Red Flags in Interviews: When It’s OK to (Gracefully and Gratefully!) Exit Stage

There have been several instances where I’ve seen enough red flags in interviews to make me want to, well…run away, and fast. Whether it was my own experience or stories from clients from my professional interview coaching practice, certain patterns emerge that are worth paying attention to.

Here are a few “gems” from my collection of “thank-you-but-no-thank-you” interview moments:

The Classics from my own experience:

1. The Trash-talker
   An interviewer once spent precious minutes badmouthing my then-employer and criticizing the compensation I was drawing. Always a sign of poor culture fit (and bad manners).

2. The Self-Love symposium
   There was this one who used half the interview to present “10 reasons why I’m so amazing and you should feel lucky to be here.” No, I didn’t feel lucky to be there.

3. The Great Company monologue
   Another favorite- an interviewer who waxed lyrical about how great their company was, in exhaustive detail. Meanwhile, my brain was replaying the Jai-asking-Mausi-for-Basanti’s-hand scene from Sholay. They weren’t Indian. They hadn’t seen Sholay. Pity.

4. The Eye-Contact evader
   Then there was the gentleman who couldn’t meet my eye for the entire conversation. His gaze was fixated about a foot below. Charming. Ladies beware! 

Client Chronicles: More Red Flags to Watch For

Through my professional interview coaching work, I often hear stories that make you shake your head and smile (and sometimes cringe):

• The Zero Salary gambit
  First meeting with a founder: “No cash compensation, only ESOPs. Are you game?”
  Answer: Nope. Not the kind of adventure we signed up for.

• The Executive Persona police
  Post multiple rounds, a candidate was told: “Do you think you’ll fit amongst our midst? You may need to work on your executive persona.” Translation: “We’re elite snobs, can you be one too?”

• The Touchy subject
  One interviewer got visibly ruffled when asked about a recent PR fiasco of the company. Sensitive much?

• The Groundhog Day routine
  Imagine being called for multiple interviews, only to be asked almost the same set of questions by every single person, each equally un-trained for meaningful interviewing. 

The bottom line

If you’re preparing for leadership roles, remember interviews are a two-way street. While you’re being assessed, you’re also evaluating whether this is an environment where you’d thrive.

Through interview coaching, especially at senior levels, I help clients not just “perform” but also stay alert to these subtle (and not-so-subtle) signals. One of my key focus areas is ensuring candidates feel empowered to make informed choices- even if that means choosing to walk away.