No Stupid Questions @lemmy.world Djfok43 @lemmy.world 5d ago

Is it a red flag if a potential employer rushes you?

I got a message on LinkedIn about a job, it seems legit. The issue is as soon as I replied, she basically told me to apply as quickly as possible because it's time sensitive.

I don't know why this kind of rubs me the wrong way, I guess because I'm in a different time zone and I'm expected to literally drop everything for a job I might not even have an actual chance for.

Also she is the person who I would be working with, my potential future boss, and also the co owner of the company.

Am I overreacting? It just seems unnecessarily stressful idk. Also I'm very afraid of red flags now cause I ignored them at my last company and it was a nightmare.

Edit: I responded and asked some basic questions about the timezone/hours, and if applying in the next few hours would be ok, and she hasn't responded in over an hour. Now I'm wondering if I should even bother applying :/

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Rushing your decisions is a common red flag in scams. I'd say it's probably enough of a red flag to stop talking with them. You can try to slow play things and if they continue to hound you then it's almost certainly a scam. They're probably going to do something like:

Ask you for money to purchase things you'll need for your job (MLM/pyramid scheme)

Give you a large cheque, ask you to cash it, give a certain amount of the cash to someone, and keep the rest for yourself (cheque fraud).
- I'm not really as worried about it being a scam, as I am about it being a toxic work environment idk .. I'm very nervous
  
  She is demanding before she is even your boss. It will only get worse from here.
- I wish someone would try the cheque one with me. I would cash it and keep it. I know usually the money gets pulled back but would be fun for a few minutes.
You know what, don't ignore your instincts. Everytime I did I regreted.
- Honestly, I feel like job interviews and applications always give me the fight or flight response. To be fair I've never really had a boss that wasn't awful, so that could be why. Idk.
  
  I literally had a panic attack and ran out of the room during a phone interview once
I think it's a red flag because rushing you (without a valid, stated reason) is an attempt to override your instincts while pressuring you to take a certain action. Outside of safety-related situations, that kind of situation has never gone in my favor.
Dang, this reminds me of how genuinely helpful /r/Scams is and how we could develop an equivalent, thriving community here on Lemmy.

Anyway, vet the company and have a friend read the messages, or share them here. Do not do anything involving money (you should only be gaining it, not having to part ways with it), and the app sure as heck shouldn't ask for your SSN at this time.
- How to avoid getting scammed:
  
  DO NOT SEND MONEY
  
  DO NOT ACCEPT MONEY OR CHECKS
  
  DO NOT GIVE CREDIT CARD DETAILS
  
  DO NOT OPEN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT WHILE SOMEONE IS CONNECTED TO YOUR DEVICE
  
  CALL THE INSTITUTION THAT THE OTHER CLAIMS TO BE AND VERIFY THE INFORMATION THEY PROVIDED
  
  DO NOT PAY FOR SOMETHING YOU KNOW IS STOLEN OR ILLEGAL TO PURCHASE
  
  BE AWARE OF COMMON SCAM SCRIPTS AND TACTICS
  
  IF YOU FALL IN LOVE ONLINE, MEET THEM IN PERSON
  
  DO. NOT. SEND. THEM. MONEY.
  
  ALSO DO NOT SEND COPIES OF ANY DOCUMENT bank-card, passport, driving licence, not even from your librarycard
  
  Instructions unclear. Sent them dick pics.
  
  DO NOT ACCEPT MONEY OR CHECKS
  
  And don't send it back if you were forced to receive it and they demand it back, like via Venmo or Zelle.
- She hasn't asked for anything suspicious yet, I'm more so worried it's a toxic company and they won't treat me well :/
  
  Oh, so you think it's legit and the company just sucks. Yeah, that'd be nearly as bad. What about reviews on Glassdoor or elsewhere?
Would it hurt just to talk? Maybe they can justify the rush. If you do, keep asking yourself "Will I be able to shake off that negative feeling further down the road" (Personally, if it doesn't feel right then I would not do it. I always trust my gut feeling)
- Idk, I responded to them with some basic questions and it's been 40 mins and they haven't replied.. and I'm supposed to rush to apply still? I don't know..
It's either a scam or a hellscape.
- Why not both 😃 ngl the job description seemed a tiny bit.. PACKED if you will
The only time this happened to me (received the request via indeed) was when their current person was leaving (only one in that position and was integral for the company to run) and they would have to temporarily shut down if they didn't have someone new in.

But they were very upfront about it and I had an in-person interview and tour of the place beforehand.
If the job is in the orange area, it's likely a scam

If it's in the red area, it's very likely that you'll get your papers taken from you, then sold to slavery (scam farms, casinos etc...)

