Four Red Flags to Watch Out for When Interviewing
The day has come: you are finally interviewing at your dream company for your dream job! This is the ideal industry and this role matches your skills and experience almost perfectly. It will also help you fulfill your five-year plan . It’s OK, really? Maybe not.
This post was originally published on the Muse website .
In many cases, the outward appearance of the company can be very different from the inner reality. Most people tend to “play down” or even ignore red flags when they allow the heart to outrun its brain in the process of reviewing. But never allow yourself to ignore the signs that are trying so hard to reveal themselves to you.
What exactly do you need to pay attention to? Any of the following:
1. The hiring manager leaves a blank when describing the role.
You ask a typical straightforward interview question: “What will my day look like as a designer on this team?” and they seem to be staring back with a blank stare, or worse, an unfocused, meaningless set of random responsibilities.
This does not work for two reasons. First, joining an organization without a clear understanding of your responsibilities, roles, responsibilities and accountability can easily turn into disaster from day one. What if you don’t like the unfolding position? What if it doesn’t fit your skill set? Second, it is often a sign that the team is not confident in their goals for the coming months. A mindless team usually results in vague instructions, projects that close when completed, and ambiguous messages from your boss. Not to mention, this could mean that there is no clear path to promotion.
If you find yourself in this situation, you can ask the following question: “What skills does a person in this role need to be successful?” If the person has a quick and immediate response, then perhaps the hiring manager is leaving the day-to-day work on the job to the right candidate. (And that’s okay!) But if this one has crickets too, stay away.
2. Your potential boss seems disorganized and rude
You show up on time (or, in fact, five minutes early) for your interview and wait over 30 minutes to meet with the hiring manager. When your potential manager finally arrives, it will become clear that he has not looked at your resume and cannot even remember your name. He then takes the call and checks his email in the middle of the interview.
Yes, some people have stressful days and some are dropped off for interviews at the last minute. But, if it is your boss, do not mistrust this behavior. A disrespectful attitude towards your time probably portends the future.
To double check the situation, you can indirectly ask the hiring manager a few questions, for example, “How do you rate and review your team members?” “How would you like your employees to ask you questions and problems?” and “What values do you need to be successful in this team and in this company?”
Based on these answers, you will want to check your intuition to see if you resonated with these answers or just made you feel more insecure. A good working relationship with your manager will go a long way in determining your job satisfaction and your success. So, if you are not respected from the very beginning, it does not bode well.
3. Your potential peers seem to be overworked and over-stressed.
As you interview a large number of people on your team, more and more common statements such as “crazy hours” and “work is sometimes unpredictable” appear. You start to feel like there is a topic and your future teammates are seriously unhappy.
It’s one thing if one person is stressed when you speak, but if everyone does, it indicates a problem in the work environment. If you are concerned about this, now is the time to look for more information. Two basic questions to start with: “What’s your favorite part of the job?” and “If you had to describe the culture here in three words, what would they be?”
You’re looking for answers that go back to the work the company is doing, to the projects they are currently digging into, anecdotes about great customers – really something positive aside from perks. Perks like vacation time, box seats at big games, and free lunch can take you far.
4. You cannot imagine being able to get along with the team.
The job is perfect, your skills are perfect, you know you can handle it, and everyone you talk to seems to like what they do! There is only one unpleasant feeling: you are not suitable for these people.
Assessing cultural compatibility is extremely important in the interview process, as 89% of job rejections are associated with poor compliance. But what the hell does everyone mean when they talk about it? Basically, it all comes down to values. The reason we usually don’t get along with people is because we have different values.
To gauge what the company really cares about, ask your future boss and colleagues, “How do people get recognized for their work?” “What kind of person is being promoted?” and “What type of person won’t do well here?”
If you are not hearing a description of yourself (your real self, not your ideal self), take note. If you do not share the core values of the company, you will not fit into it, and you will not like your work, and you will have to start the process over again.
After an interview, it’s never a bad idea to share your thoughts and feelings with a good friend or caring mentor . But it’s also wise to be the best defender of yourself and not lose sight of the red flags. After all, you are great, you work hard to find the perfect position, and you deserve it.
4 Red Flags You Can’t Ignore – No matter how badly you want to get the job | Muse