Red Flags To Look Out For in the Job Hunting and Hiring Process

Even though it is seen as/perceived to be an employees market in some industries right now; yet job hunting can still feel like a gruelling process, where you can feel like a mouse chasing its own tail, and in finding the right cheese for some much needed nourishment, metaphorically speaking. Employers can dictate the terms of employment, from how many days a week the successful applicant/s will work, and hours that a specific role advertised for is offering; yet openness and transparency on their end is so crucial. No one likes surprises at the end of the day. I mean, you have sent your CV through, where you have laid out all of your skills, experience and qualifications, like no stone has been left unturned by you, the applicant. This would naturally make any job seeker vulnerable, as you will have some competition; regardless of the type of role you are applying for, as well as to whether or not the job in question is being offered on a permanent or casual basis. Plus you are handing over some personal information, of which can be quite sensitive to some people. Of course, the more flexible you are on the type of work you are seeking; the easier and faster it will be for you to secure employment, and ideally of the more meaningful type. You have fulfilled your end of the bargain by being open and honest in your CV, and in providing suitable references for them to contact; now the employer needs to fulfil their end of the stick. There are some good employers that do, while there are others that are not so transparent unfortunately.

As job seeking is challenging enough, regardless as to what the economy is doing at any particular moment; it really pays to be on alert, and to acknowledge any red flags on the potential employers end, so to save you some time, and to ideally avoid you going back onto the job market again a mere few weeks to six months later. No one wants to do that. If I was not solely running my own business, with the exception of temping for the Government 2-4 times a year; I would personally think of better and more meaningful things to do with my time, than to send out my CV, write cover letters, speak to potential employers over the phone, and attend interviews and assessment centres, among other recruitment and selection activities, depending on the role at hand; with no guaranteed outcomes at the end of the day. Life is short.

Therefore this article is designed to help you to identify any red flags in the hiring process for a new role, from reading the job ad itself, to what a potential employer will say to you either in the phone screen, and/or during an interview. Just because these red flags are raised does not mean that such a potential employer is a bad company to work for. These red flags are designed to help you identify any problems, and do your research, so you can make an informed decision. Hint: I highly recommend you bookmark this article among your other job hunting resources, so to save you time, energy, and possibly money during this process. Hopefully it saves your sanity as well. (These red flags are quite common with private companies/in the private sector).

You might be wondering what gives me authority to write about this? I have come across people's pain points in their careers when I was working as a psychologist in therapy, where people would see me about their mental health challenges. The common themes around burnout, unhappiness, and general job dissatisfaction with their jobs and/or careers, really comes down to what I am about to share. I have also had my fair share of working in HR, in recruiting and training people in the workplace, prior to going out on my own. And I know what it is truly like to work in not quite right roles and workplaces.

"I have seen these red flags in some of the companies I have worked for in the past; both through my own experiences, and through what some co-workers, friends, previous partners, and family members shared with me at the time. These red flags are more common than what many people realise." - the author of this article.

Furthermore, I have just gotten my feet wet (another side hustle) as a career coach in the jobs resignations niche, where clients talk to me about the reason/s as to why they wish to quit their current job. Once I have collected this data, I then go ahead and write the resignation letter for them to give to their employer. If their employer asks such a client to re-consider their resignation (this has happened to a couple of my clients already); their reason/s for leaving in the first place are usually because these 'red flags' were either overlooked, or not thought about during the hiring process. A few of my clients have kept their original job ads (printed out), and I am just blown away with these red flags that appeared on some of these ads, of which I am about to share with you; although errors of judgment can and do happen. There were promises that the employer made to them, of which they failed to keep, and therefore failed to fulfil their end of the deal. For example, one of my clients was a National Events Manager for a finance company she wished to leave. She was promised interstate travel to attend her events. Naturally for someone in such a senior position; this is a given to be present at the events you created, and therefore are managing, just in case anything happens to go wrong in real time. Your guess is as good as mine: these interstate business trips never eventuated.

These are the key red flags to look out for during the hiring process, and these are shared in order of brainstorming, as opposed to order of importance:

• Signs that you are "breadcrumbed."

