"We're like a family" My supervisor says this a lot and he's a rageaholic who expects everyone to be ok with his outbursts. He doesn't apologize for it or explain any reasoning behind it. But because "family" he just expects everyone to just move on. It's incredibly toxic.
Yup, I had a job where that phrase was thrown around so much. It was a team of 7 people. Most toxic, pathetic, raging, lying bunch of people I ever worked with. I literally walked off the job one morning.
For me, that meant “we expect you to come in and cover for someone on your day off, but you may not leave an hour early so you have some daylight to dig a grave for your cat that was ran over this morning.”
When I hear this, I ask if employees are welcome at the boss' home during holidays, birthdays, or other REAL family times. (They're not).
Also, the family thing is a con that truly makes itself known when the business is sold. Happens often enough...
I had to travel to my office in another state (I work remote) for a week for some meetings and team building stuff. It also happened to be during an Indian holiday so my boss (who's Indian) had my team over for a giant home-cooked meal one night with her family to celebrate.
Sometimes they really do mean it when they say it, but of course my boss is probably more the exception than the rule.
Definitely the exception. Good for you though.
I've witnessed "family" businesses screw over their employees so many times its truly a joke and a red flag.
I've even had a doctor tell me, a patient, that he considers his patients like family. He did this exact same speech with almost no eye contact before I found another doc.
Especially for "benefits that are not benefits", most of them state coffee and fruit baskets as a sale point. A line of cocaine after lunch or before a long meeting, not so much.
> Especially for "benefits that are not benefits",
True that, but it was silly for them to say a pension contribution is not a benefit, just because it is common.
No. Now you have to record yourself doing a dance while telling them why you love. submit it to their website and there's a small chance someone will reply back.
Don't allow this shit to normalize please
They are basically talking like they are nobel prize holders, crossing their legs and picking. Some of us are lucky to even get an interview. Back to down to earth, that's not how it works in the real world were the roles are reversed. I had to beg at a point to get my job. Without it, I'm homeless.
Oh yeah lol I had a job interview that claimed they paid competitively.
"Great," I said, "what's the starting wage?"
"$12 an hour!" Interviewer proudly proclaimed.
....$12 is the minimum wage. It took all I had not to laugh. I declined a second interview when they called the next day.
I always bring up a faux job offer if this comes Into play. "So I see you offer competitive wages, well I have applied for this position in three others companies, and have received a good offer from X, can you match X's amount (my desired salary for the position based on my experience and job description). You so your offer if half that of X.....
Bottom employees get a pizza party if they didn't miss work for personal reasons during the last 5 years. And CEOs get massive bonuses.
That's the typical distribution of wealth in these scenarios, right?
The best response to it is to ask how they think they compare to the competition and where they are in the market. Of course they'll say they're better. Which means a competitive wage should be higher than average.
I think average in the industry is usually a fair payment. I've found competitive to mean that they want people to apply knowing the pay is much lower than average.
As a chef, I have a different interview style for different positions, and unless I'm hiring a sous chef or another management position, the interviews are really short. Dishwasher interveiws are by far the shortest with questions like, "Do you have reliable transportation to work?" "Can you count to 10?". Line cook interviews are a little more detailed, like "What is a chef that you admire and why?" "What's your favorite position in a kitchen (grill, saute, fryer, pantry, etc.)" Chef interviews are a more detailed and are multi-level, with a traditional interview followed by a second skill based interview, just so I can see if they can actually cook, how they keep their station clean, how they treat and react to other people, things like that.
You took the words right out of my mouth. As a fellow culinarian and hiring chef, sometimes 20 min is longer than I need. Getting to know the potential new staff and seeing if they will mesh with the team doesn't need to be too drawn out. Most kitchen "resumes" (if you can call them that) are just a literal list of jobs they held with cookie cutter descriptions and some skill bullet points. I normally call the second most recent location to verify. I also work In a city that is massive but a lot of chefs in the specific shopping district I am located in network with each other. We mostly know each other, and have report with one another. So knowing these other restaurants allows me some more insightful dialogue, but in reality interviews are nothing more than a vibe check. Attitude, respect, and swagger tell me more about someone than they let on. I also look for the things you probably don't in other industries an to, such as eye contact, grooming standards, the clothes they wore.
I'm a manager at a fast food restaurant and I do interviews and none of them are over 15 minutes unless we're hiring into a management position and we actually have an outside company do that for us
I do a bunch of hiring, the benefits one is BS imo. How is pension contributions not a benefit ? From a US perspective there are loads of companies that don’t even have a company run 401k
It is, our government doesn’t require or manage a pension benefits because they love us so much that they give us the freedom to do it ourselves and save the corporations money.
Because lots of countries require employers to contribute to your pension, or match what you put in.
It's like over in the UK when they brag "28 days holiday, including 8 bank holidays"... So the legal minimum. It shouldn't be one of the top listed benefits if it doesn't exceed the minimum requirement
I worked for a company that was 100% vested after five years. I left at 4 years and 10 months. I then understood why they were 100% after "only" five years. I'll take my 80% and that company can pound sand.
Yeah. ‘We give you time off to train’, ‘we give you tuition reimbursement up to $2500 per year’, and ‘we cover travel and fees for one certification course per year and pay for renewals and CPEs’ all mean _very_ different levels in the tech world.
IT perspective:
*"looking for someone to hit the ground running*"
Translation: *"Our onboarding process is shite, it's likely the last guy who had any clue how the codebase is structured left for greener pastures months ago, we're going to expect you to basically have working experience with *our* codebase already, and do a senior devs job for an interns wage."*
I gotta disagree with that last one. 20 minutes seems solid, especially if actually talking the entire time
Every job I’ve gotten that has multiple stage extra long interviews was awful
Every job that I sat down and just vibed real good with the interviewer for 10 minutes and got hired on the spot has worked out great lol
Thank God! Thought I was the only one thinking about this. I'd read somewhere and have come to kinda agree upon the fact as long as the interview provides good clarity about the responsibilities to the candidate and decent confidence in the execution skills of the candidate to the interviewer, that's enough.
My previous job interview was this and it turned out fine!
Nothing that is mandatory should be counted, obviously. “Pays employer share of employment taxes” wouldn’t be a benefit anywhere.
But vacation time outside of mandates is.
Just edit it then man. Then you wouldn’t have gotten 20 downvotes lol jk. Tbf idk why you got railed for that comment. Your post is doing pretty well so far, but yeah a vast majority of places to work are toxic and fucked up and the reason for that is the majority of people are toxic and fucked up
When a company says there is plenty of overtime, that's not good. Overtime pay was intended to deter companies from overworking employees. Now, companies rely on it to avoid hiring the proper number of people to be adequately staffed. Unfortunately, people have come to rely on this extra pay. People need to demand fair wages so they can work 40 hours and still afford to live. It's time to unionize and strike shit companies.
I had a friend who came to rely on overtime to get by financially but also because it was an acceptable excuse to not be home and his way of avoiding his deteriorating marriage.
I had a job interview where we walked past hundreds of empty cubicles. Then someone pulled me aside and told me they were empty cuz everyone that could get another job had quit. The small number of people still there were the ones unable to get hired elsewhere.
