It's Obvious: How to Identify a Toxic Team During the Interview Stage 0 31

Consultant - Alexey Klochkov, expert in management and HR consulting

Job searching is like moving along a two-way highway. While the company checks your competencies, you have a unique opportunity to evaluate the employer. Remember: by signing a contract, you accept not only the working conditions but also the future environment, which can either be a source of inspiration or a cause of daily stress.

Language of Evasion: When Words Mean Nothing

The first alarming sign is the interviewer's unwillingness to provide direct answers and vague growth prospects. When you ask, “What is the career path for this position?” you hear, “Everything is individual here” or “It depends on the circumstances.” In reality, this often means that the promotion system is not transparent and depends on the subjective preferences of management rather than your achievements.

Marker phrases like “We only seek the most devoted,” “The team is like a family” with the subtext “nothing is too much for family,” and “Sometimes you have to stay late” indicate that the company encourages a culture of sacrifice. If such hints are constantly present, it may signal a culture of perpetual urgency where personal boundaries are not respected.

Light, unconstructive criticism of former employees (“we had some not very adequate people working here”) or previous companies is a classic sign of a toxic team. A healthy culture focuses on solutions and the future, not on blaming others for the past.

Dissonance and Manipulations

If you are speaking with several interviewers, use this as a powerful diagnostic tool. Pay attention to the following nuances:

Inconsistency of Information. One manager talks about a flexible schedule, while another mentions strict attendance control. HR discusses one set of tasks, while the future supervisor talks about a completely different one. This is a sign of poor communication and chaotic management within the company. In such an environment, you will constantly be thrown “from the frying pan into the fire.”

Gaslighting from the Start. During the conversation, you may notice that the interviewer easily denies what was said a minute ago or shifts responsibility. For example: “That’s not what I meant, you misunderstood me.” If this happens during the first meeting, gaslighting will only intensify during actual work.

Interrogation with a Bias. A healthy interview is a dialogue. If it resembles an interrogation, where your mistakes are discussed without the aim of understanding growth experience but with the desire to catch you out, run away. This demonstrates a culture of punishment rather than support.

A Culture That Stifles Development

The most dangerous signals concern not individuals but established practices that kill motivation:

Cult of “Favorites”. When you are hinted that “only stars are valued here” or “you must prove that you are one of us,” it often masks a system of favoritism. The team is divided into “the chosen,” whose mistakes are overlooked, and “ordinary” employees who bear full responsibility.

Initiative is Forbidden. Phrases from management like “Your task is to follow instructions clearly,” “No unnecessary ideas, everything is already fine-tuned here,” are a death sentence for any proactive specialist. They signal fear of change and total control.

Lack of Transparency. Answers to questions about processes sound like: “We don’t have unified rules; we decide based on the situation every time” or “Today it’s like this, and tomorrow we’ll see.” This is a direct path to burnout, as you will never understand what is actually expected of you.

Ignoring Your Questions. You asked about the process or corporate culture, and in response, you received irritation or even heard, “We’ll discuss it later.” This is a clear indicator that feedback is not valued in the company and your opinion will not matter.

Can a Toxic Team Change?

Toxicity is not just “bad luck with colleagues.” It is a stable system of destructive behavior patterns where intrigue, passive aggression, and resistance to anything new are encouraged. In such an environment, employees quickly learn to “keep their heads down,” stop suggesting ideas, and focus on finding blame rather than solving problems. Toxicity in a team is like a virus.

Even the most productive employee, finding themselves in a toxic and unproductive environment, will either adopt these patterns and their level of engagement will begin to decline or they will start to fight against the system and burn out, or simply leave the company.

Changing a toxic team can only happen if the problem is recognized at the very top. Management must be ready for serious work: conducting anonymous diagnostics to hear the truth, retraining managers, implementing transparent procedures, and establishing healthy communication.

If the problem is caused by one or several toxic employees who poison the atmosphere, half-measures will not help. As practice shows, firing such employees is the only measure, albeit harsh, that can breathe new life into the team. The motivation level of the others often increases dramatically within a few weeks after this.

A career is too valuable a resource to waste on fighting the system. Even the most tempting salary does not compensate for daily stress, deteriorating health, and loss of self-belief. Pay attention to how you are spoken to during the interview. Choose an environment that will develop you, not destroy you.