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Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?

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Re: Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?

#221

Post by jstarfish »

rwmj wrote: post #170
sireat wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That CEO and Mark Shuttleworth must be trading notes. It is okay to bring up something like flunking out of school 20 years ago but why drill someone on it?

It may be a way of filtering out older workers without having a policy as such.

That is totally possible, but I recognize this as an interrogation tactic.

Your resume is a showcase of your best accomplishments. Short of clearance-level interviews with your family and friends, people in C-level positions ask for transcripts from 20 years ago because it's the only intelligence concerning your failures they can get their hands on (your previous employers won't ever attest on-record that you sucked).

So with that in hand, think about how you're going to feel when the only things they want to talk about are topics you were struggling to understand while your brain was still underdeveloped. He's big-dicking you to ensure your submission in any ongoing business relationship, and probably lowball you on salary just because he likes taking things from people after humiliating them.

Asking about failures in past jobs is fair game-- you are free to disclose that much at your discretion. Asking for a transcript itself isn't even that weird either, just to verify you went to the school you said you did. But grilling you about failures from 20 years ago is someone engaging in emotional abuse; they're desperate to have something to hold over you.

Re: Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?

#222

Post by phaedrus »

During an interview with a startup they asked me about my hobbies and then shut me down with mid-answer with "you're going to need to give them up" because they expect you to give so much of yourself that you wouldn't have time/energy for anything else.

Also the interview was super early, not to accommodate me interviewing off-hours, but because they (interviewers) "weren't allowed" to impinge on work hours to conduct the interviews!

Re: Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?

#223

Post by phaedrus »

nprateem wrote: post #186
Sohcahtoa82 wrote: post #63

Back in 2014, I was an intern at a major tech company doing software testing for $13.25/hr. I was about to finish my CS degree and my internship was ending, so I was applying for software engineering jobs. During a phone screen at one company, they asked my salary expectations, and I said $60K. They asked what I was currently making, and I (naively) answered the $13.25/hr. They said they could do $16/hr, and that I s…

Never tell them what you're currently on, just what you want.

I wonder what would happen if you countered the question with, "what were you paying the last guy?"

Re: Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?

#224

Post by bluefirebrand »

I was unemployed and had an interview at a small startup. I was anxious so I was playing games in the morning to keep things calm, and I decided to stream what I was playing for a few friends.

When I got to the interview they asked me about the game I was playing. It really threw me off. I've always tried to be really careful about linking my real name to my online presence and I always search myself to see if I can find myself when I'm interviewing to make sure there's nothing I need to scrub.

They found me anyway. I'm still not sure how exactly. I'm not a genius about online opsec but I like to think I'm more careful than most.

I wound up programming an interview exam program for them (which they paid me for, super nice) and they did offer me the job, but I was still weirded out that they dug into me so much online. I decided I didn't want an employer that monitors my non-work Internet activity so I declined.

I'm not stupid. I know that most employers probably try and monitor their workers social media for questionable stuff, but my hope is that most aren't trying too hard to track down all of my pseudonyms. Or they don't care what I do as long as I don't post with my real name or the company name.

Re: Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?

#225

Post by makeva »

m463 wrote: post #152
ericrallen wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

cafeteria is a safe answer there. (sort of like: "my one weakness is I work TOO hard!")

Especially when WFH

Re: Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?

#226

Post by [deleted] »

offices wrote: post #200
seattle_spring wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there any way to "correctly" answer that question that isn't just made up bullshit, especially for a fast food restaurant? I think it's hilarious being asked this question when I'm in early discussions with a company that reached out to me.

Honestly. If your first reaction to a question like that is how to trick them, what subterfuge to use - you're the red flag! Not everything is a trick. You shouldn't try to fake aligned interests if they're not aligned.

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?

#227

Post by i_am_a_peasant »

nameless912 wrote: post #21

I once was interviewing for an internship at a quant firm in Chicago (I was in my Sophomore year I think at UIUC) and my interview went pretty well up to the point of my second-last interview of the day. Then, I sat down with the VP of engineering, and he opened the interview with "so, what do you think it is we do here?" And I naturally stuttered through a canned answer about how they use arbitrage opportunities in…

As long as you're not some violent extremist/racist who the hell cares which way do you lean politically? o.O I never once asked a workmate who they vote for. Nor will I.

Re: Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?

#228

Post by tuckerpo »

I had interviewed and accepted an offer at some time, call it t0. I was meant to start some time in the near future, tn. The boss-to-be called my personal cell phone both during work hours, early morning, and late evening at t0 I've worked there now, for ~2 years, and the prodding hasn't gotten much better. Work's fun, though. :^)

Re: Ask HN: What's the biggest red flag you've encountered during a hiring process?

#229

Post by Lumi0 »

It was one of a French startup - it did pretty well in the market, and I liked what they've been doing.

It was something like a fifth or sixth interview, and CTO told me they decided to offer me a position requiring more solid technical skills. I was happy to hear it, and I didn't think my boss should be also a different person and didn't ask about it.

Later I realized my boss was awful at management and speaking with people, so I understood why no one wanted him to interview me. If I had an interview with him - I wouldn't take the offer.

I left the company in a couple of days, and it was the worst scam in interviewing I have ever had.

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