Image: https://imgur.com/a/ZZ1VqTI
- Not in those areas lol
#1 rule on LinkedIn when responding to recruiters - ask them what the pay, benefits and hours are before providing anything other than what's on your public facing resume.

If the job offer is legit, they'll respond quickly with real numbers. If they throw up some BS like "competitive pay dependent on experience", then they're either a scammer or someone who doesn't have any real authority to actually hire you. They'll try to string you along so you're invested, and won't balk when you find out their offer is below market rate. If they're not up front in any way, or leave you hanging for basic information, let it go. They'll just waste your time and energy, or put you in an untenable situation where you won't be able to trust them if you do end up working for them.
- Thanks for much for the advice!! She is basically trolling me at this point. I have (almost) no doubt it's a legit company, they're just complete pieces of shit. I guess if they weren't they wouldn't be separate double texting me then ignoring me for days lmao
  
  I hope to god I can one day find a work environment that isn't total garbage.. not sure what fields that's even possible in though. Even if the majority is good seems there's always one bad apple that likes to stir shit up anyways.
I am a potential employer. Speaking on behalf of only myself, there are two reasons I may feel inclined to rush an applicant. If the unfilled position is causing hardship on operations or other team members (Like having someone having to fill the spot while I search) or if the intended start date falls towards the end of a current pay period. Because if the new hire doesn't have paperwork done by then it can slow down payroll for all of us.

I learned very quickly not to rush folks out of desperation, but honestly sometimes that does happen. It doesn't necessarily mean it's a terrible place to work. In my case our labor market is lacking viable applicants. It can sometimes take weeks or months before finding even a good interview. If I have somebody that hates overnights, but is working them to cover for a recent loss then you bet I will be motivated to fill the spot ASAP. It takes emotional control to make sure that doesn't turn into rushing the applicant.

These may not apply to your situation, but that's my two cents.
- Thanks. Unfortunately I think she's just trolling me at this point.
I got a message on LinkedIn about a job...

You can stop right there. That's all the red flags you need.
- Ive gotten real jobs this way.
  
  Same, 2/3 of my most recent jobs came this way ... doesn't mean it's not a potential red flag though
- My previous one was from someone reaching out via indeed. I only left because it was supposed to be a temporary thing while I found a career job. Worked out for what it was.
Sounds to me like she put her cards on the table and gave you a nice bargaining chip when it comes time to discuss compensation.
- I'm not great at reading between the lines. What's the bargaining chip in this case? 😅
  
  If they need someone THAT fast, it means they are desperate, and nobody else wants the job.
  
  My office has an opening, but we're doing fine for now, so we can wait for the right person, instead of hiring the first person to send in an app.
  
  It's time sensitive - she needs someone to fill this position right now. If it's so time sensitive, she might be willing to pay more than she normally would to get someone to do so.
It might occasionally be legit that an employer needs you to apply quickly.

But EVERY scam will say this.

You might just let this one go.
I've found that jobs that are actually hiring move quickly. They move from applications to interview within a few days. Constant talking about within the hour seems excessive.
- Tbh it's weird cause last time I applied to a job like this they seemed super interested and I had the right experience but then they just ghosted me lol
  
  I haven't applied to anything in over a year
  
  There's so many different companies that are just resume hunting. Don't know why really
They may have a strict period when they are accepting applications. No idea about your employer but it happens quite often with public bodies and large corporations.
- It's more of like a small business/start up type of thing, but I guess they want to find the solution (employee) quickly for their client.
  
  It sounds like they found themselves in a situation they are not prepared to handle, and they are attempting to rush you through a major decision to compensate. It may not be malicious or a scam, and it may be a fluke that is not indicative of the normal pace and handling of their business, but it does not signal a healthy well run organization. If you do choose to proceed, do so with some level of caution and awareness of that fact. Do not give them any money, and if they give you any information that alarms or frightens you, slow the process down to give your self more time to evaluate.
Proceed with caution. It'd be a shame if you missed a good opportunity all because they just want to get you started soon, but keep an eye out for other flags, like having to pay for anything before you can start, or learning details about the job that don't match the description in the job posting.
- I've decided I won't apply unless she responds to my basic attempt at communication. I don't want to work for a boss like this.
Maybe they fired someone and want to replace them ASAP.
- Ugh
  
  It could also be that their hair is genuinely on fire and they need someone fast. You don't always need to assume the worst. I'd be upfront and ask what the rush is. If they're open about it and give sensible answers it may be OK. If they get pissy, walk away.
The only thing I ever got from LinkedIn was scams. I'd bet this is a scam, sight unseen.

When they tell you the interview a teams-only text you'll know for sure.
maybe they just really need the help?
- I mean..... Idk it's still sus. I'm leaning more towards they're too picky and want the perfect candidate. The economic area they are based in is begging for job openings. I'm suspicious tbh, like what's the catch?

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