Ask HN: How to spot a bully during an interview?
Do you look out for bullies during an interview?
If so, how do you do it?
I am speaking as an interviewee than as an interviewer.
If so, how do you do it?
I am speaking as an interviewee than as an interviewer.
Watch out for interviewers who spend a lot of time talking about themselves and their accomplishments.
Watch out for interviewers who make negative comments about your current or past employer.
I've learned recently that this is a very good tell.
More importantly, though, you should have a plan for gracefully leaving the company within the first month or six, should you discover that your boss is a bully. Don't put yourself in the position of being "stuck" financially (or in other ways).
Some friend of mine was interviewing for a junior position at some startup in London and he noticed one of the interviewers secretly recording him while asking a strange whiteboard question all from memory which they don't use in production at all. The interviewers ridiculed and belittled him straight through the interview with the recording and he told me he found the place very unwelcoming.
The thing is, it is usually the self proclaimed 'senior engineers' who have less than 4 years of experience at a single company who have also been bullied that are most likely to be this arrogant and cannot ask the right questions, thus cannot interview juniors properly; only to feel better about themselves afterwards.
After this he told me that the company in question raised two series rounds in less than 5 months; a statment that they're haemoraging cash. I'd say he dodged an unprofitable bad egg anyway.