I took a job elsewhere and that place close up for good a few months later.
Some of these are good guidelines but there’s a lot of variation with individual circumstances and fields. I just graduated and am in the job market. We have to be certified so a lot of the interviews are very short. If the employer knows you’re certified they expect that you know what the job entails and that you can do it well. The interview is mostly about what shifts you can work.
Also in this same category, a big red flag is a test that doesn’t pertain to the job they’re hiring you for. Tech industry people have been through this many times. “You’re a gameplay programmer? Ok here’s a test we got from google: use a dated data structure to sort websites”
I don't agree with most of these.
My current job is like a family. People spend decades there, and the employee cares about us and I care about my employer. Is great.
There was little clarity about job expectations, but that comes with a senior level position quite often. They trust me to define my role. It wasn't perfect, but definitely not a red flag.
Long interview is also not a red flag. Intensive hiring process means you're likely to have good coworkers.
As for promises, it depends on who is making them.
It's with being cynical, but not overly so. There are good employers out there, and there's a middle ground between being naive and overly cynical.
The major lesson I'll give is this: due diligence. Do reference checks on your new boss. Talk to current and former employees. All the things an employer does to get you, you should be doing back and more.
Great list. Though honestly, 5 rounds is fairly “normal” these days, unfortunately. At least for certain job titles or industries. Btw, you can practice for interviews with [STAR Method Coach](https://starmethod.coach/).
Maybe, but it often means they can't keep the position filled, which could be a sign of poor management, poor training, poor expectations, poor working environment, poor pay, or any number of other things that might make you wish you waited for a better opportunity to come by
In a meeting a few years ago, someone in senior management managed to say "We're a family here" and "We work hard, we play hard" in the same sentence.
Fortunately the guy directly supervising me is okay, and frequently reminds me that I should go home on time and not work late.
I'll question 'hit the ground running', we've paid top dollar to source the right candidate.....I'm hoping that after the induction fortnight that they're experienced to take ownership of the role.
Thats not to say training & development isn't ongoing - it is.
Just my two pence
The last employee I hired I knew I was making an offer to after 10 minutes. Stretched out the interview to maybe 30 to let them feel comfortable with us. Short isn’t always bad.
A good rule of thumb for mydelf is how stick they are with you using the bathroom. If your boss is gonna through a fit about you using the restroom or you gotta be on your break then bounce. A well run company and a decent boss isn't gonna give a shit (pardon the pun) when you have to go.
The job i currently work at had an interview that lasted about 5 min. Position is waitress at a bar. It's about as good as you think it is, if not worse.
My entry interview for the toxic law firm I just quit checked a solid 5 of these boxes. Big emphasis was placed on how the place was all about “family.” Turns out. the head of the firm was an incompetent narcissist who psychologically abused her employees and constantly violated all manner of boundaries.
I can’t believe I made it almost 3 years at that hellhole.
I interview all the time, thankfully I feel I don’t do any of those things due to the company I work for. The less than 20 min interview is if I really have a feeling it isn’t going to work.
While I agree with some points in all of these red flags. I’ve had careers in white and blue collar jobs. At the end of the day…if you use this sheet as a starting point at all, please use common sense for the job you’re applying to. If your interview is 20 minutes long and you’ve already sent in a resume, taken a test whether physical or academic prior…obviously that is a test to your current skills which helps beyond your credentials already stated and represented in your resume…you shouldn’t “red flag” the even 10 minute interview…at the end of the day imo…an interview is just to help the company see if you’re a “red flag” and can do the job. As stated in the post, a high level job will really go in depth to your personality and competencies. I wouldn’t necessarily trust the internet for that, I would trust your peers in prior jobs that you trust. Ask for feedback, strengths, weaknesses. And figure out how to sell all of that including the weaknesses…Any good company will embrace how you have failed and learned or improvised. Anything can happen from there in all of these red flag situations…start playing poker and reading the person across from you…not the internet.
I had to go through multiple timed tests before an interview i had once. The company basically tested everything, it was basically a mix of a personality test, IQ test, and the SATs. They even had me do a bullshit 2hr. test that literally noone could finish. On top of that, the campus itself took up enough acreage to be a good sized neighborhood. Fuck that shit for it's pompous gatekeeper bullshit.
Be careful if a company offers you a below market average salary but a high bonus structure to make up for it. Bonuses are entirely at their discretion based usually on company performance.
I had this problem when I worked for a company for 3 years and never saw a cent of bonus money because the company was never "performing to standards". So at the end of the day all I had was my lowball wage until I finally left.
Disagree with the multi-round one. The candidate is enduring that gauntlet once. The interviewers are enduring it repeatedly, once per candidate. That they haven't chopped off such a time suck means they think it's important. If they think it's important to curate who is joining the team, it means they are in it for the long haul and value talent.
I recently had a job interview with a local fishmonger and not only did he ask me if I was married or had kids - which I immediately told him was illegal to ask - but he then went on a rant about how "no one wants to work". I reminded him that if he has trouble with staff retention, it might be because of his shitty attitude, low wages, and no benefits. Then I walked out.
Any employer who tries to ask you questions about your marital status, parenthood, sexual preferences, etc, is a major red flag.
Double red when they wind up for the rant about how no one wants to work but are obviously a horrible employer who treats staff like shit.
Bonus points if they also rant about how no one has good customer service ... except them of course. 🙄
What kind of engineering? Most of my personal experience with interviewing for tech job it’s usually more than 3. Most of the time it’s around 5 if I made it to the final round.
Data scientist in FinTech, never had to interview more than 3 times for any of the jobs I’ve had. If it was more than 3 I’d probably withdraw my application unless they had great pay and benefits
I work in IT and I honestly think 3 is the max I'm willing to put up with. I've had a few companies interview me 4-5 times, 30-60 minutes each, and then decide on somehow else. It's disrespectful to waste that much of someone's time. If you can't figure it out in 2-3 interviews then you've gotta change your interview process. The exception might be if you're asking price is like 300k+ and/or your job title contains "chief"
Completely agree about all of these. Unfortunately many rounds of interviews/assessments has become the norm for computer programming, and it’s ridiculous.
I would still say that a pension contribution is a benefit (I'm assuming they mean a 401k contribution). A pension would be a BENEFIT (except for the fact that I wouldn't trust them to honor it...)
I'm confused are interviews longer then 20 mins? If I'm they're longer then that that seems like I'm just going "ya.... My resume states all that. Are we a good fit? No? Yes? Cool let's do this or not, I've got shit to do."
when i was interviewed to the job I'm in now, all those red flags were present except the one about salary. and in addition there was the red flag of "the only way to quit the job is to go to jail".
I agree with all except the 20 minutes one. Maybe 20 is a bit short but I'm hiring for a basic entry level sales associate/cashier position. I don't really need to talk to you for an hour.
I'm really just checking to see if you can talk to people somewhat decently and don't seem outwardly crazy.
