In this article, we talk about what are red flags in an interview.
This was it, I finally found it! My dream job. This job was a combination of everything I wanted. A job that leveraged data/analytics and strategy, plus was at a mission driven, real estate start-up. I’d have the opportunity to be a builder – to create something – to make serious cash if we went public. This was it. The only thing standing in my way was the interview process and I was determined to crush it. I had no idea about the signs of what are red flags in an interview.
What are red flags in an interview you ask? Well let me tell you about my interview process.
Red Flags in an Interview
- The first round was a conversation with the recruiter. Simple and straightforward. I was the perfect fit and you can tell he thought I was too.
- The second round was a meeting with the hiring manager. He was nice enough and asked more questions about my background and experience.
- The third round was a meeting with a potential colleague that I would be working closely with. He asked tough questions on how I’d be able to support clients even though I wouldn’t interact with them.
- Not to mention, another call with a new recruiter.
- The fourth round was an at home case study. Simple data analytics and a powerpoint deliverable – as a consultant, this was my bread and butter.
- The fifth round was a walk through with the hiring manager on the case and some more problem solving questions.
- The sixth round was a meeting with one of the cofounders. He was a little quirky, but ultimately it went well.
- The seventh round was a meeting with another one of the cofounders. He asked me a bunch of data questions and made me correct the SQL code that he sent over zoom chat.
- After the conversation, he asked me to meet-up in NYC that day for a “team happy hour” even though I was currently in Boston. So naturally I ran to the store to purchase an outfit, then took a train straight to NYC of course. Was I that desperate?
- I met with the team and then chatted with the same cofounder for over an hour about critical business problems.
- When it was all over, I found myself laying in bed with massive anxiety. I couldn’t sleep, something felt off, but I had a long day, so I just slept it off.
- The eighth round was a meeting with the hiring manager again.
I was told many times it would be the “last round”, but the process dragged on and on. These are what Are Red Flags in an interview
Then it happened, days later, the magical email. “Do you have time to chat?” After a grueling process, I just had the feeling. I was getting my dream job, but can you even call it that after 8 rounds of interviewing?
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I got on the phone and my heart was beating so fast. I got the offer, but at that time and after so long I had other offers too. Should I even take the offer after such a long drawn, chaotic interview process? What are red flags in an interview process? Do these count as red flags? Ultimately, I decided to take the job, but here’s the kicker, I was no longer a part of the company about a year later. I should have seen the signs.
What are red flags in an interview? Well, here are the ones I identified:
- Culture matters, more than you realize. The saying “It starts at the top” is so true. The long hours, meetings after 6pm, toxic environment, and “team happy hours” on Thursdays impact your life.
- If the interview process is long and unorganized, the company probably functions the same way. This was what became true for me. Shortly into my time at my dream job, I realized that no one knew what they were doing, decisions took forever to get made, and there was no focus.
- It starts at the top. If the founders make you uncomfortable during the interview, chances are you won’t be comfortable when you start the job. There was a toxicity in the air the moment I started. People weren’t getting along and there was a lot of tension. To add to the tension, around four months in, the business wasn’t doing well and one for the cofounders was pushed out by his best friend.
- If your gut tells you something isn’t right, it isn’t. If you have trouble sleeping after an interview, trust me your body is warning you that this is not the right fit.
- If they don’t try to sell you on their product, they don’t have a product. When looking for a job, especially at a start-up. It’s all smoke and mirrors until you join. Once you enter the doors, you see the true reality of what is. For me that was a company that was branded as an innovative, funding earning tech start-up, but was really a service company that inflated their valuation.
- Your manager is everything – if the hiring manager seems aloof, chances are they will quit within 6 months of you joining. Mine did and guess what- i ended up reporting into one of the co-founders that made me uncomfortable as soon as he was gone.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, don’t idolize something for what it is not. Sometimes we get so excited about an opportunity that we fail to see the true reality that it is not what we thought it was going to be. A job description is not indicative of a job experience.
What are red flags in an interview? Well, If the interview process is a disaster, the company likely is too. People don’t change and companies don’t change. Sometimes, we have this idea of what the dream job is, but it is at the wrong company or the dream job is sold as something great in the interview, but turns out to be a completely different job. For me, I was too blinded by what I thought was the dream job to realize that the company was a sh*t show.
Looking for more article related to interviews? See more here.
What are some red flags you’ve encountered during job interviews, and did you take the job? We’d love to hear your experiences! Leave a comment below.
