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Would you see these things as red flags?

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Anonymous

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Would you see these things as red flags?

Hey! I’ve been interviewing for a new marketing job. I’ve been iffy about it; on the one hand, it’s a lot more money and responsibilities (both great) and (earlier in the process) I thought it would lead to the type of role I really want since it’s a larger company. My current job has great work/life balance, I enjoy the day to day (even if there’s not much more I can get out of it), I love my team, etc. So, I do want to make sure I’d actually enjoy the new job and not take it just for the money, and it seemed like a good opp beyond that until the latest interview .

I spoke to the highest-ranked person the other day, who really liked me and was very detailed, but whether he realized it or not, he gave off some red flags:

-Repeatedly spoke of how “desperate” they are to fill this role and how they’ve been going “without a marketing team,” really stressing how heavily they’ll be relying on this person to guide everything (making me wonder what exactly the other marketing team people I’ve talked to do)

-Said they’ve already, recently tried multiple, different people in this role and that they all “failed” and “weren’t up to it,” indicating that the company wasn’t offering them enough junior support but till blaming the candidates

-Really stressed that this team is completely separate from the rest of the company (making it sound like an internal move would be hard)

there are other things, but from what he said the gist seems to be, “Hey, we’re not sure what we’re doing here and things are a mess and we really need this role to fix everything.”

Sigh. I’m largely venting here. Despite some jitters around leaving a comfortable job and the new job still not really being what I want, I was still looking forward to the new opp (and, yes, the significant increase in salary and benefits), but now it seems like I’d be walking into a chaotic mess.

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  1. Judiking

    Don't take it. If they're going through that many people, that's not a red flag, that's a crime scene tape.

  2. Anonymous

    Ha! I think you’re right. Thank you.

  3. Anonymous

    Omg I’m dead this is hilarious

  4. Anonymous

    You can always stay comfy and safe and keep searching.

  5. Anonymous

    thank you!
    Yeah, that was honestly my gut instinct, to stay at a job and with a team where I’m comfortable and stress isn’t high, while also searching more actively for what I really want. Plus, I guess at least this interview experience showed me how much I’m worth in terms of salary, which is helpful

  6. Anonymous

    We all hesitate when changing jobs, but if we don't take a chance we lose great opportunities to gain different experience, earn a higher salary, have better benefits, improve work-life balance, etc.

    Do you think it's possible that you misread the situation? Can you ask additional questions about what the other marketing team members are doing? Can you research company reviews to see if your suspicions are true?

    I would gather the facts to allow you to make an informed decision. Maybe these individuals they hired didn't have leadership experience and weren't given the training they needed to do the job. Maybe the company thought they were more experienced in a leadership role? Anything is possible.

    I hope that helps. Good luck to you.

  7. Anonymous

    The benefits and salary would definitely be better, but I really love my current work/life balance (and how supportive my boss is professionally but also when it comes to some health issues I’ve been dealing with), so that’s why I feel like I need to make sure the job itself would really feel worth it, beyond more money.

    yeah, I’ll definitely be asking more questions! I think, honestly, anything can happen if it’s a mistake with one person, but to me the company making a mistake with multiple people is on them.

    i do feel confident that I have the skills and personality they’re looking for, but the actual job is very similar to what I do now with the added pressure of it seeming like things are a bit of a mess right now.

    I will definitely clarify a few things with them though.

  8. B Goldstein

    Trust your gut. You perceptively picked up on the red flags. If you get there and they all turn out to be true how will you feel? Will you still be glad you made the move for it sounds like now just the money? What happens if you stay where you are and keep looking for the next opportunity and then take it when there aren’t these red flags. Good for you for picking up on them and not just discounting them because you want something new. Trust yourself.

  9. Anonymous

    Thank you! Yeah, honestly, I really just started applying for jobs outside of my company (this specific job was one where they reached out to me).

