" ' We have unlimited vacation . ' Translation : ' You technically can take as much time off as you need , but we ’re going to ahem and haw about it so much that , effectively , you get very small clip forth from study . ' Also , if / when you forget the troupe , you wo n’t get any prorated holiday time paid out . "
A while back, Reddit useru/SwagYoloThiccChilFamasked, “What’s an immediate red flag to hear from HR during a job interview?” and the responses…well, you might want to bookmark these. Here are 49 things interviewers may do or say in an interview that let you know you should run, not walk, out the door.
1."‘We are in a period of a lot of change right now.’ (Code for the business is failing, chaotic, a bunch of people quit, and you’re about to walk into a total sh*tshow.)"
— atomic number 92 / nocountry4oldgeisha
2.If they give you a “‘work test’ where they ask you to complete an unpaid assignment. That’s free contract work, ladies and gents.”
— atomic number 92 / mpshumake
3."‘Overtime is strictly not allowed.’ The last time I heard that, my employer tried to make me work overtime as regular time or didn’t pay me extra at all. But it was expected I’d stay over. Never again. A company should never tell an employee they won’t compensate them for working on their time."
— [ deleted ]
4."‘We have unlimited vacation.’ Translation: ‘You technically can take as much time off as you need, but we’re going to hem and haw about it so much that, effectively, you get very little time away from work.’ Also, if/when you leave the company, you won’t get any prorated vacation time paid out."
— u / Brokelynne
5."‘We offer a longevity bonus if you stay with the company for x time frame.’ AKA, we have to pay people extra to stay here."
— u / Fickle - Psychology-77
6.“Having you take personality tests like Myers Briggs or other pseudoscience BS.”
— u / qsdf321
" I ’m a healer , and nothing pisses me off more than when employers strain to habituate personality inventories on their employees . It ’s fucking predatory and manipulative , in my opinion . "
— u / Fred_Foreskin
" I ’m in HR . Those tests are treacherous AF . Thankfully , masses are starting to phase it out . "
— u / miketigerdominates
7.“If the word ‘family’ is used.”
— u / Yemto
" I heard ' we ’re a family ' for years from an employer who afterwards fired me under unelaborated circumstances , with no warning or melioration plan ( would have been hard since nobody ever really assure me anything I involve to improve ) , a few days after I told my boss my husband and I were starting the process to adopt .
Now , I work at a position where some of my squad members genuinely feel like family , but nobody feels the need to say it 20 times a day because a company that in reality treats its employee well does n’t need to resort to guilt trip to move you . "
— atomic number 92 / HashtagNewMom
" ' Family ' or ' culture ' mean you ’re supposed to adapt [ and ] never challenge the way things are done . "
— u / aSocraticQuestion
8.“Also, if actual family members work there. Never again. Sisters, kids, wife…majorly toxic.”
— u / IOnlyhave5_i_s
9.“I interviewed for a job recently with a small startup, and they asked me if I had any questions. I told them work-life balance is important to me and asked what a typical workday looks like for their employees. They told me that was a risky thing to say in an interview, and most startups would consider that question a red flag. I said I didn’t need to work for that kind of company.”
— u / earlysong
" I had a recruiter gain out to me about a job month ago . I give out through the process , and when I got to the last audience , I asked the VP about the work - living remainder since I ’m very felicitous with my current company ’s position in that respect . The recruiter reached out a few days later and told me that one question , which accept two minutes , ' put them off , ' and they decide to go a different direction . … hummer dodged , no doubt . "
— u / Infected_Pretensile
10."‘Do not discuss your compensation with other team members.’ Somebody, probably the most senior person there, is getting screwed, and they can’t afford to lose their experience. It will someday be your turn to get screwed."
— u / CloroxWipes1
11."‘We’re no longer a startup, but still have the startup culture.’ This really means 80-hour weeks and low pay even if the company is doing well."
