5 Red Flags When Interviewing

I know this is a tough job market, and in a sea of numerous applications without a single interview scheduled, it can be exhilarating when a recruiter calls and books some time with you. But here at the prescreen is when you should begin paying attention to how the company and its employees operate. Red flags fly at high mast when there are issues, but sometimes we miss them due to excitability for the role or out of pure exhaustion from the process. Here is where I encourage you to stay strong.

Here are the top 5 red flags to look out for while interviewing for a role:

• Your experience with the recruiter. Are they communicating well and often? When they say something, does it come to pass or change? Are interviews cancelled last minute or rescheduled more than once.

• The length of time of the interview process and/or the various steps they require you to take.

• Their response to some of your questions like, "What's it like working here?" or "What do you like most about being employed here?" Non verbal cues are powerful.

• Doing research on the company—social media, news, informational interviews, etc.—and you find something that doesn't align with your core values based on how they operate or treat their employees and customers.

• They want to communicate via Telegraph, Signal, or WhatsApp versus company email, phone, or text channels. They ask for personal information or immediately say you are hired based on what they see in your resume without an interview. Their company email isn't correct or spelled wrong, for example: Korn Ferry but spelled with only one "r." And they ask for any sort of payment, i.e. to cover the cost of the background check for example.

Remember, interviewing is a two-way street. You're evaluating them just as much as they're evaluating you. Trust your gut—if something feels off, it probably is. You deserve to work somewhere that respects you from day one, starting with the interview process.