20 Company Red Flags to Watch Out for When Job Searching
Have you ever looked back after a negative experience and realized there were warning signs you could have seen ahead of time if only you were looking for them? Red flags can alert us when something is “off” about a situation, whether it’s a too-good-to-be-true offer that’s actually a scam or an incident in a person’s past that predicts their future bad behavior.
Red flags are significant to pay attention to when you’re looking for a job, as they can help you spot things like poor working conditions, an unhealthy company culture, and unrealistic performance expectations, all of which you want to avoid. We’ll reveal 20 red flags to look out for as you apply for jobs and consider offers.
What are job search red flags?
A red flag is a warning sign of a problem. In the context of job searching, it’s an indicator that a workplace might be toxic, dysfunctional, high-stress, or not as advertised. Red flags can appear at various points in the job search process, from the job description itself to the interview or the offer.
A single red flag isn’t cause for abandoning a company entirely, but it’s a signal to dig a little further and investigate the concerning characteristics. By paying attention to red flags, you’ll avoid jumping into a job where you’ll be uncomfortable, unhappy, or unable to advance.
Job posting red flags
The job posting is a great place to start when looking for red flags. Look for what’s in the description–and what’s not. Here are some things to be mindful of.
1. ‘Work hard, play hard’ culture
“Work hard and play hard” is often code for “we’re all overworked, but it’s okay because we party together.” This could signal a very blurry line between work life and personal life and might be predictive of after-hours social events that are essentially mandatory.
2. Looking for candidates who can ‘wear many hats’
Sure, there are jobs where you might hold diverse responsibilities, especially in a small business setting with only a handful of employees. But if a job description explicitly states that you’ll be wearing many hats, be wary that the company might be looking to pay one person to do the jobs of two or three people.
3. Language about being ‘like a family’
If we could banish one job description cliche forever, this would be it. No matter how healthy a workplace culture is, your coworkers are separate from your family (unless you’re working in your family’s business, which is a different story). When company leaders want team members to be family-like, it’s often a sign of a critical lack of boundaries that can make for an unhealthy work environment.
4. Excessive requirements
Beware of job postings that call for an unrealistic set of skills–for example, a marketing position that calls for experience with social media, SEO, PPC advertising, web development, video production, and graphic design. This could indicate one of two problems: A) the company isn’t sure what they’re actually looking for, or B), they’re looking to hire a single person to juggle the responsibilities that an entire team would typically handle.
5. Vague requirements
In order to grow in your career, you need clearly defined expectations and goals. If a job posting lacks these things, it’s worthy of questioning. A vague job description can lead to being hired for a role you can’t actually perform or, worse, being bogged down by unrealistic expectations that are constantly changing.
6. No listed salary range
While many states have mandated that job listings include an estimated salary, it’s still fairly common to see vacancies posted without one. Even if this is the case, a reputable employer will be able to give you a salary range when asked. If they dodge the question, it’s reasonable to wonder what they’re trying to hide–like below-market wages.
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7. Extended vacancy
This is one of the red flags where it’s important to consider the total picture because an extended vacancy alone isn’t necessarily problematic. It could simply mean the company is looking for niche skills or faces other hiring barriers, like being in a rural area. However, it’s a good idea to take note when a position has been open for a long time or has been reposted multiple times. Coupled with other red flags, it could indicate disorderly operations, unreasonably strict job requirements, or leaders who have trouble taking action.
Hiring process
A company’s hiring process can give you a glimpse into how the business is run and your experience as an employee. Keep an eye out for the following things.
8. Disjointed hiring process
A slow, inefficient, or cumbersome hiring process could hint that other processes within the organization are similarly disjointed. Some specific signs to look out for include long lapses between communications from the company, being asked to repeat tasks or complete excessive steps, or signs of a disconnect between the various people you’re speaking with from the organization.
