The drama surrounding the job search is real.
Everyone wants to work, but not in an environment of crazy.
We all deserve a peaceful, well-run place to make a living. Is that too much to ask?
But sometimes, no matter how desperate you are for a job, the indicators of an unhealthy workplace are right there in front of you even at the interview stage.
Redditor RexJgeh wanted to discuss all of the best reasons to run as fast as you can from a job interview…
They asked:
“What are some red flags during job interviews that scream ‘toxic workplace?’”
Chat about the worst you’ve seen when job hunting. Go.
I owe you nothing!
“The family one is a huge red flag for me. I worked at a place that always talked about the team members being like a family.”
“It meant you felt horrible about calling in sick, they’d guilt you into working over time because of the culture, and when you finally put in your leave or told them you where leaving you where treated like nothing.”
“Bosses use the family thing to guilt you into being a slave!! My boss even tried to guilt us into coming in on the weekend and working for free!!!” ~ Turtbergs
So happy to be gone!
“I was trying to find a better advertising job and during an interview I asked about how much overtime I could expect.”
“Owner of the company goes ‘Well, you know, we try to get home on time, we do try. But, hey, this is the life we chose.’”
“Dude, you make billboards for restaurants… you’re not saving lives here.”
“The most frustrating part about working in advertising is that so many of the late nights could be avoided with slightly better management and less over-promising to the client.”
“Glad I’m out of it, now.” ~ SeaTie
Too Many Hats
“’Fast-paced, dynamic environment’ can be code for ‘look, we don’t have our crap together.’” ~KinkMountainMoney
“I had a boss one time that was on that crap.”
“He’d always say ‘I have to wear two hats’ because he’d write us up and then show up at the disciplinary meetings and defend us as our union rep.”
“I was always like ‘you know YOU’RE the reason we’re here, right?’”
“And he’d act all innocent and say he had to wear two hats. Dude! Just pick a hat!” ~KinkMountainMoney
It all begins NOW…
“No interview, just ‘can you start tomorrow?’” ~ Reddit
“Lol the only time I’ve heard this was when I was applying to summer jobs in high school and one place I applied to was Vector marketing (a pyramid scheme company).”
“Luckily, someone told me it was a pyramid scheme before I actually started ‘working’ there.” ~Think_Tie8025
Nobody stays…
“For an hourly job as a cashier or a server or something like that I don’t think that would be that big of a red flag, to be honest.”
“There is high turnover even in well-run places in those industries, and if a good candidate is in front of you sometimes it’s best to offer a job before someone else can get them.” ~ sofingclever
Meeting the Owner!
“I interviewed for an administrative management position with a smaller magazine publisher. There were rumors about the owner of the publication (not an easy person to work for).”
“I sit with an interview panel first for thirty minutes – Shipping Manager, Accountant, Legal, Layout Editor.”
“Each of them introduces themselves in a very clipped manner. Each asked one question, read from a piece of paper.”
“As I answered the question, no one took notes, no one asked any backup questions.”
“Then I met with the CFO. The receptionist had to go back to her desk to get the office keys because the CFO’s office door was locked.”
“It was always locked. Meet with the CFO, and he asks the exact same four questions the panelists asked.”
“He, too – no notes, no follow up questions.”
“The I met with the owner.”
“His office looked like it was meant to be a training room. Huge amounts of space, and lots of dead-animal themes art-ing up the place.”
“I sat with the owner for about an hour. It seemed a pretty reasonable discussion. Then the final couple of questions.”
“Him: ‘You’ve met most of my primary managers. What do you think?’”
“Me: ‘To be honest, they all seemed disinterested in the interview.’”
“Him: ‘I know they are. I’ll make the decision on who to hire. I just want them to have a favorite.’”
*’DING DING DING DING!!’*
“Effing creeepy vibes. Lock-down environment. Managers dealing with a psycho boss. And the money person’s office always locked? Nope.” ~ Yabloski
We’ll take anybody!
“The shorter the interview, the more desperate the company is to just hire someone.”
“Bonus points if the person currently in the position you’re interviewing for has worked there for less than a year.” ~ EfficientAnteater995
Work to the bone…
“If you hear ‘We work hard, but we also play hard’ pull the EJECT! handle.”
“The translation of that phrase is ‘We’ll work you like a dog, then insist you attend ‘team building’ activities w/o pay.’” ~ LilShaver
Management Issues
“The important duties are super concentrated on that one person that is super close to the ‘Boss,’ that one pretentious person will reap all the bonuses and benefits, while the ones that do the heavy lifting will just form new health and mental issues down the road.” ~ Longpenn
Am I ALL the staff?
“I had the entire job change in an interview once! I came into a first interview for selling IT solutions to companies who’d signed up through a webform.”
“We did most of the interview and the hiring manager said ‘You sound great for this! Just a few details! It’s not actually a IT solution, it’s fire alarms. It’s not to companies, it’s to regular customers. Oh and they haven’t signed up anywhere, it’s cold calling. If you’ll just follow me we’ll get you set up at a work station!’”
“I noped out of there immediately.” ~ EchoingEchoes
Now you know the signs of whether to run or stay.
Don’t settle for anything. If it feels off… it’s off. Bring track shoes to get away faster.
They’ll be other jobs, sanity first,