It’s an incredibly tough market right now, so if you get an interview, you may feel pressure to answer the questions as you think the interviewer wants, rather than how you’re feeling. I don’t really recommend this approach because it so often leads to unhappy employment—just as I recommend against accepting any job offered to you simply because it was offered.
Here are some interview questions you might get that, to me, are potentially red flags:
- Are you willing to work outside your regular hours?
This question might be a little obvious, but pay attention to it. I encourage people who get asked things like this to ask some questions: “Can you give me a little context on that? Is it something that happens occasionally, or is it expected that everyone is essentially on call all the time?” All workplaces occasionally have busy times, during which everyone puts in more hours, but the healthier places will give additional compensation, and often also added flex time or vacation. - How resilient are you?
This one isn’t always a problem, but it may be a sign of an unhealthy environment in which everyone needs to be resilient because they are being treated poorly. A good follow-up question for you here is something along the lines of, “What kinds of support systems are there for employees?” - Are you competitive?
In a role that naturally has some healthy competition like some sales jobs, this might be a fair question, but it’s also potentially a sign that the employer pits workers against each other, which can be a really terrible situation in which people work to undermine one another and managers have clear favorites. Ask about shared goals and collaborative projects. - Describe your personal relationship with God.
I’ve only ever heard of this being asked once, at a nonprofit organization that was originally based in a church, but it immediately set off warning bells for me. It’s illegal for employers to ask your religion for good reason, and this feels like a legal but highly questionable way to ask anyway. - Are you willing to do whatever it takes to succeed?
This potentially sets employees up to have no boundaries and no real autonomy, and can even lead to pressure to agree with authority figures regardless of ethics. Be wary of this question, and ask things like, “I’m sorry, can you define that for me please? What are some measures of success you’d expect from someone in this role?” - What’s your minimum salary?
Don’t let them low-ball you! Your answer should be either “The posted range for this position seems reasonable, and I would want to negotiate based on my experience,” or, if there was no range posted, “What is the salary range for this role?” Also, don’t go into an interview with no preparation regarding what you consider acceptable. Have your salary range in mind, and always start at the middle and go up. - Can you commit to staying in this role for at least (insert number of years here)?
If there’s something unique about the role that makes a bit of longevity important—say there’s a grant cycle they hope to get through, for example—this question might make some sense. But often it’s a sign that there’s high turnover, and usually there’s a reason for that. Ask them, “What’s the turnover rate for this role? How long do people usually stay employed with this organization?” - Do you have children?
Or anything personal, actually. This includes your age, your race, first language or the language spoken in your home, ability status that isn’t related to the job (they can ask things like whether you can lift 25 lbs. if you’d need to do that, for instance), gender ID, sexual orientation, marital status, country of origin, and so forth. These questions are all illegal because they are discriminatory. You can absolutely refuse to answer anything like this.
Some other things to watch out for in the interview process include phrases that set off your alarms like, “We’re all family here,” a sense of disorganization often characterized by rescheduling your interview multiple times; a feeling of disrespect; gossip or negative comments about others; short and not useful answers to your questions, or anything else that feels off to you. Remember, you matter, too, so trust your reactions and don’t force yourself to accept something that doesn’t feel acceptable.