— u / arelath
" Or , ' We ’re a startup that ’s been in business organization for 10 + yr . ' No , you ’re a business , and that equity you ’re offering is slimy . "
— u / SuspiciousBroccoli43
" The whole ' startup ' tag is suspect . I did a job address for a acquaintance who was applying at an 11 - year startup . If you are still hound for investors after 11 year , you have to wonder about your business fashion model . It seems to be a buzzword for coolheaded , cutting edge , and a culture of overworking . "
— u / ElectricMan324
" We do n’t offer bonuses or raises , but wedohave a consortium table . "
— u / Crisis_Redditor
" Having a ' startup civilization ' also can mean that they do n’t have processes document . The deficiency of appendage and process owners written down also intend that there may be more politicking because masses do n’t know who ’s responsible for for what and can make thing up to suit their agendas . But ' move fast , break up things , ' right ? "
— moaaaaaaa
12.“Not always, but I’ve discovered there’s usually a reason — and it’s not your resume — when they seem overly eager to recruit you. Ask specifically about the turnover rate.”
— uranium / AllisonDTyner
" I went to an ' interview ' for an aided life place . The handler did n’t enquire me a single interrogation ; they just draw the chore and the shifts I would work and tell , ' You ’re hired if you require it . ' I had no previous experience with that form of job , I had run at a gas station my whole life , and all of a sudden I ’m on my own get hold of aid of dementia patient . "
— u / leah_mw1984
13."‘We will start you at $ because that is the approved position, but we will correct it at your first review.'"
— atomic number 92 / BananaSlugworth
14.Any excuse like…"‘We might not be able to meet your pay expectations because we have to check things like the gender pay gap.’ That actually happened. I was there about 18 months, but realistically, the writing was on the wall after about two or three."
— u / SuperspyUK
15.“Pretending the firm isn’t about making money, but actually making the world a better place or something. Means they will pretend the company ‘mission’ is partly a payment in itself to be a part of.”
" I worked concisely for a private equity firm where they crusade the line that we were improving the humankind by creating drugs for rare diseases . Yes , that is part of what we bring forth … but most of what we acquire are returns on investment funds for endowments , trusts , folk offices , high - final - worth individuals , etc .
Why not just own that ? ? The salary was amazing , but sugar - surface it and having so many people parachute on that phone line on an e-mail screw thread feel culty to me . "
16.“Sign this document saying you won’t file an EEOC complaint…(true story).”
— uracil / amsco
17."‘What would be the lowest salary you would work for? The absolute minimum that you can tolerate?’ What a nice way to make a possible new employee feel appreciated."
— u / lizztastic_chick
18.“That the job would probably not pay as much as I was asking for, but it had great training opportunities!”
— u / Karazhan
19."‘Work hard, play hard.’ Run as far and as fast as you can if you hear that."
— uranium / ScorpionX-123
" ' We ’re extremely short-staffed for the workload , but we order gimcrack pizza once a calendar month . ' "
— u / jayydubbya
20."‘We expect flexibility with regard to schedules from our employees. In addition to your regular weekday hours, the need may arise for you to work evenings and occasionally on weekends. So, always be prepared to accommodate staffing demands.'"
— u / Back2Bach
" For some jobs , extra time is understood as a necessary evil at sentence : manufacture , aesculapian , law enforcement , etc . For retail jobs , however , when they start talking about ' flexibleness in programing , ' you should be wary since that often means ' whenever the nooky we say you to be here , you better be here , ' and those task do n’t pay NEARLY ENOUGH for that shit . Talking about your weekend ? Gone . They called you up on your daylight off ? Be here in an hour . They make for you until midnight ? You ’re scheduled to get to the next day . "
— u / Yawzheek
21.“Expected to be on call 24/7. This is literally from a job description for Universal Studios. Unless you’re a brain surgeon, firefighter, etc. FUCK THAT.”
— atomic number 92 / wecangetbetter
" I work out in IT , and that ’s been every business I ’ve ever had for the last 25 years . Some have a revolution ; some just expect you to be reachable . Some blatantly abuse it , some do n’t , but it ’s all abusive in as much as it takes advantage of salaried workers ( expect you to be available to work hours for which you wo n’t be paid ) . "
— u / NumbSurprise
22."‘We expect this position to be your priority.’ Do not expect consistent hours that will allow you to plan for another job outside of this one — and fuck you, we won’t pay you more, so that you don’t have to do that."
— u / doublepulse
" Or if they postulate full - time availability for a part - time chore paying minimum pay . "
— u / emthejedichic
23."‘You’ll wear a lot of hats’ = We’re going to make you do the work of three people but only pay you for one."
