26 Job Interview Red Flags That Scream, "Don't You Dare Work Here!"
Reddit user photo_inbloom asked the AskReddit Community about red flags people should be aware of while attending a job interview. The thread quickly filled with warning signs — some obvious and some sneaky — that candidates need to keep on their radar while interviewing. Here's what people shared:
1."If they tell you upon arrival that the job you applied for is no longer available, but they have a VERY SIMILAR position that JUST OPENED UP, leave immediately. It's a bait-and-switch tactic coupled with the sunk cost fallacy. The 'new' position will be identical to the original one you applied for, except the salary will be significantly lower. They're hoping you'll play along because you showed up to be interviewed, are probably desperate for work, and will accept any job (no matter the wage). Furthermore, the position you applied for doesn't really exist, or at least not at the advertised wage."
2."'We don't like clockwatchers here. We expect everyone to be committed.' They will expect more work for no extra pay and get mad at you when you leave at 5:00 p.m., even though your set work hours end at 5:00 p.m."
3."I brought up a company's awful Glassdoor reviews, and they got so mad that they ended the interview. Well, I guess I dodged that bullet."
"I did this recently. They told me they were from lower-level employees and didn't represent the culture accurately. Then, they asked if I had read all of them and decided to bring them up so I could defend my position on the bad reviews. They spent almost half the 30-minute interview discussing it instead of my qualifications. I would have expected something like, 'Alright, let's see if you're a good fit for this role, and then we can really address your concerns about reviews specifically.'"
4."I went into an interview for a low-level admin position, and they made me put my cellphone in a bucket up front, stating, 'No phones are allowed in the back. It reduces productivity.' Big NOPE for me."
5."'Well, the overtime isn't mandatory, but most folks stick around after hours most days.' Spoiler alert: The overtime is mandatory."
6."If you have to make any financial investment into the company to work there: red flag. I interviewed for a window installation company and did well on the test. They wanted me in sales and said I needed to pay for a laptop. They would cover it and take it out of my checks if I didn't have the cash to pay upfront."
7."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."
8."One red flag is when they talk about how the company is 'like a family.' That usually means they expect you to be super available all the time and put the job above everything else, even your actual life."
9."'Nobody wants to work anymore.' You're about to discover exactly why nobody wants to work for them. Seriously, every job I've worked that said that during an interview was toxic and grossly underpaid."
"Another red flag related to this is if they complain about the quality of workers nowadays — basically the same thing. 'Workers are so entitled nowadays!' Translation: 'Workers won't let us exploit them anymore!'"
10."Watch out if every person in the office looks miserable. In one interview, I showed up early and saw people dragging themselves through the lobby like zombies. If no one looks like they even like being there, that says all you need to know about the work environment. It was like they were screaming, 'Save yourself!'"
11."One time, at the end of my interview, she asked if I had any questions, and I asked, 'So how do you like working at the company?' She said, 'Well, I like the pay.' I assume the interview was recorded, so she couldn't say anything bad about the company. But, it was enough information to know that the culture was probably not all that good. Remember, you are interviewing the company just as much as they are interviewing you! Make sure to come prepared to ask questions as well."
12."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 it, and you can just 'sign here.'"
"Had that happen once. They tried to get me to sign things at moments when I was swamped and got upset that I stopped what I was doing to read the forms, arguing I didn't need to since they were basic ones missed by HR. One of them was a form saying that they could fire me on the spot if I spoke unfavorably about my job in any way. Even a minor complaint was grounds for termination. I asked about it, and they said it was to ensure morale never goes low, and everyone remains thankful to work for them, so I quit the next day."
13."Any implication that the role you're taking on is easy and/or not that important. Look out for this or any signs they may underestimate the amount of work involved."
14."If the interviewer is late for your interview. If you were late, they wouldn't even consider hiring you. It works both ways."
15."When you ask, 'Tell me about a time when one of your employees really impressed you,' and they cannot give you a SINGLE example. My current job gave MULTIPLE examples of how their team members impressed them. That's how I knew I wanted to work there. In comparison, when I asked this in another interview, the answer was, 'There are so many instances, and I can't focus on only one,' which I interpreted as 'I don't value my staff in the least.' I was glad not to get that offer."
16."I was asked when I planned to get pregnant since I (at the time) was a woman in my 20s. They said it always happens, and they have to hire someone new. I had no words."
17."No matter the position, even entry-level, if you're an external candidate, ask them this: 'If your decision comes down to an internal hire versus an external hire, what would make one stand out over the other?' If they say everyone gets asked the same questions, it's an even playing field or something like that; you just found out there are internal candidates. External candidates are only there to statistically even it out. The job will likely go to the internal candidate. Works nearly every time."
18."Being hired on the spot. I always thought it meant I was a great candidate, and if they didn't hire me on the spot, I thought I bombed the interview. Looking back, they only hired me on the spot because they were desperate to find another person ASAP. Every job I've had where I was hired on the spot made it very clear why their turnover rate was so high. The ones I waited a bit for the job offer ended up being great places to work."
19."They told me they'd love to have a meeting just between me and them. Fast forward to the Zoom interview: 'Give us just a minute as we wait for all the candidates to log in.'"
20."When your interviewer stops the interview to take a phone call or talk to someone else about some kind of work thing that could wait. Whether they're understaffed, management isn't organized, or it's some kind of a sick test, every job I've ever taken that did this has turned into a mess."
21."'You are required to wear clothing that has the company logo. You must purchase it yourself. From the company.'"
22."If they say things like, 'We've had trouble filling this position,' or they give hints about having a high turnover rate, there's a reason everyone's leaving. I learned this the hard way."
23."'We want you to start tomorrow morning.' That usually means they're so short-staffed that they NEED you there. What happened to the rest of the staff?"
24."I once had an interview where I asked whether the job had fixed working hours or flexible, and the person said I shouldn't be asking that kind of thing during a first interview. He implied I was arrogant and acting like I had gotten the job already. I was like, 'No, it's just useful information for me to have.' It's a red flag when the interviewer treats the interview only as an exercise in which you sell yourself to them, not vice versa."
25."'We all wear multiple hats here!' is just code for 'We’re gonna throw as much responsibility at you as possible with minimal compensation!'"
26.And: "Any job with a point system when it comes to taking time off. My first big girl job was for a trash company, and even if I used PTO or sick hours, it counted against me, and I was given a point. After a certain amount of points, you'd get written up."
Have you ever endured a job interview riddled with red flags? What happened? Tell us your story in the comments or share anonymously using this form.
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
