Red flags during hiring process

[Anonymous]

What is your experience with overlooking red flags in the hiring process? Was everything fine once you came on board? Did you wish you had listened to your gut?

I don't want to get into specifics because the hiring people are local and obviously I don't want them to see this and know it is me. Just suffice it to say that there have been several red flags during a long laborious interview process and now that I have an offer in hand, I am not sure how to proceed. No issues with the org or general culture but specifically the hiring process.

[Anonymous]

Twice there have been red flags about the culture of a place (and people not staying long) that I overlooked because I was seduced by the opportunity.

Both times the organizations were total disasters and I left as soon as I hit a year.

Never again!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Twice there have been red flags about the culture of a place (and people not staying long) that I overlooked because I was seduced by the opportunity.

Both times the organizations were total disasters and I left as soon as I hit a year.

Never again!

This happened to me once. I got a bad vibe at every step, almost like I hoped I wouldn’t get it.

They made an offer, I accepted it, and it was the most miserable place I have ever worked. I spent the first year trying to make it better, and the second year finding a new job.

[Anonymous]

Always listen to red flags.

[Anonymous]

Red flags don’t go away. And just because something wouldn’t be a red flag for someone else doesn’t mean it won’t be for you.

[Anonymous]

I think it depends. If it’s a huge corporation then the hiring process could be very distinct from where you work. But if it’s a smaller place, then I’d listen to the red flags and weigh them against your other options.

[Anonymous]

It depends. If red flags are related to people you will be working with or the organization as a whole - decline.

But I have also worked a good organizations that had inept HR people and sometimes the HR were contact people who were not actually part of the organization.

So, I wouldn’t necessarily judge an organization by its HR people. However, if the concerns are with non-HR people who were part of the process then don’t ignore.

[Anonymous]

Depemds

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is your experience with overlooking red flags in the hiring process? Was everything fine once you came on board? Did you wish you had listened to your gut?

I don't want to get into specifics because the hiring people are local and obviously I don't want them to see this and know it is me. Just suffice it to say that there have been several red flags during a long laborious interview process and now that I have an offer in hand, I am not sure how to proceed. No issues with the org or general culture but specifically the hiring process.

I'd rather let a position go unfilled then hire someone with red flags.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is your experience with overlooking red flags in the hiring process? Was everything fine once you came on board? Did you wish you had listened to your gut?

I don't want to get into specifics because the hiring people are local and obviously I don't want them to see this and know it is me. Just suffice it to say that there have been several red flags during a long laborious interview process and now that I have an offer in hand, I am not sure how to proceed. No issues with the org or general culture but specifically the hiring process.

I'd rather let a position go unfilled then hire someone with red flags.

Sorry realizing you are saying this the other way around - you see red flags as an applicant. Unless you are currently unemployed, I would stay away. Your gut is telling you something important.

[Anonymous]

This has happened to me.

The President verbally gave me an offer and told me the job was mine. Luckily I didn’t give notice! HR said I needed to wait for my references to clear (Background already did). Head of HR was really rude (now gone). My direct manager (one below President but Pres dotted line too) I had a feeling was off and wishy/washy. Rude to me in interview, on phone, up and left then came back, etc.

Ghosted. Found out one of my back door references (not one I gave but they contacted them anyway and former colleague) got the job. Former colleague basically exaggerated their work from what I heard and what’s online. They were gone a year later (although not sure if company or because this person exaggerated their work and basically did very little and took others work as their own).

The direct manager is also now gone but I had to contact them for a reference and they basically told me they were indecisive and didn’t trust anyone.

Also knew two other people in this organization who also left pretty quickly. Looking back it’s lucky I didn’t get the role because it would have meant a move right before Covid into a big city and most likely a toxic place to work. I also look at the work and it’s the same, they received a ton of grant $ and didn’t really go beyond what they were already doing and the $ was a huge amount/ deal.

Remember it works both ways. Honestly if I got the offer I probably would have accepted because it was at a name brand organization with a fancy/ excellent title and I thought did amazing work. I think somehow karma knew it wasn’t right for me. Now I have been somewhere 5 years have been really happy and although it’s not perfect, has been a good place and I have been promoted. Many people here stay and are promoted which says something about where you work.

If you have a job I wouldn’t take it. If you’re unemployed you might have too. After 2008 I had to take a role that was awful, toxic, etc, but I needed the $. I said never again, life is too short, but now I have a family so it’s also different if you have other people to support.

Do some more digging if you have anyone in your network you can contact about work life balance, etc.

[Anonymous]

No warning signs or red flags. I accepted the job and was blindsided by the dysfunction, backstabbing, and poor team management.

[Anonymous]

I had one job where there were red flags during the interview process. I ignored them because I really needed the job. It was the most miserable experience of my life. The pay was terrible, the management was a lawsuit waiting to happen, everyone was angry and the whole place was absolutely toxic. I left after 6 months.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't call this a red flag because I was mostly seduced by the big pay increase I was getting. But a couple years ago I took a new career-adjacent position to my previous job and I ended up getting stabbed in the back a year later and pushed out the door. I took the advice of someone I thought I trusted and didn't talk to anyone who actually worked in the company or knew the guy I was going to work for, who would have told me he was out of his depth and loved to blame employees for his inability to manage people and how overall the company was a toxic work environment that was circling the drain.

Next time I'm tempted to leave a position for a new one, I'm definitely scouring LinkedIn and personal connections to talk to people who work at the company and actually know the person I would be working for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends. If red flags are related to people you will be working with or the organization as a whole - decline.

But I have also worked a good organizations that had inept HR people and sometimes the HR were contact people who were not actually part of the organization.

So, I wouldn’t necessarily judge an organization by its HR people. However, if the concerns are with non-HR people who were part of the process then don’t ignore.

This is my feeling/experience