Now what do you mean by this term, you might ask? You go through the entire hiring process, and everything is fine. The potential employer says that they are waiting on a start date for whatever reason. Usually it is a budgetary factor, which is acceptable. Monetary factors aside; the potential employer keeps postponing your start date, and this can go on for months on end - when you could have already been engaged and earning an income in this new role. In other words, you received the breadcrumbs. It happens in romantic relationships, and can also happen in friendships as well. You know that friend that only calls you when they want something, and therefore has zero interest in your own welfare? This means that you have been given the bread crumbs, and hence you have been breadcrumbed.

• "We work hard, and we play hard/play even harder."

The above means that this particular workplace breeds an environment of high stress, long hours, and unrealistic KPI's and other performance targets/metrics. Naturally all of these factors can and do lead to burnout. In such workplaces, it is common for large carrots to be dangled, with targets that are either out of reach, or if they get achieved, with the goalposts moving all of a sudden. Hitting these targets generally come with massive incentives such as overseas trips, cash, and furniture to name. This is why they are deliberately hard to attain, where many people are pushed to work harder and smarter, trying to not burn out in the process.

The culture of such working environments is derived from a sense of fear of rejection and failure. Furthermore, the attractive fringe benefits/activities planned are usually scheduled outside of normal working hours, where no overtime remuneration is granted; and thereby such employees/workers are missing out on valuable time with their family.

• Glassdoor reviews have an average score of 3.5 (or less) out of 5 for that particular employer. Please read them before applying.

It is important to follow this process, and that way you can avoid some unpleasant surprises, and/or difficult conversations down the track. You simply search for the company name on Glassdoor. If the average review is 3.5 or less out of 5, then that company has some cultural problem. Read each and every review, and pay special attention to what current and previous employees have said in the role that you are applying for. For example, yours truly was once looking at suitable account management roles, and with one particular company, I did not bother applying, as the common thread in these reviews from all Account Managers and Business Development Managers is that "I went downhill very quickly." No one wants that in their careers. Spending an extra half an hour on this with each ad will save you a lot in the long run.

• The potential employer fails to explain how the bonus/commission/retainer system works for sales roles.

There are other roles (apart from sales) that also offer such incentives, including profit share. If the role you are applying for mentions such incentives in the ad, then you need to be sure that the potential employer explains such to you in a clear and concise manner. If explained vaguely or not at all - that is definitely a red flag. Some targets are team based, while others are not. For example, in one sales role in the past, bonuses would only be paid if a new client signed an agreement within 14 days of first contacting them, and all combined phone conversations in that time needed to be at least 10 minutes long. Incentives are different in every company. Never assume.

• "We are a family/we are like a family."

Potential employer, no you are not. Your line of thinking: I come to work to clock in and clock out, and provide a valuable service in order to pay my bills. This phrase is common in job ads posted by smaller businesses. Larger companies can still say the same thing though. Seriously, this is a joke. This is a workplace. When we are working (even for those of us who have our own businesses); this is a stark reminder that we are not seeing our family while at work. On the other hand, if you are a business owner (like me with my freelance work); then that business is your family. Business owners and freelancers are married to their business, while jobs are like are going on dates. You date jobs. You do not marry them.

Naturally, employees do not care about your business as much as you do. No different to how tenants in your investment home would not naturally take as much care of the property as you would. Employers cannot fill that void. It is unrealistic and insulting. Family run businesses can also feel cult like. Just because your parents are a Lawyer for example, does not mean that you have to be as well in some families, in order to work at the family law firm. I was fortunate to grow up in two families that allowed me the option to explore my career options. To that, I am forever grateful for both mothers (and a dad) for giving me this golden opportunity in order to do so.

• "We will promote you later."

If this is promised to you in an interview prior to you signing the contract of employment - then please listen up. If a potential employer says this to you; it means that they have cash flow problems, and therefore cannot afford to pay you what you are worth right now, and/or perhaps they do not want to. This is like another carrot dangle. If such is promised to you, you must get it in writing; otherwise you will be in for a stressful fight. Managers leave organisations, and so do recruiters. Good companies do not mess around with their employees, by shifting the goalposts all the time. If the latter happens - get the hell out of there.

• "You are replaceable/we can fill this position in five minutes."

If not, something along those lines anyway. This comment reminds me of Andy, Miranda's assistant in the movie The Devil Wears Prada. We are, yet such thinking on the employers part is so shallow. Strict guidelines would have to be followed, and therefore if you do not follow procedures to the letter; they will definitely get rid of you. In such situations, you give away all your power, and therefore live in fear. Do not waste any more time, and go ahead and find a better job with a company who actually values you and your skills set.

