FINDING the perfect candidate for a job can be challenging, and just as crucial as hiring the right person is ensuring that they know that the company they will be working for is a positive, friendly place.
Office space company Instant Offices have looked at the top red flags that potential employees look for. By analysing the most popular interview posts on Reddit, they were able to find the top 15 red flags hiring teams need to make sure they avoid!
The top 15 red flags
| Rank | Red Flag | Reddit Upvotes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bad Glassdoor reviews | 46800 |
| 2 | Poor answers to questions | 40800 |
| 3 | “You’ll be wearing many hats” | 32900 |
| 4 | Clothing with the company logo | 27800 |
| 5 | Suggesting you sign the contract immediately | 16200 |
| 6 | Saying their employees like overtime | 10800 |
| 7 | “Work hard, play hard” | 8100 |
| 8 | Dodging questions about pay | 7500 |
| 9 | Asking ‘what clients you can bring?’ | 6800 |
| 10 | Undercutting salary offer | 4500 |
| 11 | Suggesting work over weekends | 4200 |
| 12 | Condescending tone | 4000 |
| 13 | “We’re like family here” | 2900 |
| 14 | Poor explanations of the training process | 2200 |
| 15 | Asking bad questions | 281 |
With almost 50,000 upvotes, bad Glassdoor reviews are seen as major red flags. Many candidates do their research — and how other, and previous, employees feel is important.
Interviewees are often encouraged to ask questions as part of the hiring process, and poor answers can put a candidate off. Number Two on the red flag list.
Red flags for overworking have four entries in the top 15. Look out for terms like “wearing many hats”, “staff enjoy overtime” — and even that old chestnut “work hard, play hard”.
Google searches for “overwork culture” hit 13,000 in the month before the pandemic. There are now fewer than 2000 a month — possibly thanks to the rise in flexible and hybrid working.
