When applying for jobs, especially when under financial stress and there’s an urgency to land a new job, it can sometimes be easy to overlook signs that a job opportunity might not be as good as it seems. Although it can be hard, there are times when you’re better off walking away from a job opportunity. Here are a few red flags to look out for in your job search and during interviews.
Slow hiring process
If the employer is slow to make a hiring decision, they will be slow to promote, slow to execute on their strategy, slow to give you opportunities for growth. Having you wait and wondering as to what is going on for longer than needed is a bad sign. That means they don’t care about people’s feelings. If they disappear for periods of time just to reappear with a new question or some other kind of interview test without an apology for going silent or not communicating with you, that’s not only disrespectful but also a bad sign. If you have a choice, pass on those who are slow.
The hiring process moves too quickly
If on the other hand they seem to be in such a rush to get someone hired that the employer comes across as desperate, that’s a cause for concern. Although it is possible that they need someone to start quickly if the job role is critical to the day to day operations of the company or a specific project, you still want to make sure the job role and organization will be a good fit for you, and that they feel the same way. Find out more about what happened with the person who previously held the role and why they left. Look at what people are saying about the company online in the review sections. If it appears that there’s high turn-over, salaries are low or other negative reviews; these are signs that the job might not be a good long-term opportunity.
Lack of company information
When you’re researching the company prior to an interview, and there’s not much information available, that’s a red flag. For a credible and legitimate company, you should be able to find things like an informational website, social media pages with regular postings and engagements, reviews by current and former employees. Every company will receive a few negative reviews, this is to be expected. But there should be more positive than negative reviews. If you’re having trouble finding this information, that’s a red flag that something isn’t right. It doesn’t mean you should decline an interview but be sure to ask a lot of questions during your interview to learn more about the company.
They don’t know what they’re looking for
If during the interviewing process it becomes clear that the employer doesn’t really understand what you do, or doesn’t have a clear vision of what you’ll be doing exactly once you’re hired; “we’ll figure everything out once you’re on board”, that’s a big red flag. You’ll want to have a clear understanding of what you will and won’t be doing so you don’t end up taking a job that turns out to be something completely different than what you had in mind. If they’re not able to clearly articulate what they’re looking for and what about you made them interested, that’s a warning sign. They should not be unsure in their responses to your questions about the job role.
Office atmosphere
If you get a tour around the office and can tell the atmosphere is tense or for any other reason doesn’t seem right or enjoyable to you, it probably means it’s not a place you’ll want to come to every day. Or, worse yet, if they try to avoid showing you their office space, or try to hide information in general, that’s also reason for pause.
Unorganized
If the interviewer doesn’t show up for your interview, they lose your resume or information, or seem to be unorganized in general, this is not normal. If they’re like that during the interview process, chances are they’re like that on a day to day basis, and it’s a sign that it’s not a good place to work.
Work with iMPact
Before we start working with a client, we will research them, have in-depth conversations with their hiring team and visit their facilities to get to know them, what makes a candidate successful there and their company culture. To connect with a recruiter and find out about our currently available opportunities in Information Technology, Accounting/Finance, Engineering and Business Administration/Process, please visit our job board. Or, submit your resume here for general consideration to connect with one of our experienced recruiters in either our Grand Rapids, MI or Tampa, FL location.