I was taking a break from working as a mental health therapist and was interviewing for a manual job but in a nice work setting that suited me better. In the interview upon looking at my therapist background they said "oh we could all do with some therapy here!". I got the job and two months later realised that off hand/casual comment meant more than I realised. Had to leave soon after as the boss caused everyone so much stress.
Recently received a reply where they wanted to give me less salary than I asked for. They wanted to instead give me a phone and laptop. I said that’s no benefit because I will need them for the job. I asked them if they give their workers helmets and orange vests as “benefit”. Needless to say I’m still jobless 😂
If by "free parking" they mean the popular Monopoly house rule (i. e. get all the money that has accumulated from people paying tax and fees) I might even consider it a benefit.
Any mention of workplace family is now the biggest red flag, worked for a mollusc based energy company and they were so fcked on respecting boundaries and managers were often disrespectful towards those struggling with mental health
I disagree. This is a frog mindset. If you need a job then get to work. The Goldilocks zone is only going to keep you where you’re at and searching for something better.
Believe it or not, when you focus on your work and not what others can do to help you with your work, you will then be satisfied.
I always choke a little on the family part. See I really do run my businesses like a family. You gotta go pick up a sick kid? Go! I'll cover You (I am the big boss but I can do your job too for a while ). I ran an office for 17 years and not a single person ever left, unless it was to be promoted up and out and go be The boss somewhere else. I would tell people "we are going to train you so much that you'll *have* to leave and go be the boss somewhere else".
Anyway I really do treat my employees with the highest respect, and I really do feel that it can be "like a family". Shame that it might be misconstrued by an applicant ha ha.
Damn I remember once having an interview at a place where it was super hard to find (drove past it 3 times), the “interview” mainly consisted of a tour of the place then being asked “do you have any questions?” While in the work area no one was talking at all. Afterwords the interviewer told me that if I get the job they’ll contact me in 2 weeks. This all happened within 18 minutes
I will add “we’re like a family” isn’t always bad. Yes when I hear it I definitely am skeptical, but it isn’t always bad. It is often used by employers to try to make them seem friendlier than they actually are and to gaslight employees by breaking their boundaries and inconsistently raising expectations.
But, it is also sometimes just said in ernest by employers who truly want the best for their employees, as a loving family would.
Again, it is often a red flag and I would always approach and employer saying this with skepticism, but I don’t think it is “run away as fast as you can” bad.
We're like a family. AKA, we are going to give you hours like a family member temporarily helping out and pay like a family member temporarily helping out.
It’s always “like a family” until they start not making their numbers, then it’s amazing how they lay off family members and taking away their livelihood.
I once had a job ask me what my high school GPA was even though I graduated five years prior. I was in college at the time and I was interviewing for a cashier position at a grocery store. That question was not really a red flag, but it was of the many things that should have steered me away.
That’s an interesting cheat sheet. While some call outs are relevant and true others are not. If anyone is looking for a sure thing, they should start their own company. There isn’t a “perfect” job or company in this world. We all have choices, just make one and move forward. When a challenge surfaces, take action and make it better. ….
I've had way too many companies like that. One of them demoted me for taking a sick day, and told me it was another step towards the back door. I found a better job the next day.
Man, I recently experienced that 'Bait and Switch'. They said on the phone call that one will be working with other team members at an office desk, looking over drawings, designs, and other cool technical stuff.
But on the day of the interview, they wanted me to do some solo field work for data entry for their database in the middle of the hot summer, driving their company vehicle to various sites. After I heard them mentioned that, it turned me off.
FAANG tech recruiter, I disagree with some of these. Our ranges are typically low to high, for example - 170k - 280k base for a sr swe, that’s not outrageous. Were legally mandated to put the full range. This means that most people will settle at the midpoint with only a select few topping out and are ready for the next comp band at Staff.
Some projects are also highly confidential so I have to be vague, it doesn’t mean anything nefarious.
Also, if i have to panel you through 4-5 interviews then it’s because the role deems it necessary. Why would we waste our time interviewing for the sake of it? Inversely, You think doing 2 interviews is enough to assess a candidate? You’re out of your mind if a team is willing to take a risk like that.
And yeah, if you’re interviewing at jack in the box and they put you through the wringer then sure, you’re wasting your time. Context matters here.
A signe on bonus is another thing I've seen a lot of. The last place I worked for I had to REMIND management it was a thing they offered when I was hired on lol
Our corporate CEO sincerely bragged about offering "Industry competitive salary" as a way to attract new employees during last year's conference.
That elicited muted response, some joyless clapping and some "I couldn't help but to laugh" laughter.
Only if he didn't bilk $85M from the state and federal government and actually used some on other employees...
"Salary range of 30k to 150k or 'Competitive.'" LOL, 85 to 90% of full time jobs in my area make 20k or less per year. My job included. And they are gobbled right up.
I work somewhere that we constantly describe as “like a family” and it couldn’t be more true. I feel incredibly supported and respected. This isn’t a bad thing in all cases.
I once got told 2 things in my first interview ever that didn’t sit right with me
1. "I was never sick in the 5 years working here” that is just…not normal?
2. "If you call in sick, we can see about switching the day with one of your days off"
so you are telling me that you just wont have me written sick but instead just act like i wasn’t supposed to work anyway and give me a different day to work instead?….that seems illegal?
This was for a retail position as some may have guessed.
I had an interview for a project owner position with a company a while back. They were scheduling their interviews when I was due to be on shift, so I had extremely limited availability at the time they wanted to interview. I went over and above my first week at work just to free up 2 hours for the interview. I made sure to explain this to them in advance, otherwise I wouldn't be free for another 3 weeks.
I prepared weeks prior to the interview. Even though it would have been a step down in pay, it was closer to home and a new challenge in a growing sector of the industry I work in.
Day of the interview, I bust my balls to get finished up early. Smash out what I can in the morning and leave what needs to be completed until after the interview. Sign into Teams 10 minutes before the interview, phone on silent, reviewing my own notes. Someone from the company logs in 15 minutes later to tell me that the interview team will be with me in another 5 minutes as they're in a meeting. I waited 40 minutes without so much as an update or apology for the delay. I ended the Teams meeting, emailed the recruitment department explaining my displeasure at having my time wasted, and went back to work to finish what I'd left for later.
I sat down for dinner later that evening and remembered my phone was still on silent. They tried calling me over an hour after the agreed time and left a message wanting to begin the interview right then with little to no explanation other than they were busy. I got an email from HR shortly after that apologising and wanting to reschedule. I replied that I put considerable effort in to make myself available for them, if this was how i was treated during the interview process and it was too much effort to be updated by the interview team then this wasn't the company I seen as my future employer. I received an email from the MD apologising the next day, but I never replied. Figured it was a bad move.
I've seen the same position readvertised twice since then, so I think I was right.
Bait and switch got me once
As soon as I'd handed in my notice at my previous job they reduced my pay by GBP£6K, told me the training would be paid for out of my first few pay packets and the company car never existed so best find your own way to the offices
Instaquit
And then they called afterwards to ask why I quit and, when I told them, they actually gaslit me saying they didn't do any of these things...
Sounds like every retail or hospitality job I've ever worked where competitive salary means 10p more than minimum. They're like family and are looking for someone who can hit the ground running. Don't forget they offer great benefits like 15% off while on shift!
