Run, Don't Walk: 14 Signs That Your New Job Offer Might be a Disaster

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When searching for a new job, sometimes an opportunity or the people in the company feel “off.” You can place your finger on it, but it doesn’t feel like the right fit. If you’re desperate enough for income, you might shrug it off and agree to the job offer anyways. If you can afford to be picky, hopefully, you trust your gut and high-tail it out of there.

In a recent Reddit post, employees share the subtle signs they picked up on that the job was not a good fit. Some were lucky enough to escape it all and say no, while others didn’t realize what happened until they were already employed. If you’re looking for a job, watch out for some of these red flags.

1. Too Perfect

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One user writes, “You check out glassdoor and there are a bunch of overwhelmingly positive reviews from “anonymous current employees” that under cons list “no cons that I can think of!” Even the best place to work in the world has SOME cons.”

Another user shares an in-depth story about their past employer forcing the employees (after a massive let-go) to leave a nice review if they want to keep their jobs.

2. Picking Up All the Slack

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Sometimes, “temporary” extra work eventually turns into the normal work load (when a new person is never hired). One Reddit confirms this common practice: “When an employee quits or gets fired from the job and the company doesn’t hire anyone new to replace them.

It can be hard to tell as a red flag at first, but the temporary workload they added to your own over that was left over after the person left, slowly becomes your new permanent workload, without any changes to your pay or benefits to compensate for the additional tasks. The further out it goes without the position being filled, the larger and more obvious the red flag becomes.”

3. Rampant Gossip

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“When management talks poorly about the other employees, it might make you feel included/special at first but guaranteed they’re going to be talking about you next.” Seriously, gossip never does anyone any favors.

4. Trouble Celebrating Employees

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One user has great advice for a job interview. “Want to find the red flag fast? During your interview, when the employer asks if you have any questions, ask this: Can you tell me about a recent time one of your employees really excelled?

A good employer won’t have any trouble celebrating their team. A crap employer will struggle hard to answer. …And it’s a perfectly reasonable question.”

5. Cutting Corners to Save Face

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One Redditor writes, “Management who are willing to risk it and cut corners.” He goes on to explain that a top manager was ready to hire him onto his team at a local warehouse. First, the manager asked if the man would load an imbalanced pallet (that poses a safety risk) if he was explicitly told to. The man said absolutely no, and the manager told him he wasn’t a good fit. Seriously?

6. Payment in “Experience”

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“Offering to pay you a lot less than market rate because you will “Learn so much” or “Will be working with a great team”. My bank does not take IQ points as a mortgage payment.” Good points, indeed.

7. Micromanaging When Bored or in a Bad Mood

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One user explains a micromanaging boss that comes out of nowhere perfectly. “Seagull bosses. They fly in, make a lot of noise, sh** on everything, then fly away.”

8. Who Do You Think You Are?

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“When you don’t get a review until you ask for a raise. Then, all of a sudden, you work is being questioned and you’re being berated.” Yes, that’s a pretty good sign that its time to find a new job.

9. Treated Like Family

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Family dynamics can get weird- not ideal for a business. A user points this out, “”We’re a family here”. Especially if it’s a smaller company. No you’re a business. And we’re employees.”

10. “Get the Work Done” Mentality

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“When they say stuff like “we’re definitely not a 9-to-5 place, we stay until the work is done,” they mean there will be lots of overtime, possibly due to poor planning or overcommitment by leadership.

It could still be a good job, but negotiate for equity, not just a salary.”

11. Interview Mayem

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“Sporadic and slow responses during the interview period. It signals that: either they don’t value the potential new employees’ time, or are so disorganized that they can’t even keep their own interviews lined up.”

12. Mandatory Overtime on Salary

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“Regular mandatory overtime – in other words you’re salary but after 60 hours per week you’re not making a whole lot over minimum wage.” Before taking a job, always ask how much overtime others are working (especially if you’d be on salary).

13. Payment is Up to You

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“It’s a “fast paced environment” excellent for “self-starters.” This usually means you’ll be overwhelmed and underpaid for a long time. If you’re a self-starter, you might as well become an entrepreneur and set your own hours and salary!

14. No Time for Meals

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One user was surprised when his employer said, ““We don’t really eat lunch” f*** you ive been working my a** off all day I’m gonna sit down for 30 minutes to and hour and eat my d*** sandwich.”

See the full thread here.