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Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?
141–150 of 278 posts
Re: Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?
#142Years ago I was interviewing for a software engineering role. At the end of one of the interviews I asked how they liked working there. And the interviewer caught me off-guard with "it kind of sucks". She went on to explain that the company recently promoted a bunch of youngsters into VP roles through a combination of nepotism and early start dates, and they didn't know what they were doing. I thanked her and politel…
That's really odd, because I remember asking someone who had interviewed a lot and she said that kind of question is almost worthless. Everyone is where they want to be, so of course they like working there. They have also achieved their position, so they think it is a great place to work.
The question comes from a self-selecting population.
Re: Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?
#143I was summoned to a nondescript industrial building, found my way upstairs and wound up in a grubby room posing as a lobby. I was seated on a low futon and had several discussions with my knees nearly level with my ears. The conversations were overly casual but with some oddly specific IT security questions. I seriously contemplated walking out of what was clearly an amateurish, shoestring operation. Nope... I have w…
Is the futon still there? If not, work it into the story somehow, near the end.
I worked at a place that had a futon, but they got rid of it because if people slept on it, the company would get a reputation for being a sweatshop.
Re: Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?
#144A certain engineering firm recruits college graduates mostly to brainwash them “we are #1 in employee happiness!” (Made up bs for mid tier form smaller than Benesch).
Eventually fired because I’m handicapped and wouldn’t join their softball team and pretend the baby faced bully was cool.
Glad it finally broke me. Social security disability time.
Re: Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?
#145Earlier quoted context omitted.
The policy of asking why you flunked college? Should a company not ask you that? Why are you hung up on flunking martian geology? I don't understand
Not the OP, but it's extremely rude and unprofessional. Nitpicking a guy's college transcripts from 20 years ago? Come the fuck on. His experience and skills should have been enough, asking those dumbass questions is an insult, one that he didn't have to take.
I remember i had an interesting project on a resume, and one guy really drilled down into the details of it. (I think this is an interviewing technique)
At some point, really deep down the rabbit hole, I remember saying, "I don't actually recall, it WAS over 15 years ago"
Re: Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?
#146Earlier quoted context omitted.
Re: shorting. If people who believe a company is undervalued are allowed to trade based on that belief then people who believe a company is overvalued should be allowed to do the same.
Are shorting and longing symmetric? IE, do they influence the market in the same way? They seem much more complicated than straightforward stock purchase and fractional ownership.
Don't know enough to say but I would guess so.
Re: Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?
#147I had an interview for a large well-known bank software internship maybe 15 years ago. One interview was a role-play in which I was attending a meeting in lieu of my boss with someone from another division of the bank to discuss a behind-schedule project. Role-play starts and this guy storms in, slams the door and starts shouting about how the software department are useless and how are we going to proceed. At one po…
This makes me think of those interviews where the code the candidate figures out is integrated into the product.
Wonder if your responses helped them practice for real meetings. :)
Re: Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?
#148Years ago I was interviewing for a software engineering role. At the end of one of the interviews I asked how they liked working there. And the interviewer caught me off-guard with "it kind of sucks". She went on to explain that the company recently promoted a bunch of youngsters into VP roles through a combination of nepotism and early start dates, and they didn't know what they were doing. I thanked her and politel…
That's really odd, because I remember asking someone who had interviewed a lot and she said that kind of question is almost worthless. Everyone is where they want to be, so of course they like working there. They have also achieved their position, so they think it is a great place to work. The question comes from a self-selecting population.
I prefer to ask something like, “What’s one thing you love, and what’s one thing you’d change tomorrow if you could?”
Everybody would improve something, and it can give you insight into actual day-to-day challenges.
If they say, “Nothing,” either it’s the one rare perfect workplace or they are too afraid or checked out to give a real answer.
Either way it’s informative.
Re: Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?
#149I interviewed many years ago at a web agency in Melbourne. I was coming from contract work for the federal government, preceded by salary work for a state government - both of which allowed me to work flexible hours, eg start at 10, finish at 7 or what have you. I asked the guy if they supported flexible working hours (this was a year or so before I started working fully remote) - their office was literally the other…
Sounds like the option to work earlier was there? e.g. start at 6 head home at 3
I don't remember every detail of the conversation but as I remember it, part of it was related to the office being open basically for the "expected" hours.
Re: Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?
#150"You're not allowed to work on your own projects when you're not at work" The biggest red flag ever
in some states, isn't this against the law?
like texas and california diametrically opposed (I think)
texas: we own you
california: you can start a startup in your garage while working for someone else