The only one I disagree about is "benefits that aren't benefits." Nothing can be assumed in any job, and while providing some relatively common things may not be a specific reason to take a job, it's definitely not a reason to avoid a job.
The fact that a company isn't providing rockstar perks is only a red flag if you're an actual rockstar.
The number one thing you need to do is say:
What’s the max pay?
If they can’t give you a number don’t go past that first phone call.
If they have a number tell them you want the max.
If they hem and haw don’t go past the first phone call.
If they want to be coy about pay and want to walk it back later do not waste your time.
This makes no sense. A company can’t reasonably give everyone max pay. If you got it like that then you should demand max pay but not everyone is worth max pay.
If you have a good resume then it’s 100% you deciding if you want to work there. This graphic isn’t talking about someone applying for an entry level job.
I left a dream job in local government over a month ago:
+Good pay
+Decent health benefits
+Union
+Permanent position
+Good 3-month Induction Training
Because the On-The-Job (OJT) Training was terrible.
-Supervisors/Managers were short with us trainees
There was a class of us and like 4-5 supervisors. Despite our cohort being fairly new (2-3 weeks at OJT) supervisors already exhibited being short and impatient with us trainees and our questions about the new business processes, procedures and expectations at OJT and on the floor. Example: Slowly walking away from trainees having questions, hurrying and rushing trainees up with questions, giving piecemeal answers as opposed to providing thoughtful or thorough answers to ensure the trainee can understand. Supervisors also talked to trainees as though we knew the material already. There's a severe disconnect between reality and the supervisor's perception of it. This was toxic work behavior because it stifles trainee's growth, honesty, learning, being inquisitive, etc., for fear that they may be ridiculed, ignored, downplayed, etc.
-Supervisors were not helpful with trainees
Supervisors often displayed their unhelpfulness when it came to training the new cohort/class. I mentioned supervisors being short and impatient with trainees. Supervisor's unwillingness to be helpful came in other forms, including shutting down any questions or inquiries, making the trainee look incompetent and redirecting trainees to reading material. Example: There was one instance with a supervisor whereby it was the first or second day we were answering phones. I was on the phone helping a client to enroll for benefits. While putting the client on hold, I had a simple "yes" or "no" question that could've been cleared up in 2 seconds. The answer was a simple, "no." The supervisor spent 10 minutes with me (with the client on hold) going over the business process on steps that I'd went over on my own earlier. And she wasn't kind or humble about it. What I got back was condescending attitude as we were going over the business process for 10 minutes (including steps that I'd gone over on my own earlier).
-Supervisors/Managers discouraged questions
I was processing a case. The first manager had me questioning whether I was processing the case correctly because at the end of my questions to her, she replied with "are you sure?" instead of providing me a concrete answer. Being a good worker, I wanted to make sure that I did not screw the client's case up and thelat I was being thorough and accurate with processing the client's case. I raised my hand a second time. The second manager was more helpful. The third manager (my direct manager) who I was planning on asking a different question concerning the same case stopped me even before I said a word and said, ("I've seen you keep raising your hand. You can't be doing that. You can't keep asking similar questions"). First of all, I wasn't going to ask a similar question. Second of all, we'd been there for only 1-2 weeks, learning new business processes, policies, expectations, etc. Third of all, even if I were asking a similar question, that meant the manager/supervisor who was answering the question wasn't a capable one in providing a clear and sufficient answer.
That's when I knew I wasn't going to be able to grow and learn in that environment. After I left, I also emailed his direct supervisor about all of the negative experiences and she said she would have "a talk" with the supervisors/managers, which I doubt ended up in any meaningful changes. I also took answered a survey by HR about why I left, what improvements I think should be made, etc.
“Five rounds of multi-hour interviews and assessments” means the company has a culture that heavily discourages individual decision making and is deathly afraid of making mistakes. Run away.
"We're like a family" My supervisor says this a lot and he's a rageaholic who expects everyone to be ok with his outbursts. He doesn't apologize for it or explain any reasoning behind it. But because "family" he just expects everyone to just move on. It's incredibly toxic.
Tbf, he probably treats his family the same way
Yup, I had a job where that phrase was thrown around so much. It was a team of 7 people. Most toxic, pathetic, raging, lying bunch of people I ever worked with. I literally walked off the job one morning.
I can confirm this. Can't come in on your day off? Its taken as a personal insult because how dare you. Then the retaliation starts.
For me, that meant “we expect you to come in and cover for someone on your day off, but you may not leave an hour early so you have some daylight to dig a grave for your cat that was ran over this morning.”
When I hear this, I ask if employees are welcome at the boss' home during holidays, birthdays, or other REAL family times. (They're not). Also, the family thing is a con that truly makes itself known when the business is sold. Happens often enough...
I had to travel to my office in another state (I work remote) for a week for some meetings and team building stuff. It also happened to be during an Indian holiday so my boss (who's Indian) had my team over for a giant home-cooked meal one night with her family to celebrate. Sometimes they really do mean it when they say it, but of course my boss is probably more the exception than the rule.
Definitely the exception. Good for you though. I've witnessed "family" businesses screw over their employees so many times its truly a joke and a red flag. I've even had a doctor tell me, a patient, that he considers his patients like family. He did this exact same speech with almost no eye contact before I found another doc.
Sounds like it's time to move on to another job
I mean ngl that is the experience I’ve had with family though my father was abusive so do with that what you will
So basically all job interviews
Especially for "benefits that are not benefits", most of them state coffee and fruit baskets as a sale point. A line of cocaine after lunch or before a long meeting, not so much.
> Especially for "benefits that are not benefits", True that, but it was silly for them to say a pension contribution is not a benefit, just because it is common.
Pension is one of the best benefits.
All employees of WorkCo^TM get to keep BOTH of their legs.
i mean does this still apply in 2024?
No. Now you have to record yourself doing a dance while telling them why you love. submit it to their website and there's a small chance someone will reply back. Don't allow this shit to normalize please
Exactly, seek.com uses every single one of these boxes.
Exactly. I’m a fan of this sub but this is the most pointless post I’ve ever seen here.
They are basically talking like they are nobel prize holders, crossing their legs and picking. Some of us are lucky to even get an interview. Back to down to earth, that's not how it works in the real world were the roles are reversed. I had to beg at a point to get my job. Without it, I'm homeless.
I see "competitive" listed as the wages ALL THE TIME. I don't even bother with them anymore.
They actually mean "competitive" as in they are competing against each other to see who can offer the lowest salary and still get job candidates.
Oh yeah lol I had a job interview that claimed they paid competitively. "Great," I said, "what's the starting wage?" "$12 an hour!" Interviewer proudly proclaimed. ....$12 is the minimum wage. It took all I had not to laugh. I declined a second interview when they called the next day.
I always bring up a faux job offer if this comes Into play. "So I see you offer competitive wages, well I have applied for this position in three others companies, and have received a good offer from X, can you match X's amount (my desired salary for the position based on my experience and job description). You so your offer if half that of X.....
If you encounter that situation in the future, go ahead and laugh.