— uracil / about_a_biscuit
" I hear this accurate phrase in one of my first Job in VFX . It really meant this : ' Four multitude just quit , and their Job are now yours , and we do n’t have sentence to train you properly . ' I became the fifth person to relinquish three week later . "
— u / UncleHeavy
24."‘No two days are alike.’ There’s a good chance that means there’s no leadership and the workplace is utter chaos. Maybe some people like not knowing what’s going to be thrown in their lap from day to day, but I like some notice and the ability to plan."
— atomic number 92 / OccasionallyWright
25."‘Be able to work on different projects with tight deadlines.’ This means you will be jumping from project to project, and of course, to finish them, you will have to work extra hours, weekends, etc. Constantly jumping from project to project will wear you out in the long run. Also, multitasking is not the most efficient way to do things. This also could mean you are doing two to three people’s jobs."
— u / jay105000
26.“They can’t describe how an ordinary workweek will look. Either it’s because it’s so dull that they won’t share it or because they haven’t really planned out this position well.”
27.“A lot of restaurants through the years — ‘Can you start tonight?’ means they are super understaffed. One time, they asked if I could start now. Like, ‘Interview’s over; hop on the line.'”
— u / Frodo_71
" Interview for garden truck shop assistant at a food market store :
Manager : ' You get the line ! Can you start this afternoon ? '
Me : ' Uhh , I ’ve got this other allegiance . '
Manager : ' You ’ve only been here 30 seconds , and you ’re already pull in self-justification to get out of your shifts . FINE ! you’re able to begin tomorrow . '
— u / originalchaosinabox
28."‘We have a hard time keeping people in this role’=People realize this job sucks and bail out quick."
29.Or…"‘We’ve had a hard time finding the right person for this position.'"
— uranium / strungup
" Either they ’re too picky , or they do n’t yield market value for the job . "
— u / herkMech96
30.Similarly, be wary if there have been a lot of people in the position before you: “I interviewed with the Executive Director of a nonprofit not too long ago who said he’d been with the agency for eight years and then proceeded to list off seven executive assistants he’d had in that time. This one was great, this one should have been let go in the first 90 days but it was the pandemic…on and on. Like, bruh, maybe you’re the problem.”
— g41215b4f0
31.“Umm yeah, we’ll need you to come in for four more interviews, and then we’ll discuss the salary.”
— u / GboyFlex
" The other is ' It ’s pendent on the nominee . ' If they are interviewing for a position , they know what it pay . "
— u / Foodwithfloyd
32.“Anything that changes [from the job description]. Job title, pay, manager, interviewers, work location (a lot are saying hybrid and then want you in every day), etc.”
— u / Harrydinkledorf
" On two juncture , I got a job offer , but the prescribed wage was dissimilar from what was in the job listing . Each prison term , I was recite it was because ' listing a high salary attracts more dependant candidates . ' Declined both offer the right way there on the spot . "
— uracil / sleestak_orgy
— uranium / Gooduglybad16
34."‘We are looking for employees that have a passion for their job and aren’t concerned as much about a paycheck.'"
— atomic number 92 / Beths_Titties
35.“They are interviewing for a position that is currently held by another person. HR asks for discretion since they have not told the employee they are being let go yet.”
36.“You need to buy X to start training.”
— u / thekillercook
" Or signalise a contract that will charge you for training if you do not work there for so many years and a non - compete article to force you into a unlike line of work if you leave . I trust some of these have been outlawed in some place now . "
— uranium / fanestre
37."‘If you leave before one year, you owe us $10,000 that we had to pay the recruiter.’ This actually happened. No, I did not continue the interview process."
— u / jbsinger
38.“Any restaurant that charges the cooks to eat.”
— u / Phillyfrom312
" If they ca n’t tip employees , it means they are failing . "
— u / alarsonious
39.“I once had a potential employer who wanted me to take a day off of the current job I had at the time and go work for free for a whole day for her, and then only if she liked me was she going to hire me.”
— uranium / theflesheatingmuffin
40."‘You give us 90 days at $, and we will give you $$.’ The trades are infamous for offers like that, and they rarely work out."
