Bosses have finally revealed what ‘subtle red flags’ we give away in job interviews that disqualify us immediately.
Applying for jobs can be a draining fiasco, though the real test is often reserved for a one-on-one interview with the boss.
Practicing the job spec and company ethos in the mirror might put you in good stead, but there are some ‘subtle’ things to be mindful of too as you could be inadvertently leaving a bad first impression on your prospective manager, which ultimately rules you out of the running for the job.
Fortunately, hundreds have taken to Reddit to share some of their most memorable ‘red flag’ interviews, which range from hilarious to downright frightening.
At the lighthearted end of the scale, an interviewer said they once had a candidate who was ‘literally forwarding our questions into ChatGPT‘ and then reciting the answers.
The hiring manager said things turned sour when they asked: “What’s something a previous employer or educator has recognized you for?,” and they replied: “Examples of things that an employer might recognize an employee for are…”
This practice is apparently ‘disturbingly common’, if the forum is to be believed, as dozens of others said they can see their interviewees ‘reading off a screen’ and turning to AI to help out.
Another said they had two remote interviews, during one the person was ‘Googling answers’ while the other was seen on camera attempting to ‘lip sync’ the answers in real-time that were spoken out loud by someone else.
Managers further revealed the rise of ‘paid interviewers’, which sees candidates fork out for someone else to face the heat in the hope the hiring team don’t realize.
A bank worker said when the company branched out to a new center in India, they had ‘the same guy’ sitting in five interviews but had tried to outsmart them by altering his appearance.
“On Monday he had a full beard and Sikh turban. On Tuesday morning he still had a full beard but now he had a Hindu sign on his forehead. On Tuesday afternoon he had a goatee,” the Redditor continued.
The ‘actor’ was eventually rumbled and was even offered the job but turned it down as he already worked for Google.
“It was a shame because he was one of the better candidates”, the post added.
But as for the most subtle signs, one manager says they try to disagree with the interviewee, and if they ‘get defensive’, it’s a red flag.
Another said it all comes down to your enthusiasm.
“I can teach anything but giving a damn,” they wrote. “If your interview doesn’t show you give a damn, it was a waste.”
Another agreed: “I asked someone in an interview why they wanted the job and they said it was just to fill in until they could find something better.”
And then there’s the blatant mistakes – like forwarding email chains that shows your buddy helped you answer test questions, lying about your diploma or turning up to a job interview ‘high’, smelly, late ‘with a Starbucks drink in your hand’ or while your kids wait in the car.
Although honesty is celebrated, many also said to avoid making confessions that would terrify your interviewer.
One boss said their interviewee revealed she ‘technically wasn’t allowed to be in the building’ because someone had a restraining order against her’ while another said their candidate revealed they were sacked from their last job for ‘harassment’, followed up with: “Oh, don’t worry, just regular harassment, not sexual harassment.”