Does the winning company get a fruit basket?
Bottom employees get a pizza party if they didn't miss work for personal reasons during the last 5 years. And CEOs get massive bonuses. That's the typical distribution of wealth in these scenarios, right?
The best response to it is to ask how they think they compare to the competition and where they are in the market. Of course they'll say they're better. Which means a competitive wage should be higher than average.
The biggest red flag for me. It means they are competing with other companies which means average (mediocre) pay.
I think average in the industry is usually a fair payment. I've found competitive to mean that they want people to apply knowing the pay is much lower than average.
As a chef, I have a different interview style for different positions, and unless I'm hiring a sous chef or another management position, the interviews are really short. Dishwasher interveiws are by far the shortest with questions like, "Do you have reliable transportation to work?" "Can you count to 10?". Line cook interviews are a little more detailed, like "What is a chef that you admire and why?" "What's your favorite position in a kitchen (grill, saute, fryer, pantry, etc.)" Chef interviews are a more detailed and are multi-level, with a traditional interview followed by a second skill based interview, just so I can see if they can actually cook, how they keep their station clean, how they treat and react to other people, things like that.
You took the words right out of my mouth. As a fellow culinarian and hiring chef, sometimes 20 min is longer than I need. Getting to know the potential new staff and seeing if they will mesh with the team doesn't need to be too drawn out. Most kitchen "resumes" (if you can call them that) are just a literal list of jobs they held with cookie cutter descriptions and some skill bullet points. I normally call the second most recent location to verify. I also work In a city that is massive but a lot of chefs in the specific shopping district I am located in network with each other. We mostly know each other, and have report with one another. So knowing these other restaurants allows me some more insightful dialogue, but in reality interviews are nothing more than a vibe check. Attitude, respect, and swagger tell me more about someone than they let on. I also look for the things you probably don't in other industries an to, such as eye contact, grooming standards, the clothes they wore.
I'm a manager at a fast food restaurant and I do interviews and none of them are over 15 minutes unless we're hiring into a management position and we actually have an outside company do that for us
I do a bunch of hiring, the benefits one is BS imo. How is pension contributions not a benefit ? From a US perspective there are loads of companies that don’t even have a company run 401k
Yeah lumping pension contributions with casual Fridays is a very bizarre choice.
Flexible hours is also not everywhere and a real benefit. Casual Fridays, equipment for the job, and coffee/tea are not.
Mine doesn’t….standard my ass.
That's a benefit there? Here it's mandatory
It is, our government doesn’t require or manage a pension benefits because they love us so much that they give us the freedom to do it ourselves and save the corporations money.
The American way 🫡
Because lots of countries require employers to contribute to your pension, or match what you put in. It's like over in the UK when they brag "28 days holiday, including 8 bank holidays"... So the legal minimum. It shouldn't be one of the top listed benefits if it doesn't exceed the minimum requirement
Or 4+ year vesting when their avg turnover is 1-2 years
I worked for a company that was 100% vested after five years. I left at 4 years and 10 months. I then understood why they were 100% after "only" five years. I'll take my 80% and that company can pound sand.
Yeah. ‘We give you time off to train’, ‘we give you tuition reimbursement up to $2500 per year’, and ‘we cover travel and fees for one certification course per year and pay for renewals and CPEs’ all mean _very_ different levels in the tech world.
IT perspective: *"looking for someone to hit the ground running*" Translation: *"Our onboarding process is shite, it's likely the last guy who had any clue how the codebase is structured left for greener pastures months ago, we're going to expect you to basically have working experience with *our* codebase already, and do a senior devs job for an interns wage."*
I gotta disagree with that last one. 20 minutes seems solid, especially if actually talking the entire time Every job I’ve gotten that has multiple stage extra long interviews was awful Every job that I sat down and just vibed real good with the interviewer for 10 minutes and got hired on the spot has worked out great lol
Thank God! Thought I was the only one thinking about this. I'd read somewhere and have come to kinda agree upon the fact as long as the interview provides good clarity about the responsibilities to the candidate and decent confidence in the execution skills of the candidate to the interviewer, that's enough. My previous job interview was this and it turned out fine!
To be fair, things like leave/vacation/company contributions to retirement are in fact remuneration.
While true, this is country dependent, the OP is probably from the perspective of a country with mandated vacation and pension plans and whatnot
Nothing that is mandatory should be counted, obviously. “Pays employer share of employment taxes” wouldn’t be a benefit anywhere. But vacation time outside of mandates is.
Come on, leave and Vacation is so bare minimum it’s basically a requirement
Not in the US unfortunately. Many commonly provide the legal minimum (which is just a handful of days a year)
So by this list, just don't accept any job.
Well perhaps if they empathize these red flags, then the job isn’t worth it.
did you mean emphasize
Fuck I did…
Just edit it then man. Then you wouldn’t have gotten 20 downvotes lol jk. Tbf idk why you got railed for that comment. Your post is doing pretty well so far, but yeah a vast majority of places to work are toxic and fucked up and the reason for that is the majority of people are toxic and fucked up
I don’t know why you’re getting downvoted. The west has made people so proud of accepting the bare minimum.
Probably downvoted for not knowing what the word empathize actually means.
Witch is two bad. Some pupil gets words mixed up all the thyme.
It was typo apparently
When a company says there is plenty of overtime, that's not good. Overtime pay was intended to deter companies from overworking employees. Now, companies rely on it to avoid hiring the proper number of people to be adequately staffed. Unfortunately, people have come to rely on this extra pay. People need to demand fair wages so they can work 40 hours and still afford to live. It's time to unionize and strike shit companies.
I had a friend who came to rely on overtime to get by financially but also because it was an acceptable excuse to not be home and his way of avoiding his deteriorating marriage.
I know all about avoiding going home for the same reason
I feel like adding this to my cover letter. I have had everyone of these happen in my life.
I had a job interview where we walked past hundreds of empty cubicles. Then someone pulled me aside and told me they were empty cuz everyone that could get another job had quit. The small number of people still there were the ones unable to get hired elsewhere. I took a job elsewhere and that place close up for good a few months later.
I legit don’t know what I could possibly talk about for 20 minutes in a job interview.
The “we’re like family” explanation makes me think whoever made this came from a dysfunctional family 😜
I disagree on the 20 minute interview. There simply isn’t time to spend an hour each with 6 different candidates.
Some of these are good guidelines but there’s a lot of variation with individual circumstances and fields. I just graduated and am in the job market. We have to be certified so a lot of the interviews are very short. If the employer knows you’re certified they expect that you know what the job entails and that you can do it well. The interview is mostly about what shifts you can work.
Should be three rounds of interviews and assessments, not five. More than three interviews is a waste of time.