9. Awkward interview
If you make it to the interview stage, it’s a great opportunity to get a gut check on the job and whether it fits you. If your interviewer seems disengaged or unprepared or doesn’t seem to know what your qualifications are or what job you’re applying for, it’s a pretty bad sign. If the interview leaves a bad taste in your mouth in other ways, like encountering rude staff members or having to wait a long time, it’s also cause for reconsidering.
10. Inappropriate questions
There are certain topics companies aren’t allowed to consider when hiring employees in the U.S. These include protected classes like race, ethnicity, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, or disabilities. If an interviewer asks about any of these topics, alarm bells should be ringing. It’s also a red flag if they probe for overly personal information, like asking about your relationships or medical history.
11. Hoops to jump through
Be wary of an employer that requires you to complete extra steps in the application process, like downloading a complicated app that’s mandatory to submit an application or filling out lots of paperwork before you’ve even been offered an interview.
12. Working for free
Your time is valuable, and it shouldn’t take an excessive amount of time to apply for a job. If a company asks you to work for free beyond a basic assessment or test assignment, it’s a major red flag. Any sample task you’re asked to perform shouldn’t take more than an hour, and you should never be asked to do something extensive like putting together an entire strategy or presentation.
13. High-pressure offer
If a hiring manager pressures you to give them an answer immediately after making you an offer, you should strongly consider answering with a ‘no.’ It’s the norm to ask for a day or two to consider an offer, and a reasonable employer will happily accommodate this.
14. Refusal to negotiate
Negotiation is a standard part of the hiring process. Tread carefully if a company balks at your efforts to negotiate, like making a realistic counteroffer.
Related: How to Negotiate a Job Offer
15. Asking you to quit your current job immediately
It’s natural for an employer to be excited about quickly onboarding a new hire. However, it would be best if you were never encouraged to quit your current job without giving adequate notice in order to start the new one sooner.
Company characteristics
16. High turnover
It’s unlikely that a company will tell you about its turnover rate during the interview process, especially if it’s unusually high. So, you’ll need to do some research. If you find that employees seem to come and go frequently, it could be a sign of low morale, poor leadership, or lack of advancement opportunities.
One way to gain some intel on turnover is to ask during your interview why the position is open and how long the last person held it for. You can also pay attention to the company’s job postings over time. If they advertise a vacancy and then list it again a few months later, it might be because someone left quickly after taking the job.
17. Poor morale
This is another factor that can be hard to grasp from the outside looking in, but there are ways to tell what a company’s morale is like even when you don’t work there. If you can, interview in person rather than virtually. This will give you a glimpse of employees in their daily routines. Do they look interested in their work, or is there lots of sighing and scowling? Are coworkers engaged with one another, or is the place eerily silent?
You can also do your due diligence on morale by connecting with current employees through your personal network or LinkedIn. The great thing about dissatisfied employees (from a job seeker’s perspective) is that they’re usually all too eager to warn others about a toxic work environment.
18. Lack of communication
Pay attention to how frequently a company contacts you during the hiring process and the content of those communications. Look out for terse, impersonal messages and long periods of radio silence, which may be cause for concern.
19. Lack of transparency
It’s always a good idea to come to a job interview armed with your own questions for the interviewer. Not only does this help clear up any uncertainties you might have about the role, but it will also tell you a lot about how transparent the company is. If a hiring manager seems evasive about important topics like job duties, pay, culture, or advancement opportunities, you’re probably better off continuing your search.
20. Poor online reviews
Some red flags aren’t hidden at all; they’re published on the internet for the world to see. Read reviews from current employees on a site like Glassdoor to get a firsthand account of what the workplace is like. Customer reviews are also helpful, as they can shed light on things like management issues and bad employee attitudes.
Being on the lookout for red flags can save you the hassle and heartache of taking a job that’s not right for you. By paying attention to the job description, hiring process, and your overall experience as a candidate, you’ll be able to identify potential pitfalls before making a career mistake.
