With the tech job market jumbled as it is right now, it is easy to make more exceptions than you ordinarily would out of concern that options may be more limited. But there are a lot of important things you can learn about a potential employer in the interview phase, and watching for red flags is a key part of that process.

According to a 2023 poll by Monster, “Sixty-five percent of job seekers consider jobs that require more than three rounds of interviews to be the biggest “red flag” of a bad work environment.” This could be an indicator that an employer is indecisive and disorganized, a trait that can make a job very stressful.  

Here are some more common red flags to watch out for:

• Disorganization and Disrespect

  • Is the interview process riddled with last-minute rescheduling, strange communication, or confusing behavior from interviewers? This can be a sign of a poorly managed company culture or uncomfortable interviewers. 

• Value Mismatch

  • During the interview, keenly observe the company's values in action. Do they align with your own? Is there a focus on work-life balance, innovation, and professional development? If the company culture seems cutthroat or doesn't prioritize aspects important to you, it might not be a good fit. 

• Bait and Switch

  • Did the job description differ from the responsibilities discussed in the interview? This could be a sign the company is unclear about its needs or is trying to fill a position with someone who isn't qualified. Alternatively, if the role seems to be flexible and changing even as you go through the interview process, imagine the frustration you would feel if you were already in the role. 

• Shady Salary Talk

  • Is the company tight-lipped about the salary range? This lack of transparency is a huge red flag for tech professionals, as it should be. A company that has nothing to hide should be upfront about compensation. 

• High Turnover

  • If you hear hints about high turnover rates during the interview, ask yourself why. A revolving door of employees could indicate burnout, a stressful work environment, lack of faith in the product itself, or a lack of growth opportunities. Especially with the somewhat tumultuous nature of tech right now, the implications of people willing to leave a known environment for the unknown speaks volumes.  

Red Flags Beyond the Interview

There are other ways to learn about a potential employer outside of the interview, and it is important to take the time to make sure you are jumping into an environment that is good for your career, your mental health, and your work-life balance. Do some digging online, notice the interactions you have with the company outside of interviews, and pay attention to your gut instincts when something feels off.  

• Online Reviews

  • Before the interview, search for employee reviews of the company on sites like Glassdoor. If considering joining a larger organization with a reputation, look for commentary about them in online forums like Reddit and Quora. You might find instances of unreasonable and disgruntled former employees using those channels to blow off steam, but what you read is worth paying attention to. Do the people who work there seem happy? Do those who leave have good things to say about their time there? 

• Social Media Presence

  • Not all companies have the personnel or bandwidth to curate an online presence specifically to attract high quality candidates. The lack of company branding for the sake of hiring is not necessarily a clear indication of a positive or negative work environment. However, whatever you can find about a company’s values is going to offer a great opportunity to bring telling questions to an interview. For example, if a company you are interviewing for shares proudly that they offer an inclusive work environment, you can ask the various team members you meet in an interview if the claims are true or not. A healthy workplace will ensure that interviewers have a safe environment to answer honestly to those questions.  

• The Interview Subtext

  • Pay attention to the overall energy of the interview. Did the interviewers seem engaged and interested in you? Were they positive about the company and their roles? Did you get to meet more than just the hiring manager, and did other team members have positive things to say about your future manager? More importantly, did their answers to your questions about company culture seem natural and like they were coming from an honest place?  

It is important to not overthink every detail of each interaction during your interview process... especially if you have a tendency to do so. However, be realistic about the things you heard and noticed about the company. Take what was said at face value and allow your logic to play a role in the process.