What are some interview red flags?

The interview is a two way process. It is as much about you deciding if you want to work for the company as the company deciding if it wants to hire you. What are some "red flags" or warning signs you should watch out for though?

Interviewer ignoring you until the interview starts.

If the interviewer doesn't say anything to you until the official start time of the interview it is a sign it is not a friendly place to work. A good interviewer will spend the time before the interview starts making casual conversation and helping you feel at ease. 

Being too eager to hire you.

If a company wants to hire you without a interview, it is a huge red flag that either the job is a scam or they don't value their employees and turnover is very high. If a company is looking for someone to work fir them long term they will take the time to make sure its a good fit for everyone. 

Not being able to immediately answer “what do you like about working here.”

A great question to ask in the interview is "what do you like about working here." If its a really good place to work the interviewer should be able to list several things without hesitation. If they have to stop and really think about it or if they give you a joke answer, that's a sign that there isn't anything people like about working at the company.

If there are signs of high turnover.

Another good question to ask in the interview is whether this is new position or a replacement. If it's a replacement, ask what happened to the previous person in the position. If they got promoted then that's a good sign. If they left at short notice or if it comes out that there have been several people in this position in the last few years - think long and hard about whether or not you should take the role.

If they say bad things about the last person in the position.

If they say bad things about the last person in the position it's a sign of a toxic workplace culture. A good company will not bad mouth past employees. Criticizing past employees is a sign that the environment is gossipy and not supportive of the people who work there. 

If they say the training is “learn as you go” or “hands on training.”
There is going to be a learning curve when you start any new job. During the course of the interview you should find out what their plan is for getting you up to speed with the job. if they say it is "learn as you go" or "hands on training" its a sign they aren't going to set you up for success and it's going to be a sink or swim workplace.

They want you to give your current employer less than 2 weeks notice.

A good employer will understand you want to respect your current employer and give them reasonable notice that you are leaving. If they push you to give less than 2 weeks notice its a sign they will be willing to get rid of you at a drop of a hat too.

A career coach can help you prepare questions for an interview.

You might also be interested in reading: Questions you should not answer in an interview.