Job searching can be like dating, and like dating, certain “red flags” might stand out, causing a prospect to turn into a hard pass. While these red flags (certain behaviors or practices that can signal a warning sign of an unfavorable environment) can vary from person to person, some hold significantly more weight than others.
A new report from job site Monster surveyed over 6,000 workers and found that 73% said “micromanagement” is the biggest workplace red flag, with nearly half (46%) saying it would be a reason to leave a job.
A close second was “favoritism” (72%) as the biggest red flag, followed by jobs that require more than three rounds of interviews (65%).
The report also found the largest “pain points” felt among workers, with the biggest being meetings that “could have been an email” (59%), “non-flexible” work hours (51%), and weekly progress or “status” meetings (31%).
Related: Avoid Nightmare Employers and Scams By Job-Searching Like a Journalist
While some red flags may not present themselves until officially entering a work environment, there are some ways to spot them during the application process — so you can steer in the other direction.
According to the job searching platform The Muse, some key things to look out for are “quirky” or ambiguous language in the posting, as it may imply the company lacks an identity or is “trying too hard”; unclear or excessive list of duties, as it may mean that the role will end up encompassing a myriad of obligations not on the description; and a wide salary range, as it could signal role ambiguity or that the company is not paying appropriately for the job.
