10 Red Flags to Watch for During an Interview

Your interviewer being late or displaying a lack of investment in the interview process should be an indicator that something isn’t right. This meeting should be as much of a priority to them as it is to you.

Because it's so important, don't miss the top 10 things to do before an interview to land the job.

A job interview is as much about a potential employer getting to know you, as it is a chance for you to get familiar with the job and environment you might soon be working in. You should be prompted to ask your own questions, and your interviewer should be prepared with answers. If you leave your interview feeling less informed than when you walked in, in spite of having made relevant inquiries, this should be seen as a definite red flag.

During the interview, based on the questions asked, you got the feeling that this role might be less of a permanent one than originally implied. Your interviewer was foggy on what, if any, room for growth you might have within the company. And there was more of a concern with “how soon can you start?” than “how long would you stay?”

How do you determine this exactly? Here are the 10 questions you need to ask at a job interview.

After your interview, you still haven’t been able to zero in on just what the job entails. There hasn’t been any clear explanation of what would be expected of you, what specifically your position requires, and you wonder if your potential employer has any clear idea themself of where exactly you’d fit in.

The role you’re applying to isn’t the only one up for grabs, as there seem to be a lot of vacancies waiting to be filled. Any business with an alarmingly high turnover rate should raise some red flags. If you still end up saying yes, keep an eye out for the 10 red flags you should leave the job.

So you walked into your interview with high spirits and a positive attitude, but you left feeling like something just isn’t right. Often, anxiety during an interview can be attributed to nerves, but those nearly always subside once you get going in your meeting. If something in your gut is telling you this isn’t the right fit – listen.

Does your interviewer seem totally unprepared? If it seems that they haven’t taken the time to get familiar with you prior to your interview, it could be an indicator that you aren’t being taken seriously – or being given the respect of your time. You made an effort to come prepared to this meeting, and anyone across the table from you should do you the courtesy of approaching it the same way.

You may also find it helpful to read this post on bosses revealing their worst interview moments.

Sure, the business circuit is a competitive one, and whatever field you’re in, there’s going to be opportunities that rally multiple qualified contenders. However, if you walk into your meeting and are ambushed by a “group interview” where you feel you are being pitted against your competing applicants – this is not okay. Group interviews are perfectly acceptable, given you are notified ahead of time, and there is some sound logic behind it. Simply grouping applicants together to save time and filter through people more quickly displays a blatant lack of consideration or respect to your time.

You’re caught off guard when your interviewer suddenly interjects and offers you the job on the spot. Sure, things were going well, but now you’re being pressured to accept and wondering just what the rush is on their part? Job interviews are an integral part of discovering just what kind of a fit a potential employee and company might have, and taking some time to absorb the information and reflect on the interview after the fact is a big part of that. Be wary of anything that seems too good to be true, and take the time you need to be absolutely sure before you sign on the dotted line.

Making sure you come equipped to your interview with the right questions for your would-be employer is crucial to gaging whether or not this is the right opportunity for you – and vice versa. If, in your interviewer’s answers, you discover this role is in direct conflict with career objectives you’ve set out for yourself, and doesn’t fall in line with the kind of work you hoped to be doing, you may need to reevaluate the position, and tweak those filters in your job search engine.

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