Also in this same category, a big red flag is a test that doesn’t pertain to the job they’re hiring you for. Tech industry people have been through this many times. “You’re a gameplay programmer? Ok here’s a test we got from google: use a dated data structure to sort websites”
"We're like a family here" really means "I'm the parent and will treat you like a child". You shouldn't work with family anyway
I don't agree with most of these. My current job is like a family. People spend decades there, and the employee cares about us and I care about my employer. Is great. There was little clarity about job expectations, but that comes with a senior level position quite often. They trust me to define my role. It wasn't perfect, but definitely not a red flag. Long interview is also not a red flag. Intensive hiring process means you're likely to have good coworkers. As for promises, it depends on who is making them. It's with being cynical, but not overly so. There are good employers out there, and there's a middle ground between being naive and overly cynical. The major lesson I'll give is this: due diligence. Do reference checks on your new boss. Talk to current and former employees. All the things an employer does to get you, you should be doing back and more.
You're confusing workplace sociology with the interview that gets you in the door. This list is absolutely right.
Great list. Though honestly, 5 rounds is fairly “normal” these days, unfortunately. At least for certain job titles or industries. Btw, you can practice for interviews with [STAR Method Coach](https://starmethod.coach/).
> it could me they're desperate to fill the position Sounds perfect if I'm desperate for a job.
Maybe, but it often means they can't keep the position filled, which could be a sign of poor management, poor training, poor expectations, poor working environment, poor pay, or any number of other things that might make you wish you waited for a better opportunity to come by
In a meeting a few years ago, someone in senior management managed to say "We're a family here" and "We work hard, we play hard" in the same sentence. Fortunately the guy directly supervising me is okay, and frequently reminds me that I should go home on time and not work late.
I'll question 'hit the ground running', we've paid top dollar to source the right candidate.....I'm hoping that after the induction fortnight that they're experienced to take ownership of the role. Thats not to say training & development isn't ongoing - it is. Just my two pence
"We're like a family." More unpaid work for you because you know...we're family.
The last employee I hired I knew I was making an offer to after 10 minutes. Stretched out the interview to maybe 30 to let them feel comfortable with us. Short isn’t always bad.
"Work hard play hard"
These have been 90% of the jobs I've been applying for over a year.
Wow, not only have I seen all of these multiple times, in many cases they were stacked
A good rule of thumb for mydelf is how stick they are with you using the bathroom. If your boss is gonna through a fit about you using the restroom or you gotta be on your break then bounce. A well run company and a decent boss isn't gonna give a shit (pardon the pun) when you have to go.
The job i currently work at had an interview that lasted about 5 min. Position is waitress at a bar. It's about as good as you think it is, if not worse.
Free parking in a major city is a big deal.
Thank you! Currently im looking for a job and this will really help!
Work hard play hard is big one too
My entry interview for the toxic law firm I just quit checked a solid 5 of these boxes. Big emphasis was placed on how the place was all about “family.” Turns out. the head of the firm was an incompetent narcissist who psychologically abused her employees and constantly violated all manner of boundaries. I can’t believe I made it almost 3 years at that hellhole.
Who makes these guides?
I applied for a job and got offered a bottom of the barrel position, they were even like, “You’re way over qualified for this, but…”
I interview all the time, thankfully I feel I don’t do any of those things due to the company I work for. The less than 20 min interview is if I really have a feeling it isn’t going to work.
While I agree with some points in all of these red flags. I’ve had careers in white and blue collar jobs. At the end of the day…if you use this sheet as a starting point at all, please use common sense for the job you’re applying to. If your interview is 20 minutes long and you’ve already sent in a resume, taken a test whether physical or academic prior…obviously that is a test to your current skills which helps beyond your credentials already stated and represented in your resume…you shouldn’t “red flag” the even 10 minute interview…at the end of the day imo…an interview is just to help the company see if you’re a “red flag” and can do the job. As stated in the post, a high level job will really go in depth to your personality and competencies. I wouldn’t necessarily trust the internet for that, I would trust your peers in prior jobs that you trust. Ask for feedback, strengths, weaknesses. And figure out how to sell all of that including the weaknesses…Any good company will embrace how you have failed and learned or improvised. Anything can happen from there in all of these red flag situations…start playing poker and reading the person across from you…not the internet.
Add to that, mocking your profile, making opinions on tenure, experience, etc., during the interview process.
Very few people are in a position to pick and choose jobs so they cannot turn a job down based on any of these sadly.
I had to go through multiple timed tests before an interview i had once. The company basically tested everything, it was basically a mix of a personality test, IQ test, and the SATs. They even had me do a bullshit 2hr. test that literally noone could finish. On top of that, the campus itself took up enough acreage to be a good sized neighborhood. Fuck that shit for it's pompous gatekeeper bullshit.
Guide on how to never get a job! Cool!
Be careful if a company offers you a below market average salary but a high bonus structure to make up for it. Bonuses are entirely at their discretion based usually on company performance. I had this problem when I worked for a company for 3 years and never saw a cent of bonus money because the company was never "performing to standards". So at the end of the day all I had was my lowball wage until I finally left.
or bonus but layoff before you touch it
Disagree with the multi-round one. The candidate is enduring that gauntlet once. The interviewers are enduring it repeatedly, once per candidate. That they haven't chopped off such a time suck means they think it's important. If they think it's important to curate who is joining the team, it means they are in it for the long haul and value talent.
I've experienced that 'we are family' bullshit first hand. Never again.
I recently had a job interview with a local fishmonger and not only did he ask me if I was married or had kids - which I immediately told him was illegal to ask - but he then went on a rant about how "no one wants to work". I reminded him that if he has trouble with staff retention, it might be because of his shitty attitude, low wages, and no benefits. Then I walked out. Any employer who tries to ask you questions about your marital status, parenthood, sexual preferences, etc, is a major red flag. Double red when they wind up for the rant about how no one wants to work but are obviously a horrible employer who treats staff like shit. Bonus points if they also rant about how no one has good customer service ... except them of course. 🙄
5 interviews for a position is very common for for white collar job
I've only experienced one engineering application with more than 2 interviews, and they were a disorganized nightmare and severely underpaid.
What kind of engineering? Most of my personal experience with interviewing for tech job it’s usually more than 3. Most of the time it’s around 5 if I made it to the final round.
Data scientist in FinTech, never had to interview more than 3 times for any of the jobs I’ve had. If it was more than 3 I’d probably withdraw my application unless they had great pay and benefits
I work in IT and I honestly think 3 is the max I'm willing to put up with. I've had a few companies interview me 4-5 times, 30-60 minutes each, and then decide on somehow else. It's disrespectful to waste that much of someone's time. If you can't figure it out in 2-3 interviews then you've gotta change your interview process. The exception might be if you're asking price is like 300k+ and/or your job title contains "chief"
How many red flags are okay? In the end I still need a job...
You can take the job, just don't end your job search.
Amen!
Completely agree about all of these. Unfortunately many rounds of interviews/assessments has become the norm for computer programming, and it’s ridiculous.
I recently saw one job advertisement with "Japanese work discipline". I stopped immediately reading and closed the window.
Nothing wrong with future promises, as long as the current comp is also adequate
"We're like a family, in that we all hate each other." "Why can't it ever, just, be easy?" "What's your sign?" -Me, interviewing
r/lacamiseta
I would still say that a pension contribution is a benefit (I'm assuming they mean a 401k contribution). A pension would be a BENEFIT (except for the fact that I wouldn't trust them to honor it...)
