2 interview red flags that could cost you the job, from an ex-Google exec

Posted by author February 19, 2025 Jobs

Spread the love

Jenny Wood spent nearly 18 years working at Google in various sides of the business, ultimately leaving after serving as a director in media operations.

In that time, she “participated in hundreds of interviews and hiring decisions” and amassed a great deal of knowledge about building your career. Her forthcoming book, “Wild Courage,” which will be published in March, features many of her career insights, as does her newsletter, Big Small Things.

As far as job interviews go, her biggest advice is to be thoughtful in your responses. “I’m always impressed when someone comes into an interview and I ask them a question,” she says, “and they pause, and they write down a couple things on a piece of paper,” then they answer. But there are also behaviors she doesn’t like to see.

Here are two of Wood’s biggest red flags in interviews.

‘Make me feel like you’re excited to be here’

First, Wood hates to see indifference.

“The interview is a window into their future performance,” Wood says about candidates. It’s an indicator of what kind of energy they will bring to their tasks, to their meetings and to their day-to-day interactions with colleagues.

“I think one of the greatest assets anybody can bring in any organization is enthusiasm,” she says. But if a candidate seems unenthused in the interview, Wood is going to assume that when they’re in the role, “this person is totally going to drain my energy,” she says. It’s the opposite of what she wants.

If you really want the job, “make me feel like you’re excited to be here,” she says.

Don’t ask about work-life balance

The second red flag is bringing up the idea of work-life balance.

This can come in the form of asking about what time people leave the office or about a weekly commitment that would mean you have to come in late once a week, for example. “I am left wondering,” she says, “if they ask me if they can work from home four days a week, if your priorities are moving the business forward or moving a load of laundry.”

Instead, stick to questions about the tasks of the job, the goals of the business, problems you can solve, etc. Think of what questions will help you figure out if you’re excited about the projects you’ll take on and how you can help the company move forward.

You can ask people at your prospective company about work-life balance — just not during the job interview process, says Wood. “I would have a coffee chat,” she says. “I would find somebody else that’s outside the official interview panel,” perhaps someone you find on LinkedIn or someone with whom you share a mutual friend, and ask them.

Want to earn some extra money on the side? Take CNBC’s new online course How to Start a Side Hustle to learn tips to get started and strategies for success from top side hustle experts. Pre-register now and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off $97 (+taxes and fees) through April 1, 2025.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.