Why you shouldn’t take the job – 6 red flags to look out for

When you apply for a vacancy or attend an interview, your main focus will be on how to make a good impression and prove that you’re the best candidate for the job. However, an equally important part of the process is to check that the job and the employer are right for you. Here are six red flags to watch out for.

The conditions of the job threaten your employee rights

In the UK, all employees have rights at work. These rights include:

• receiving an employee payslip
• protection from discrimination
• to work in a safe and healthy environment
• to receive statutory sick pay
• to request flexible working

Where a job advert, job description, or interviewer suggest or make it clear that any of your employee rights are denied or reduced, this is unlikely to be an employer that treats their workforce well. If you are still interested in the role or think there may have been a misunderstanding, ask the employer for clarity.

Hostile work environment

In a hostile work environment, employees may experience discrimination, abusive behaviour, discomfort, harassment, and fear. This type of work culture can affect employees at all levels.

If you attend an on-site interview, take the opportunity to assess the atmosphere in the workplace. Do employees seem happy and relaxed? Alternatively, do they appear fearful, tense, or aggressive? How does the interviewer deal with other members of staff? Do they talk about their colleagues in a negative and derogatory way?

Is this an environment you want to work in?

Employer values are opposite to your values

Employer values are just one factor of a company’s culture. They might include integrity, commitment to customers, or diversity. However, not all employer values will be a match for your own, even if the job sounds like the perfect fit for your skills and experience.

For instance,

• a ‘live to work’ approach where you are expected to commit to your job at the detriment of your family and personal life
• a highly competitive culture that values ambition over altruism
• a love for tradition, when you are keen to bring new ideas to the table

Search the employer’s website for clues about the company culture and values.

The conditions of the job are altered

The employment conditions laid out in the job advert sound perfect; the temptation is to assume that those conditions are written in stone. However, it’s worth checking these conditions at each stage of the application process, for instance, when you:

• read the job description
• receive application information, whether online or in the post
• attend an interview
• are offered the job

Don’t be afraid to ask why the employment conditions have changed. There may be a valid reason or there may have been a misunderstanding. However, if the employer has attempted to deceive you, take this as a massive red flag.

If these changes happen after you have accepted an unconditional job offer, the employer is acting in breach of your employment contract.

The interviewer asks illegal questions

When you interview for a job, the interviewer may not ask questions that relate to your protected characteristics. This is a legal requirement under the Equality Act 2010. Protected characteristics include factors such as your age, marital status, disability, religion, or gender.

The following interview questions are therefore illegal in the UK:

• Where were you born?
• Do you have or want to have children?
• What religion do you follow?
• How old are you?
• What is your sexual orientation?

If you are asked an illegal question at interview, this may not be an absolute red flag. The interviewer may be inexperienced. However, questions about protected characteristics are illegal whether asked intentionally or not. You are within your rights to refuse to answer an illegal question.

Asking interview questions relating to your protected characteristics may reflect a company culture that is discriminatory, or at the very least, subject to unconscious bias.

The interviewer is insulting or inappropriate

There is no excuse for an interviewer to insult you, even in the guise of a joke, or to make inappropriate comments. Where this happens, it may reflect the employer’s wider work environment. You are within your rights to respond and calmly state your opinion. Don’t feel that you have to stay quiet simply to protect your chances of landing the job.

If the interviewer’s behaviour is indicative of how employees are treated at the company, do you really want to work there?

Final Thoughts

These are just six of the red flags to look out for when applying for a job. Some will be enough to step away, while others may simply merit a call for clarification. Why has the salary range changed, for instance, or did you know that you’re not allowed to ask me that? There are plenty of other red flags not mentioned in this blog post, factors like a vague job description or a lack of online visibility, but one of the most important things to listen to is your gut instinct. If a job and employer seem ideal but you feel uneasy, there’s probably a good reason.