Once upon a time, applying for jobs was my part-time job.
Atleast that’s what it felt like. I would apply for anything and everything that came my way. I actually aimed to have atleast one interview a month.
Bizarre right? But I was young and desperate to escape the toxic environment I worked in.
What I didn’t realise at the time was that the jobs had major red flags seemed to hint that it was a toxic work environment. Now that I’m older and a more experienced job hunter, I know better. So if you’re in the process of interviewing for a new job, here are 6 red flags to keep an eye out for.
1. These Four Questions
These four questions absolutely should not be asked. If they are, you already have reason to be alert for more red flags. Sometimes people ask these in an attempt to get to know you but these questions more often than not lead to bias.
2. Vague or unclear job description
Marketing Gurus, Digital Ninjas and Unicorns unite. If the job description doesn’t clearly state what you would be doing, chances are great that this company is going to give you a medley of tasks that might not even fall under your responsibility.
3. The Interview Process Drags On
An unnecessarily long interview process- especially for a junior or middle position-is either a sign of dysfunctional HR/recruitment or a really picky company. In these cases you can check who held the position before you and for how long. It might be that the company has unrealistic standards.
4. The Interview is Too Short
A interview that is too short or even an interview process that is too short is a MAJOR red flag. This company might be desperate for a hire. Ask yourself why this is. This is something that I fell for only to later discover that the previous employee vanished (okay she didn’t vanish- she quit but no one talks about it and I find that super-suspicious. She was also referred to as “problematic” by the recruiter- which if you didn’t know is another red flag).
5. The Staff are All Relatively New
This is often disguised as “we’d had quick growth recently so we have hired many new people”. This could be true but it could always be number 6 down below.
6. The Company is Always Hiring
Another thing passed off as “we are growing so fast we just can’t keep up”. In cases like this you can locate previous employees via LinkedIn and question them about the company. They might not be able to come straight out and mention that the job is problematic but you will be able to gauge this from their tone and response.
Job hunting is tough especially if you’re stuck in a toxic role or unemployed. But moving from bad situation to another is not the solution. Use this list to evaluate your next interview to reduce the chances of you landing in a toxic work environment.
