Look, I’ll be honest with you. As someone who sits on the other side of the hiring desk, I know how vulnerable job searching can feel. You’re putting yourself out there, hoping someone sees your worth, and often willing to overlook things because you need the income. I get it. I’ve been there too, before I started my own business.
But here’s the thing I wish more business owners would admit: not every workplace deserves you. And whilst I’d love to believe all employers have their teams’ best interests at heart, the reality is more complicated. Some workplaces will drain you, undervalue you, and leave you questioning your own sanity. Others will help you grow, support your wellbeing, and treat you like the professional you are.
The difference? It’s often visible right from the start, if you know what to look for. So I want to share some red flags you should watch for during your job search. Not to scare you, but to empower you. Because finding the right fit matters for everyone involved, including us employers. A bad match helps no one.
Red Flags in the Recruitment Process
The recruitment process tells you everything about how a company operates. It’s essentially a preview of what working there will feel like, so pay attention.
If a company repeatedly reschedules your interview or goes silent for weeks between contact, that’s not a good sign. Yes, things happen and businesses get busy, but consistent disorganisation suggests you’ll be dealing with chaos and poor planning once you’re hired. I’ve seen candidates excuse this behaviour because they’re excited about the role, only to find themselves six months later in a workplace where nothing runs smoothly and priorities change by the hour.
Watch how your interviewer behaves too. Are they present and engaged, or are they checking their phone and clearly distracted? Do they speak respectfully about current team members and the person who previously held the role, or do they bad-mouth them? If someone is willing to slag off their employees to a stranger, imagine what they’ll say about you when you’re not in the room.
Pressure tactics are another massive red flag. If you’re being rushed to make a decision, told you need to accept the offer immediately, or made to feel guilty for wanting time to think things through, walk away. Good employers understand that accepting a job is a significant decision. They want you to be certain, not coerced.
Vague answers are equally concerning. When you ask legitimate questions about the role, team structure, or why the position is vacant, you deserve clear responses. If the interviewer dances around these topics or gives you generic corporate speak instead of real answers, they’re likely hiding something. Maybe the team is dysfunctional, maybe the last three people quit within months, or maybe they haven’t actually figured out what they need from this role. Either way, you’ll be the one dealing with the consequences.
In contrast, good recruitment feels professional but warm. Communication is timely and respectful. Interviewers are prepared, engaged, and honest about both the opportunities and challenges of the role. They encourage your questions and provide transparent answers. That’s the baseline you should expect.
Warning Signs in Job Descriptions and Expectations
Job descriptions can be masterclasses in red flag spotting once you learn to read between the lines.
“Wearing many hats” sounds fun and varied until you realise it means you’ll be doing the work of three people for one salary. I’m all for diverse roles, especially in smaller businesses where flexibility matters. But when a job description lists requirements that would typically belong to a senior marketing manager, a graphic designer, and a social media strategist all rolled into one entry-level position, that’s a problem. It suggests the company either doesn’t understand what these roles entail or doesn’t value them enough to resource them properly.
Similarly, phrases like “fast-paced environment” or “work hard, play hard” often translate to “we’ll expect you to work evenings and weekends regularly.” There’s nothing inherently wrong with busy workplaces, but the constant glorification of speed and intensity often masks poor planning and unrealistic expectations. A truly well-run business has busy periods, sure, but also sustainable rhythms that don’t require constant heroics from staff.
Watch for job descriptions that ask for five years of experience with technology that’s only existed for three years, or entry-level roles requiring expert-level qualifications. These aren’t typos. They reveal organisations that don’t understand their own industry or deliberately set impossible standards to underpay qualified candidates.
Missing information is equally telling. If salary isn’t mentioned, it’s often because they know it’s below market rate. If there’s no discussion of benefits, progression, or professional development, it might be because these things don’t exist. When we write job descriptions, we lead with the good stuff because we’re proud of what we offer. Companies that bury or omit key details are usually hoping you won’t notice until you’re already committed.
Cultural and Wellbeing Red Flags
This is where things get really interesting, because culture affects your daily experience more than almost anything else.
The “we’re like a family” line makes me cringe every time I hear it. Workplaces aren’t families. Families have unconditional relationships. Workplaces are professional environments built on mutual benefit and respect. When companies use family rhetoric, they’re often trying to guilt you into accepting poor boundaries, unpaid overtime, or toxic loyalty expectations. Real families don’t make you reapply for your position or fire you when profits dip.
Similarly, be cautious around glorification of overwork. If everyone in the office talks about their 60-hour weeks with pride, or if the company culture celebrates people who never take holiday, you’re looking at burnout culture. I’ve watched talented people destroy their health trying to keep up with these environments. It’s not sustainable, and it’s certainly not something to aspire to.
Pay attention to how they communicate during the recruitment process too. If they’re emailing you at 11pm or calling on Sunday mornings, that’s likely what they’ll expect from you as an employee. Healthy businesses respect boundaries, even during hiring.