— u / Sonotreadyforit
" But then it ’s contingent on a 90 - sidereal day review , and the managing director responsible for the review is out of the question to track down . Yup , been there . "
— uracil / Sauteedmushroom2
" My husband was scammed by a 90 - day policy . He started work for a pocket-size town UPS loading hand truck and was told he had a 90 - twenty-four hour period provisionary period and that after those 90 twenty-four hour period , he would be make $ 5 an hour more . However , it was n’t 90 calendar days ; it was 90 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. that he actually work out . The chemise were 3 to 4 times a workweek , so it turn into way long than 90 factual day of him exercise there . Then , justly before his 90 switch were up , they told him they had to lay him off because of center productiveness . "
— childrenofthecornbread
41.Similarly, if they don’t work with your schedule for the interview: “A company I was interested in arranged an interview and then told me when it was. When I told them that I had obligations on that day and time, they told me I was no longer being considered. Every other company I’ve interviewed with, whether or not I got the job, included me in the interview scheduling. I probably avoided a horrible job.”
— uracil / BlartIsMyCoPilot
42.“When they tell you that your profile is overqualified, you know that they are gonna pay you shit.”
— u / Sufficient_Ad478
43."‘We want someone who is willing to go the extra mile’ = nice way of saying they’re gonna break your balls."
— u / kcf2816
44."‘The strongest stay at our company’ = very high turnover, so they sugar coat it with different labels in hopes of finding more suckers to work for them."
— u / RexCrimson _
45."‘Rapidly shifting priorities’ is code for ‘Management doesn’t know what the eff they want.'"
— u / rotatingruhnama
46.“When they don’t allow you to ask questions, or you ask questions and their responses seem vague or deceptive. Interviews are conversations, and so many people are horrible at conducting interviews. It’s 99% them grilling a candidate.”
— uranium / DryBreakfast7
47."‘Big personalities.’ I just quit a job after two years with nothing else lined up because the ‘big personalities’ were killing me."
— uranium / dtmfadvice
" ' You ’ll be working for X. They are exceedingly passionate and a brainiac in what we do . They can be demanding , but if you meet expectations , they are great to learn from . ' I meet the guy , and all his question were aim at how quickly I could figure thing out and stop require him doubt . Easy decline . "
— u / Re - create
48."‘Your coworkers will be really supportive; just ask them if you have any questions!’ This translated to: ‘You’ll be ignored by leads/management, so hopefully your coworkers have the answer or a really great meme about no one having the answer.'"
— u / Girl_Anachronism1
49."‘We don’t have a dedicated HR department, per se…’ I worked for a Fortune 500 company whose HR was essentially nonexistent. If you have an issue, talk to your boss. If you have an issue with your boss, good luck."
— u / apacherosepierski
And finally, we’ll leave you with some tips…
" While waiting for an interview , look at other employees . How do they await ? What do they do ? What do they talk about ? Do they look glad ( well , subject matter ) , friendly , or run as if a wasp nest is behind them ? Ask a doubtfulness at reception , like , ' Where is a toilet ? ' and see how they respond . "
— u / makosh22
" Also , see what the toilets search like . If they are careful with their employee ' well - being , the toilets will be clean and well-fixed ( I get laid because the washroom is where I spend most of my time at body of work ) . "
— u / yodaa_san
" necessitate about how they handled the COVID pandemic . No matter your viewpoints on that matter , how they answer will give you a good insight into how they regale people . "
— u / ronaldreaganlive
" ' What ’s your pay expected value ? ' Never , ever answer that . And as an insider , let me tell you they will ask several times in several ways , and they will make believe to be angry , hurt , offended , puzzled — they might even diss you — but never , ever answer that question . If they are n’t telling you what they expect to give , there ’s a understanding . Small or braggy companies , all are the same on this . "
— u / GoodGoodGoody
" In swop school , they always told us to put [ remuneration reach ] as ' transferable , ' and if they ask us in mortal , verify to keep it consistent and say that you ’re open to consideration and to keep the ball in their motor hotel . Until they ’re uncoerced to give you an idea of what you ’re worth or could be deserving to them , there ’s no reason to give them serious consideration . "
— u / CygniYuXian
Good luck. It’s rough out there.
submission have been redact for length / clarity .