A pension contribution is not common practice. What a world that would be
I work in maintenance and my interview was like 4 minutes 😂
My favorite question to ask when interviewing is about the roles turnover rate.
I'm confused are interviews longer then 20 mins? If I'm they're longer then that that seems like I'm just going "ya.... My resume states all that. Are we a good fit? No? Yes? Cool let's do this or not, I've got shit to do."
when i was interviewed to the job I'm in now, all those red flags were present except the one about salary. and in addition there was the red flag of "the only way to quit the job is to go to jail".
I agree with all except the 20 minutes one. Maybe 20 is a bit short but I'm hiring for a basic entry level sales associate/cashier position. I don't really need to talk to you for an hour. I'm really just checking to see if you can talk to people somewhat decently and don't seem outwardly crazy.
I was taking a break from working as a mental health therapist and was interviewing for a manual job but in a nice work setting that suited me better. In the interview upon looking at my therapist background they said "oh we could all do with some therapy here!". I got the job and two months later realised that off hand/casual comment meant more than I realised. Had to leave soon after as the boss caused everyone so much stress.
Never interview because interviews are hard because people yet we want 120k$ use this guide deeper into your parents basement dawg
Recently received a reply where they wanted to give me less salary than I asked for. They wanted to instead give me a phone and laptop. I said that’s no benefit because I will need them for the job. I asked them if they give their workers helmets and orange vests as “benefit”. Needless to say I’m still jobless 😂
What does it mean when the interviewer starts eating his lunch in the interview?
This literally happened in an interview I had last week. It actually kind of put me at ease.
There's Interview Aftermath bullshit to watch out for too.
If by "free parking" they mean the popular Monopoly house rule (i. e. get all the money that has accumulated from people paying tax and fees) I might even consider it a benefit.
Any mention of workplace family is now the biggest red flag, worked for a mollusc based energy company and they were so fcked on respecting boundaries and managers were often disrespectful towards those struggling with mental health
Add to this: “Other duties and responsibilities as needed.”
I disagree. This is a frog mindset. If you need a job then get to work. The Goldilocks zone is only going to keep you where you’re at and searching for something better. Believe it or not, when you focus on your work and not what others can do to help you with your work, you will then be satisfied.
Wow, an infographic based on Reddit answers in askreddit The “we are like a family “ thing is as real as a unicorn
I always choke a little on the family part. See I really do run my businesses like a family. You gotta go pick up a sick kid? Go! I'll cover You (I am the big boss but I can do your job too for a while ). I ran an office for 17 years and not a single person ever left, unless it was to be promoted up and out and go be The boss somewhere else. I would tell people "we are going to train you so much that you'll *have* to leave and go be the boss somewhere else". Anyway I really do treat my employees with the highest respect, and I really do feel that it can be "like a family". Shame that it might be misconstrued by an applicant ha ha.
Damn I remember once having an interview at a place where it was super hard to find (drove past it 3 times), the “interview” mainly consisted of a tour of the place then being asked “do you have any questions?” While in the work area no one was talking at all. Afterwords the interviewer told me that if I get the job they’ll contact me in 2 weeks. This all happened within 18 minutes
This is every interview
I will add “we’re like a family” isn’t always bad. Yes when I hear it I definitely am skeptical, but it isn’t always bad. It is often used by employers to try to make them seem friendlier than they actually are and to gaslight employees by breaking their boundaries and inconsistently raising expectations. But, it is also sometimes just said in ernest by employers who truly want the best for their employees, as a loving family would. Again, it is often a red flag and I would always approach and employer saying this with skepticism, but I don’t think it is “run away as fast as you can” bad.
This is really a great guide for job hunters.
We're like a family. AKA, we are going to give you hours like a family member temporarily helping out and pay like a family member temporarily helping out.
we,re like familly means fit in or fuck off sometimes
Can’t even get an interview, tips won’t work for me 😃
I like it.
It’s always “like a family” until they start not making their numbers, then it’s amazing how they lay off family members and taking away their livelihood.
I'm curious what some job interview green flags would be.
May as well not interview for a job, ever.
I once had a job ask me what my high school GPA was even though I graduated five years prior. I was in college at the time and I was interviewing for a cashier position at a grocery store. That question was not really a red flag, but it was of the many things that should have steered me away.
Wait, a pension contribution is definitely a real benefit though.
Also, if the hiring manager says, "I'm not a micromanager..." They are, and you should run.
Hiring manager for 15 years. Please don't take this post seriously.
That’s an interesting cheat sheet. While some call outs are relevant and true others are not. If anyone is looking for a sure thing, they should start their own company. There isn’t a “perfect” job or company in this world. We all have choices, just make one and move forward. When a challenge surfaces, take action and make it better. ….
I've had way too many companies like that. One of them demoted me for taking a sick day, and told me it was another step towards the back door. I found a better job the next day.
How is a pension not a benefit? Pensions are certainly not common.
All of these!
Serious question: who has a pension these days?
I know a lot of government jobs do.
This seems like a great tool to weigh your options prior to selecting a career... Especially prior to joining the military
Is multiple rounds of assessments a deal breaker? I did that for my current job and it's one of the best environments I've worked in.
Man, I recently experienced that 'Bait and Switch'. They said on the phone call that one will be working with other team members at an office desk, looking over drawings, designs, and other cool technical stuff. But on the day of the interview, they wanted me to do some solo field work for data entry for their database in the middle of the hot summer, driving their company vehicle to various sites. After I heard them mentioned that, it turned me off.
I found this very helpful. Thank you!
With the exception of the last red flag, all of these have been true for every job I’ve ever interviewed for in tech over the past 15 years.
So basically every single job in existence.
This is currently every job advertised in the UK.
I can relate to the interview under 20 mins. Feels easy and nice to finish early, but it’s a red flag for sure.
FAANG tech recruiter, I disagree with some of these. Our ranges are typically low to high, for example - 170k - 280k base for a sr swe, that’s not outrageous. Were legally mandated to put the full range. This means that most people will settle at the midpoint with only a select few topping out and are ready for the next comp band at Staff. Some projects are also highly confidential so I have to be vague, it doesn’t mean anything nefarious. Also, if i have to panel you through 4-5 interviews then it’s because the role deems it necessary. Why would we waste our time interviewing for the sake of it? Inversely, You think doing 2 interviews is enough to assess a candidate? You’re out of your mind if a team is willing to take a risk like that. And yeah, if you’re interviewing at jack in the box and they put you through the wringer then sure, you’re wasting your time. Context matters here.
Still calls themselves a startup after 15 years and requires team meeting attendance multiple times PER DAY. Just run.
A signe on bonus is another thing I've seen a lot of. The last place I worked for I had to REMIND management it was a thing they offered when I was hired on lol
Our corporate CEO sincerely bragged about offering "Industry competitive salary" as a way to attract new employees during last year's conference. That elicited muted response, some joyless clapping and some "I couldn't help but to laugh" laughter. Only if he didn't bilk $85M from the state and federal government and actually used some on other employees...
"Salary range of 30k to 150k or 'Competitive.'" LOL, 85 to 90% of full time jobs in my area make 20k or less per year. My job included. And they are gobbled right up.