When you ask about work-life balance or mental health support, notice the response. Do they have concrete policies and initiatives, or do they offer vague reassurances? Organisations genuinely committed to wellbeing invest in proper support structures. We’ve attended seminars held by Siren Training, for example, to better understand how to support our team’s mental health. It’s not enough to say you care about these things. You need to back it up with action, resources, and genuine cultural change.
Ask about their wellbeing initiatives during interviews. Do they offer employee assistance programmes? Mental health days? Flexible working arrangements when needed? And crucially, do people actually use these benefits without judgement? I’ve seen companies with impressive-sounding policies that no one dares access because of unspoken cultural pressure.
High turnover is another critical signal. If you notice the role has been vacant multiple times in two years, or if you check LinkedIn and see the entire team has tenures under 12 months, something is deeply wrong. People don’t leave good workplaces en masse. When we’ve had turnover in our business, I’ve taken it seriously and examined what we could do better. Companies that shrug off high turnover and blame “people these days” aren’t interested in fixing their problems.
If you get the chance to visit the office, observe the current employees. Do they seem engaged and relatively content, or stressed and downtrodden? You can feel the energy of a workplace, and whilst everyone has tough days, there’s a difference between normal work stress and an atmosphere of anxiety.
Leadership and Management Concerns
Your future manager will affect your experience more than almost any other factor, so pay close attention to leadership during the interview process.
I mentioned this earlier, but it bears repeating: if your potential boss speaks negatively about former employees, current team members, or the person who previously held the role you’re applying for, that’s a serious red flag. Professional managers understand that discussing personnel issues with candidates is inappropriate and unprofessional. It also suggests they take no accountability for their role in why people leave or struggle.
Similarly, watch for bad-mouthing of competitors or clients. Whilst a bit of industry banter is normal, constant negativity and criticism suggests a toxic mindset. These leaders often create environments where blame is the default response and nobody takes responsibility for problems.
Ask about professional development and training opportunities. If the response is vague or dismissive, it means they don’t invest in their people’s growth. Companies serious about employee wellbeing equip their managers with proper training to support their teams effectively. When organisations partner with specialists like Siren Training to develop their leadership’s mental health awareness, it demonstrates genuine commitment rather than performative concern.
Notice the language they use too. Do they talk about “managing” people or “leading” teams? Do they describe employees as resources to be optimised, or as professionals to be supported? The words reveal their fundamental beliefs about what workers are worth.
Micromanagement signals often appear in job descriptions or interviews. Phrases like “must be able to follow detailed instructions precisely” or interview questions focused entirely on compliance rather than initiative suggest you’ll have little autonomy. Ask about decision-making authority in the role and watch whether they seem comfortable with employees using their judgement.
Trust Your Gut
Here’s something I’ve learned through years of hiring and being hired: your instincts matter more than you think.
If something feels off during the interview process, even if you can’t articulate exactly what it is, pay attention to that feeling. Your subconscious is processing thousands of tiny signals, picking up on inconsistencies, noting body language and tone. We’re wired to detect when something isn’t quite right.
I know it’s hard. You might really need a job, or the salary might be tempting, or you might worry you’re being too picky. But I promise you, the short-term pain of continuing your search is nothing compared to the long-term damage of spending months or years in a toxic workplace. Your mental health, your confidence, and your career trajectory are all affected by where you work.
Remember that you’re interviewing them too. This isn’t a one-way evaluation where you hope they’ll choose you. You’re deciding whether they deserve your time, energy, and talent. That’s not arrogance. That’s professional self-respect.
Sometimes the right move is to withdraw your application, turn down an offer, or walk away from what looks good on paper but feels wrong in your gut. Give yourself permission to do that.
Finding Better
As a business owner, I’ll tell you something that might surprise you: I don’t want employees who feel they have no other options. I want people who choose to be here because it’s genuinely a good fit, because they’re excited about the work, and because they trust we’ll treat them well.
Healthy workplaces benefit everyone. When our team thrives, our business thrives. When people feel supported and valued, they do better work, they’re more creative, they stay longer, and they contribute to building something we’re all proud of. It’s not complicated, but it does require genuine commitment to people’s wellbeing.
The right role exists for you. The workplace that will value your contributions, support your growth, and respect your boundaries is out there. Yes, it might take longer to find. Yes, you might have to pass on some opportunities that don’t feel right. But you’re worth the wait.
So while you’re watching for red flags, keep an eye out for green ones too. Look for transparent communication, clear expectations, genuine enthusiasm about team wellbeing, reasonable workloads, and leaders who take accountability. Notice when interviewers speak respectfully about their colleauges, when they’re honest about challenges, and when they encourage your questions.
We’re all building the future of work together, one hiring decision at a time. You deserve a workplace that brings out your best, not one that slowly diminishes you. Trust that you’re worth finding it, and don’t settle for less than you deserve.
The companies that get this right, that genuinely invest in their people’s wellbeing and create sustainable, respectful workplaces, those are the ones that will succeed in the long run. And they need talented, self-aware people like you who know their worth and won’t accept anything less.
You’ve got this. Now go find somewhere worthy of you.
