The group goes on to tell me that the CEO is a very brash man and doesn't mind going off on you in private or in front of others. The QA guy chimed in and said "It's like steel sharpening steel. If you are going to war you want something hard and sharp like steel. You don't want to take something like clay." I said "that's fine if you are made of steel. But I didn't get to this point in my career to be bullied and harassed like that as a form of motivation. I find it better to motivate pe
  • 39
    Font - Lead developer asked "well, do you have any more questions for us now that we have scared you away". Nope thanks fellows, it's been real. Oh and by the way this war minded company job was software development for Fitness Clubs. Yeah that's real war alright.
  • 40
    Font - Dexteroid If they say that over time is expected. That just means they are under staffed and you will be putting a lot many hours you are not getting paid for.
  • 41
    Font - PM_ME_HEALTH TIPS I heard that observing the body language of the workers at the office is a good source of information. If people look sullen, won't make eye contact, etc... it might be better to find a different spot to work.

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