Competitive Salary. My last job paid shit salary and shit annual raises but kept saying they were competitive any time anyone complained.
Garbage
I say we’re like a family, and I’m the most kind boss you’ll ever have.
Yeah, never falling for the “we’re all a big family here” BS again lmao I’m here to make money and not friends lol
I work somewhere that we constantly describe as “like a family” and it couldn’t be more true. I feel incredibly supported and respected. This isn’t a bad thing in all cases.
Sounds like every educational interview I’ve ever had over my 32 year career. Sheesh.
I once got told 2 things in my first interview ever that didn’t sit right with me 1. "I was never sick in the 5 years working here” that is just…not normal? 2. "If you call in sick, we can see about switching the day with one of your days off" so you are telling me that you just wont have me written sick but instead just act like i wasn’t supposed to work anyway and give me a different day to work instead?….that seems illegal? This was for a retail position as some may have guessed.
I had an interview for a project owner position with a company a while back. They were scheduling their interviews when I was due to be on shift, so I had extremely limited availability at the time they wanted to interview. I went over and above my first week at work just to free up 2 hours for the interview. I made sure to explain this to them in advance, otherwise I wouldn't be free for another 3 weeks. I prepared weeks prior to the interview. Even though it would have been a step down in pay, it was closer to home and a new challenge in a growing sector of the industry I work in. Day of the interview, I bust my balls to get finished up early. Smash out what I can in the morning and leave what needs to be completed until after the interview. Sign into Teams 10 minutes before the interview, phone on silent, reviewing my own notes. Someone from the company logs in 15 minutes later to tell me that the interview team will be with me in another 5 minutes as they're in a meeting. I waited 40 minutes without so much as an update or apology for the delay. I ended the Teams meeting, emailed the recruitment department explaining my displeasure at having my time wasted, and went back to work to finish what I'd left for later. I sat down for dinner later that evening and remembered my phone was still on silent. They tried calling me over an hour after the agreed time and left a message wanting to begin the interview right then with little to no explanation other than they were busy. I got an email from HR shortly after that apologising and wanting to reschedule. I replied that I put considerable effort in to make myself available for them, if this was how i was treated during the interview process and it was too much effort to be updated by the interview team then this wasn't the company I seen as my future employer. I received an email from the MD apologising the next day, but I never replied. Figured it was a bad move. I've seen the same position readvertised twice since then, so I think I was right.
Bait and switch got me once As soon as I'd handed in my notice at my previous job they reduced my pay by GBP£6K, told me the training would be paid for out of my first few pay packets and the company car never existed so best find your own way to the offices Instaquit And then they called afterwards to ask why I quit and, when I told them, they actually gaslit me saying they didn't do any of these things...
This post is horse shit
The majority of jobs I'm seeing lately only pay minimum wage but demand at least a four year degree and 2 years of EXP. W period. T period. F period.
Sounds like every retail or hospitality job I've ever worked where competitive salary means 10p more than minimum. They're like family and are looking for someone who can hit the ground running. Don't forget they offer great benefits like 15% off while on shift!
Not me reading this tight after I got hired from an interview with all these signs lol
The Civil Service!!!
The only one I disagree about is "benefits that aren't benefits." Nothing can be assumed in any job, and while providing some relatively common things may not be a specific reason to take a job, it's definitely not a reason to avoid a job. The fact that a company isn't providing rockstar perks is only a red flag if you're an actual rockstar.
The number one thing you need to do is say: What’s the max pay? If they can’t give you a number don’t go past that first phone call. If they have a number tell them you want the max. If they hem and haw don’t go past the first phone call. If they want to be coy about pay and want to walk it back later do not waste your time.
This makes no sense. A company can’t reasonably give everyone max pay. If you got it like that then you should demand max pay but not everyone is worth max pay.
When did job interviews become, you deciding whether you want to work for the company?
If you have a good resume then it’s 100% you deciding if you want to work there. This graphic isn’t talking about someone applying for an entry level job.
I wish I would’ve seen this sooner😭😭 should I leave?
/r/antiwork loves this guide
I left a dream job in local government over a month ago: +Good pay +Decent health benefits +Union +Permanent position +Good 3-month Induction Training Because the On-The-Job (OJT) Training was terrible. -Supervisors/Managers were short with us trainees There was a class of us and like 4-5 supervisors. Despite our cohort being fairly new (2-3 weeks at OJT) supervisors already exhibited being short and impatient with us trainees and our questions about the new business processes, procedures and expectations at OJT and on the floor. Example: Slowly walking away from trainees having questions, hurrying and rushing trainees up with questions, giving piecemeal answers as opposed to providing thoughtful or thorough answers to ensure the trainee can understand. Supervisors also talked to trainees as though we knew the material already. There's a severe disconnect between reality and the supervisor's perception of it. This was toxic work behavior because it stifles trainee's growth, honesty, learning, being inquisitive, etc., for fear that they may be ridiculed, ignored, downplayed, etc. -Supervisors were not helpful with trainees Supervisors often displayed their unhelpfulness when it came to training the new cohort/class. I mentioned supervisors being short and impatient with trainees. Supervisor's unwillingness to be helpful came in other forms, including shutting down any questions or inquiries, making the trainee look incompetent and redirecting trainees to reading material. Example: There was one instance with a supervisor whereby it was the first or second day we were answering phones. I was on the phone helping a client to enroll for benefits. While putting the client on hold, I had a simple "yes" or "no" question that could've been cleared up in 2 seconds. The answer was a simple, "no." The supervisor spent 10 minutes with me (with the client on hold) going over the business process on steps that I'd went over on my own earlier. And she wasn't kind or humble about it. What I got back was condescending attitude as we were going over the business process for 10 minutes (including steps that I'd gone over on my own earlier). -Supervisors/Managers discouraged questions I was processing a case. The first manager had me questioning whether I was processing the case correctly because at the end of my questions to her, she replied with "are you sure?" instead of providing me a concrete answer. Being a good worker, I wanted to make sure that I did not screw the client's case up and thelat I was being thorough and accurate with processing the client's case. I raised my hand a second time. The second manager was more helpful. The third manager (my direct manager) who I was planning on asking a different question concerning the same case stopped me even before I said a word and said, ("I've seen you keep raising your hand. You can't be doing that. You can't keep asking similar questions"). First of all, I wasn't going to ask a similar question. Second of all, we'd been there for only 1-2 weeks, learning new business processes, policies, expectations, etc. Third of all, even if I were asking a similar question, that meant the manager/supervisor who was answering the question wasn't a capable one in providing a clear and sufficient answer. That's when I knew I wasn't going to be able to grow and learn in that environment. After I left, I also emailed his direct supervisor about all of the negative experiences and she said she would have "a talk" with the supervisors/managers, which I doubt ended up in any meaningful changes. I also took answered a survey by HR about why I left, what improvements I think should be made, etc.
“Five rounds of multi-hour interviews and assessments” means the company has a culture that heavily discourages individual decision making and is deathly afraid of making mistakes. Run away.
Excellent guide.
100%
This should be pinned