The Job Interview Red Flag That Hints You Probably Won’t Last Long At A Company
Job seekers are urged to be on the lookout for the kind of workplace culture that the company you're applying for is exhibiting.
fizkes | Shutterstock Job interviews offer employers an opportunity to gauge how well a potential candidate will fare at their company. Still, it's also an opportunity for that candidate to learn if the company would be a good fit for them, as well.
In a TikTok video, a content creator named Courtney Elliott, who gives business and career advice to her followers, pointed out that there's a glaringly obvious red flag that job seekers should look out for when going through rounds of interviews that can really tell if they'd be a good fit in that workplace or not.
A career advisor revealed the job interview red flag that hints you probably won't last long at a company.
"I think it's a work red flag when everyone who works at the company you're interviewing at has either been at the company forever, like 10+ years or just started, under 6 months," began Elliott in her video.
She explained that this usually signifies the company only attracts and keeps very specific types of personalities.
Elliott stressed that companies with a majority of employees who've been there for more than a decade will brag about how long they've managed to keep them there, but it isn't always a good thing. While it can indicate that the company has a positive work environment and strong stability amongst employees, who feel a sense of loyalty and contentment at their jobs, it can also signify that there aren't many opportunities for career growth.
Employees with longevity at a company no longer signify a healthy work environment.
In the last decade between 2012 and 2022, the median job tenure has dropped nearly 11% from 4.6 years to 4.1 years, according to a LendingTree study, which analyzed U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data.
Elliott pointed out that she would be much more interested in how many people have worked between three and five years or five and seven years.
"If it seems like a lot of people are quitting or getting fired after a year, just not a good sign for your future fit," Elliott continued.
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Elliott came to this observation as someone who once worked for a company where the culture was very much either people having stayed there for over a decade or were recently hired within the last couple of months.
Through her experience, Elliott found that only a certain type of personality was able to actually succeed in a company with that kind of structure.
Nearly 3 in 10 workers are planning on quitting in 2024.
As Elliott pointed out in her video, at a time when employees are quitting their jobs at such a high rate because of a desire to find a workplace environment that meets all of their needs, it's a red flag when companies have employees who are staying for years at a time.
Nearly three in 10 full-time workers are likely to quit their jobs in 2024, according to a survey published by ResumeBuilder.com, where one thousand participants were surveyed to find out how many people have their sights set on quitting this year.
"Younger workers tend to switch jobs at a higher rate because they are trying to determine what type of function, industry, and environment would work best for them," Julia Toothacre, resume and career strategist at Resume Builder, explained.
"Along with that," she continued, "you can increase your salary quicker when you change jobs every few years, and those early career years are the best time to do that."
Along with all of the other factors that come with a job interview, candidates should make sure they're asking the right questions about whether or not they'd be a good fit for whichever company they're applying to work for. Just as salary, benefits, and paid time off are important considerations, so is the company culture and making sure that you'll feel comfortable and supported.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.