• The interviewer fails to show up at the interview.

We are human beings, and unfortunately crisis situations and adversities do happen. People get sick. People get involved in accidents. If the interviewer fails to show up at the interview without informing you prior; that is clearly a red flag. It is a message that they do not respect your time. If this interviewer is your potential manager, it really makes you question as to where else they would be tardy and disorganised as your actual manager, if you got hired.

• "We wear a lot of hats/we wear many hats."

This is quite common for start up companies to say. Expect to be asked to do multiple jobs, and also some that are highly likely above your ability, experience, and qualification levels; no different to feeling like a unicorn. Great companies will have the right resources in place, so you do not need to be in that vulnerable position.

• "We are in start up mode."

This is simply an excuse for employers to overwork you, and not pay you what you are truly worth. Again, you would be expected to juggle multiple jobs and responsibilities. This phrase should only be acceptable for companies in their first year of operation, because then they are a true startup. This is why it is important to research the potential employer before accepting a job offer with them.

• "We are the leader in our industry/we are a leading XYZ company."

According to who? This is where it also pays to do your research. Which industry body has given this accreditation?

• "Hit the ground running." or "This is, or We are working in a high energy and/or fast paced environment."

Such employers usually expect miracles with no structure, training or support. Companies should not throw anyone in the deep end immediately, without some form of handover, induction and/or training. In other words, be prepared to go beyond your job description in some cases. This can also mean that the company is grossly understaffed, and that you could be doing the work or two or more people. Likewise if you see or hear the words "thrives in a fast paced environment" and "can multi-task." Such red flags can also be signs of disorganised management.

• "We only hire rockstars."

They only work with the creme de la creme. Go on Glassdoor, and challenge them. You have to be well compensated for your talents.

• "We are always hiring."

Clearly a sign of high staff turnover. Sure, businesses might need to hire multiple times a year during growth spurts, yet realistically, how much are businesses really growing in a high inflationary climate? Most are stable, as not all businesses can raise their prices high enough to keep pace with inflation; unless you are the CEO of Apple. Just saying. There are periods where a business should not be hiring, as businesses normally go through seasonal times. A huge red flag for an established company. Ask some hard questions. Be careful of companies that lay you off when things are tough financially, and then re-hire you when the times are better. Would you go back to a relationship with a needy partner who cheated on your multiple times? No Way Jose. They are not committed to you.

• "We have a foosball table."

There is a perception that the companies offices are hip and trendy, and those that have a foosball table not always are. Quite common with tech companies. If they treat you poorly, you could not be bothered to use it anyway.

• "We encourage free spirited people and ideas."

If the company is entrepreneurial, and/or is a true start up - this is more believable; however this statement is definitely a red flag for large corporations that have to report to shareholders, and in the public and not for profit sectors.

• If asked in the interview: "Are you thick skinned?"

This can imply a toxic culture of bullying and gossip. The same goes if you are asked how you respond to conflict in the workplace. Also if you are asked: "How do you deal with stress?" It is common to work under pressure though. That is the nature of work. You will have some great days, and some not so great days. Like anything really.

• Watch out if "wellness hour" is scheduled during lunch periods - like midday to 1pm and the like.

Fantastic for those in HR (the ones who actually hire people, are who are responsible for putting those buzzwords out there) - but no so great for those in sales and customer service, who can only speak to a relevant customer/client during those times.

Other buzzwords like competitive salary are not as much as a red flag, yet it really makes you think. If a company raises their salary (say) $500 a year ahead of their competition; is that really competitive? Higher salaries usually include a lot of hidden elements like longer hours. If employers promise more than their competitors, I would also enquire into that more.

Furthermore, if an employer asks for specific skills, credentials, licenses and qualifications; that is not a red flag. Resilience is a buzz word, which really means that you need to be calm under pressure. That is expected, as well as specific computer skills and the like. You are expected to generally be a quick learner, and in these times, to adapt to remote learning. You are expected to be a great communicator, and to be well organised. Again, it all depends on the job at hand.

Now I will leave you with an appropriate song. I am sure that many of us are familiar with the waiting game when it comes to a new work opportunity...

Good luck in your job search.