    From the start, my thought has been , “I’m really, really happy with my work/life balance—which has become more important to me than ever—so I want to make sure the next job I take really feels worth it.” Like you said, it’s coming down to “just the money.” And the money would be great and helpful, but I think I also need to consider my mental and emotional well-being

  10. B Goldstein

    I had a very similar experience 6 months ago. I was contacted by a headhunter for the company. As the interviews proceeded - and it took months - things were looking good and I was getting excited. Then I interviewed with the actual teams. The red flags were flying high. I ultimately chose to stay where I Trusted my gut and stayed where I am. I wasn’t looking to begin with so that might have made it an easier decision in the end.

  11. Nichole Kruse

    Is there any way that you could follow up with questions like:

    In what specific ways were the previous people in that position not successful? How and why did they fail? What skills or traits did they lack that made them 'not up for it'?

    Frame your questions in a way that you are trying to get a deeper understanding of the role and that you are trying to plan ahead to avoid the mistakes and pitfalls that others made.

    You would be able to get a deeper insight into the challenges of this role and decide if you want to do it or not.

  12. Anonymous

    I asked him when he initially said the last few people didn’t work out, and that’s when he elaborated that they didn’t communicate when they needed help, that they didn’t show enough initiative (definitely not something I have an issue with) and that they didn’t really “do anything,” before adding that they should probably also be hiring a more junior role.

    From what he said, and since it’s happened multiple times, it seems like either they’re not hiring the right people repeatedly or they’re underselling and not accurately presenting the workload and tasks in the interview and so good candidates aren’t set up to succeed.

    I will definitely follow up with them further though.

  13. Anonymous

    I left a position in which there had been a high amount of turnover in a very short period of time for others who had taken the role. Once I got into the role I found out why everyone had left. Had I know this information prior to taking the job I would have stayed where I was. If you have some reservations I would definitely listen to your gut. Also, in marketing it can be hard to progress within a company if you are the sole member of the marketing team. If you cannot see a clear pathway for future growth it might be something to consider. Best of luck with your next steps no matter what you decide to do.

  14. Amy Holmes

    Run away as fast as you can.

  15. JC Lindquist

    Trust your inner voice on the red flags. They clearly do not understand the problem is them and not the people they are hiring. If you want work life balance, I recommend walking away.

  16. Anonymous

    Sounds like you already know what you are going to do--trust your instincts. (And keep looking--there are a lot of jobs out there.)

  17. Lorraine

    Hi - Listen to your intuition and gut about that job. More money is great, but it's not worth it if you are already having trepidation of the new role. You may have to work your A$$ off to prove yourself. The marketing role is not defined (that could be bad or good) depending upon what you can bring to the table. But others have failed greatly, which may be an indicator that it's a no-win role you may find yourself accepting. Only take on this role if you love a challenge and may not have the support you need. Can you stand on your own in an undefined role?

  18. Anonymous

    I think the safest approach would be to see if you can take 1-2 weeks leave from your current (good job) and ask if you can shadow, test drive the job for 1-2 weeks (even if unpaid). Those 2 weeks should give you enough time and information to determine whether it is the climate for you.

    Did you ask enough questions? The new company sounds like a small business, where there would be heavy reliance on the top talent, that means you. Are you ready to take the brunt of that responsibility even if it means several long hrs long days and nights just to get the job done because small companies do not always have the same luxuries and buffers as larger companies to spread the work.

    I think you should see if you can try my idea in your first paragraph. But I am almost convinced your instincts are right here. You are better off trying to find a higher level opportunity but at a similar sized company to where you where you work now.

    Good Luck.

  19. Anonymous

    So, interestingly enough, the new company is actually very big. It’s part of a huge, global media company. It’s much larger than my current company. That’s also why the salary would be so much higher and the benefits are also be so much better.

    But you’re totally right in that it sounds like a small company (this segment of the company anyway). I’ve asked a lot of questions, and everyone seems to stress a good work/life balance (ie no nights) , but I’m not sure how that’s possible with the level of work it sounds like this job could have.

  20. Anonymous

    That’s an interesting idea, it would be helpful to really get a feel … not sure if they’d go for that

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