What good is any job if you desperately want to quit after a few days? Watch out for these signs to know whether you should accept the job offer or not!
Please read ……Reference : Mumbai Mirror, Article dated 7th July 08 in the YOU section
Interviewer is not prepared
Companies try to be on their best behaviour when hiring employees. The receptionist talks in a sugar-coated tone and you simply cannot miss the ‘angelic halo’ on your potential boss’s head. The walls are embellished with their annual targets (how many of them have been achieved is top secret, by the way). In simple words, potential candidates are always treated better than the existing ones. In such a case, if the manager can’t even conduct a proper interview, how can you expect him/her to manage your training session and provide a consistent feedback on your performance, once you are hired? In the same way, if the interview keeps getting delayed or postponed, it shows that the company is ill-prepared and everything is not hunky-dory behind the walls.
All you go through is a group interview
If the interview has various stages and group discussion is only of them, then it’s fine. However, if the final and deciding interview is conducted in a group, it shows the laziness on the part of the company to find the right candidate. They may term it as an effective time management tool. However, how good is a time management technique that takes the vital hiring procedure for a ride? Chances are that in the group interview the silent (yet efficient) candidate may be overshadowed by loud and aggressive, but irresponsible ones. If such is the hiring policy of the company, one can only imagine how they would be treating their current employees.
Interviewer brags way too much
Your potential boss may be the most difficult soul to work with on this planet but chances are, he/she will never let you know about it until you are officially hired. However, identifying a difficult boss is not that difficult. It’s a done thing that in any interview, you need to sell yourself over others candidates and hence you highlight every possible positive aspect that comes to your mind. If your potential boss jumps at every opportunity and brags about his/her own achievements, it shows that he/she is someone who puts personal show-off over official priority, which is finding the right candidate. It shows the kind of self-obsessed boss you would be working under if you accept the offer.
The Interviewer starts complaining
If the interviewer confides in you with his/her problems, it shows high probability of you getting the job. However, it’s a strong sign that you shouldn’t take up the job. Sharing frustrations shows that everything is not so good after all in ‘la la land’. A boss who bad mouths his existing employees will bad mouth you as well once you start working under him/her. Not only that, if the complaints are genuine, it only indicates the office chaos that you might be getting into. It shows that the company is harbouring an environment where everyone, including your boss, is fed up. Surely, you are better off without this job.
They ask Inappropriate questions
You are so focused on impressing the interviewer that you don’t mind any question that he/she asks. However, the unnecessary queries about anything that’s not directly related to the job shows potential harassment later when you are hired. It also indicates that the company has an unspoken policy of hiring employees only of a particular religion or belief. In case you come across such a situation, politely ask the interviewer to explain the underlying concern. If the person realizes the error and moves to the next question, it shows that he/she is genuinely sorry about trespassing into your personal space. However, also keep in mind that enquiries related to sex, race or religion are seldom innocent.
Rewards are highly over emphasised
When the interview comes to briefing you about the company, all he/she speaks of are your weekly leaves, your xyz reimbursements, the subsidised canteen food and the late night drop that the office provides in case you happen to work till late. Everything else such as the job skills, office culture and career opportunities are sidelined. If the interviewer doesn’t tell you of what’s expected out of you, it shows the sheer desperation of the company to hire an employee, any employee. It shows that the company is trying to hide something.
The interview takes place outside office
If the company’s office is in Delhi and you are meeting the interviewer in Mumbai, it is possible that the interview takes place in a hotel or any other venue. However, if the company has a local office in the city and yet decides to carry on the interview somewhere else, it’s a warning signal. Chances are that the employer is trying to hide something about the office or maybe the work environment. The image projected by the company may be far from what you may see when you visit their office. To minimise the risk, make sure you visit their main office before accepting the offer.
Regards,
Vrushali.
