Double J Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 One company I interviewed with presented so many red flags, I almost felt like leaving from the moment I arrived. Among them were: - Signs of the business owner's party affiliation (she actually bashed one political party during the interview!) - Dwelling on how bad the economy is and why she couldn't offer that much - Telling me my work samples weren't a big deal - Telling me she can teach me and "mold me" into the type of employee she needs for the position - Wanting me to work for 4 days for minimum wage. If they were happy on day 5, they would "possibly" extend an offer. - Telling me she had to let someone go for whatever reason - And, by the way, there have been posts of people cyber-bulling the company -- a telling sign. I encountered another company that contacted me about a month after I applied for the position. Turns out it was for a non-profit website dedicated to those recovering from drug and other addictions. I said fine -- sounds like it's for a good cause. The ad even said, "We're looking for people with high morals." Turns out that's just one of the websites they run; they also manage a few adult websites. What I've learned: - Be wary of some companies on Craigslist - If you see people talking bad about the company or detailing a bad experience they had there, it's not a good sign - Boutique agencies/small companies where the owners/founders still run things usually consist of toxic work environments where micro-managing is the order of the day. I know that the economy stinks right now, but I don't think we should settle for employers that are so suspect. Has anyone else encountered something similar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FortunateOne Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Most businesses are corupt due to greed. There's no government policing force to make sure the run a legit business. I'm a proud business owner and take great pride on how ethical I run my business. Now for this reason I police my competition and I report their illegal activities to the licensing agencies. You cannot believe the satisfaction I get when they are fined or taken to court. I just keep it quiet so they don't physically harm me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeckyllNHyde Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 i used to work for a very shady company. we weren't supposed to know who the owner was. the manager used to not pay us on time. sometimes 1-2 weeks late. most weren't getting the salary they should have been getting. these just a few red flags. i think to find a company which ISN'T shady is harder.. specially when the company hasn't existed for long and is new. i can imagine they'd want to "take the easy way out". i feel bad for innocent people like yourself who go and look for an honest job and find themselves working for such a company. the company i was speaking of never even paid me for the last months i worked there. i'm stupid for continuing to go to work since they said they'd pay me for sure.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FortunateOne Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 JnH, Why didn't you go to the labor commission with your complaint? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeckyllNHyde Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 JnH, Why didn't you go to the labor commission with your complaint? b.c all the other workers who didn't get paid went. and this manager just used to sweet talk them telling them "she is aware and will be paying them asap." i think they also never got paid. i know it's silly and maybe i should have made more of an effort, but i didnt bother going since i knew it would be a waste of time really. i saw countless workers come in and out, angry and threatning her. yet she paid nothing. and i think in the end they even filed for bankrupcy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karvala Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 The more I see it, the more I'm convinced that most business is organised crime without the guns. I can scarcely think of a company that isn't trying to steal money from innocent people in one way or another. Terribly sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COtuner Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 The focus on quarterly profits drives a lot of this. If companies thought more long term, like they used to, some of this would not be so prevalent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderball Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 I've been told, after arriving at three interviews in the last two years, that they don't hire those older than 40. I'm 47 and look older than my biological age. I have been asked if I'm a Christian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf_22 Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 Has anyone else encountered something similar? Nah, I'm sure you're the only one... Before I began this "unemploymathon" of 8 months, I was booted out by a Fortune 500 company that lacked the screening power of the local video store--and it was my first career chance. Some big break, eh? After that year's worth of hell, I decided to flash-flood the internet with all my documentation in order to save a sinking ship that was my post-undergrad existence. I had 1 interview with these 2 guys that needed a web designer. It seemed like a good opportunity, but the office looked messier than my closet. There was trash, empty pizza boxes, and all manner of other junk all accross the place. Another interview I had was with a small start-up ran by a kid of about 21 years old who handed me a business card with his name on it and "CEO" after his name. The guy needed to run me through the proving grounds by reworking a flash-based website. So they sent me the proper files over the internet and after the interview, the big swinging CEO 21 year-old asked me how long it would take to completely redo the entire flash website without the source files... I told him that I thought I could do it within 3 days. He sent me back an e-mail that said they could do it for cheaper in-house. Not only did I ever mention anything about money, but the simple fact that they made me jump through hoops only to not even be given any chance was sketchy, in the least. After that, I had an interview with an ISP that needed someone to act as a customer service rep, programmer, telemarketer, service technician and also, someone who could climb 100-foot telephone towers. In spite of the obvious risks, I was desperate for a job, so I was on board until they told me that I would be getting paid around $320.00 a week (while working on weekends). This is when I decided to go back to the wonderful school I managed to get started on this trek with. After all, I cannot afford to go anywhere else... So, having said that, not only can I not get a job at any Wal-Mart, Krogers, Family Video joint, or factory, but I apparently lack professionalism (according to one of my last interviewers). Get this: I got called in for an interview for a position that started off at around 40k (at the local university), but was never called in for a position that started off at $9.00 / hour... Where's the consistency? Out of all this rambling, I can honestly say that yes, I have been in many situations where the employers just suck, but, as is my case, I'm on my last week of UI and remain desperate... But yes, I'm with you on the shady employer stuff and I know we're not alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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