Hiring managers need to avoid these job interview red flags for candidates
Hiring managers pay close attention to the red flags job candidates give off during interviews. That might include frequent job hopping or resume gaps, or dodging questions around why they left their past role.
But what about the red flags hiring managers are giving off to candidates?
Job seekers are increasingly discerning when deciding who they want to work for, aided by tips and tricks online, like TikTok videos explaining warning signs to look for in interviews that an employer might not be the best choice. They can also visit sites link Glassdoor where candidates who’ve had poor interview experiences share that publicly, potentially harming companies’ employer brands.
In fact, Google searches for “job interview red flag” are up by 204% this year, according to a report from Somebody Digital, a digital marketing agency.
In order to attract the best staff, here are some red flags hiring managers might be giving off themselves during interviews that they should try their absolute best to avoid.
Multiple date changes, dodgy timing
The Great Resignation that came following the pandemic drove many companies and HR teams to tweak their own hiring practices to better attract staff amid tight competition. Many sped up their processes to ensure greater timeliness with hiring. Now that employers are back in a position of more power, they’ll have to make sure they remain timely and communicative to not lose out on needed talent.
Constant rescheduling is one big red flag, said Cristiano Winckler, director of operations at Somebody Digital.
“Repeatedly changing the interview date shows a lack of respect for your time, and can reveal that the company wouldn’t respect your time if you got the job, either,” Winckler said.
“Last minute changes without apology are not only rude, but can show gaps in communication within the company that can lead to a frustrating hiring process and stressful workplace. The interviewer should value your time, as they would expect you to value theirs,” he said.
Drawn-out interview process
Lengthy hiring processes that include meeting with people at multiple levels of an organization over the course of months should also be a red flag for candidates, said TikTok creator helenapaschal.
“HR does not want you to know the reason you’re having these long, drawn out interviews – and let that be a red flag. That means they do not have an organized hiring process and they do not have a sense of urgency,” she said.
“And I can promise you like 99% of the time that onboarding is also going to be a nightmare. In that third interview if they aren’t talking about compensation and salary [and] you’re not coming back and forth with counteroffers, then move on.”
Unreasonable take-home assignments
One interview behavior that can send red flags and lead candidates to online platforms to warn others about their experience are long take-home assignments. In many fields it’s traditional for some sort of testing to happen in the interview process to gauge someone’s relevant skills. But lengthy, quick-turnaround assignments can turn candidates off.
Employers should ensure take-home assignments are reasonable, and offer more detailed justification for why the assignment is a part of that particular interview process.
“I’ll accept a small test assignment from a potential employer, particularly if I’m new to their industry and need to prove my adaptability,” said April Kelsey, senior copywriter and communications strategist at Marketable Copy.
However, “a disturbing trend has arisen of employers asking job candidates to perform unpaid strategy work on a short timeline as part of their evaluation process. Not ok. Strategy is hard and takes time and immersion to develop,” Kelsey said.
Questionable salary range
Recent pay transparency legislation has led many more companies to share salary information in job postings. But salary ranges too wide can be a red flag to potential employees.
“If you’re working in Hampton Roads as opposed to San Francisco, there’s going to be some difference in pay. But it shouldn’t be a $100k difference,” Kelsey said. “Skills are skills, and they deserve to be compensated at the appropriate level. A too-broad salary range signals that something fishy might be afoot.”
In Kelsey’s opinion, salary ranges should generally be around $20,000 to $30,000 she said.