Strangest person you have interviewed ?

Strangest person you have interviewed ?

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Discussion

Simon-k41v9

218 posts

57 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
I worked for a sales team in a big office, we had a HR guy who used to do first part of interview and then call in heads of depts for 2nd part of meeting and then we'd basically bun fight over who got them.
Id said to the HR guy on the sly, next one you get who is decent, let me have a chat with them first please, keep it quiet, couple beers in it for etc.
He kept his word, it was a girl and when I walked in and she stood up to shake my hand, she was stunning and had the most enormous breasts out in this inappropriate low cut top, and once Id looked at them once I could not stop. I was just speechless. I was so embarrassed, pretended to take a call on my mobile and left the room.
She joined one of the other teams naturally, one with a female boss.


I interviewed a young lad who was chewing gum, not champing away, but was in his mouth. I liked him, was offering him a role, and I asked him why he was chewing gum, he shrivelled up, must have forgot - he was nervous, only 17/18.
I went out to get some paper work, when I came back the gum was gone, I though he must have swallowed it. When he stood up to leave, warm stringy gum was stuck to his shoe as he walked across the office. He stuck it to the bottom of his shoe of all places???

Edited by Simon-k41v9 on Monday 13th July 14:10

h0b0

7,598 posts

196 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
If we are talking about when we were bad candidates.........

There was the time when, at a group interview for a job I was told I was guaranteed to get the following happened. How I got to this point is a long story that involves the band Haircut 100. But, the end point is........

I had some of the shinning stars of the day bellowing out “pissed and drive” to The Bee Gees stayin’ Alive. I wrote the lyrics, choreographed the routines and wrote the script. It was a masterpiece worthy of an Oscar but totally inappropriate for an interview.

I didn’t get the job that day but everyone else in my production did. I do sometimes wonder where are they now. Did the graduate sales jobs I helped them land that day fulfill their lives' dreams? I look back on it as a lucky escape for both me and the company conducting the interview.

Edited by h0b0 on Tuesday 14th July 16:16

Munter

31,319 posts

241 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
illmonkey said:
I went for a entry level web developer, looking for people interested in starting a job in that industry, no previous experience required etc. After a few questions, he handed me a pencil and some paper and asked me to write a website out by hand. Whilst I had done several basic sites in dreamweaver I was no way able to write from scratch! I can't imagine many professionals could do so either.
Wouldn't they have just wanted something like:

<html>
<head>
<title>My Title Text</title>
</head>
<body>
The rest of the page contents
</body>
</html>

E.g. checking you had the vaguest idea of how HTML uses tags.

Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

186 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
Simon-k41v9 said:
He kept his word, it was a girl and when I walked in and she stood up to shake my hand, she was stunning and had the most enormous breasts out in this inappropriate low cut top, and once Id looked at them once I could not stop. I was just speechless. I was so embarrassed, pretended to take a call on my mobile and left the room.
My (heterosexual) female boss and I interviewed a young lady recently who had a very impressive chest, admittedly very modestly covered. I spent the whole interview maintaining eye-contact with great determination.

She was very brash and wouldn't have been a good fit for the team. I voiced this opinion in the post-interview chat with my boss and she said "the customers would love her though; she had a cracking pair of tits!"

I really didn't know what to say at that point.

illmonkey

18,199 posts

198 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
Munter said:
illmonkey said:
I went for a entry level web developer, looking for people interested in starting a job in that industry, no previous experience required etc. After a few questions, he handed me a pencil and some paper and asked me to write a website out by hand. Whilst I had done several basic sites in dreamweaver I was no way able to write from scratch! I can't imagine many professionals could do so either.
Wouldn't they have just wanted something like:

<html>
<head>
<title>My Title Text</title>
</head>
<body>
The rest of the page contents
</body>
</html>

E.g. checking you had the vaguest idea of how HTML uses tags.
I should have expanded, there was a 'brief' to have specific things, image & form from memory. Not big stuff, but pen and paper for a "no experience required" job...

zippy3x

1,315 posts

267 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
illmonkey said:
Munter said:
illmonkey said:
I went for a entry level web developer, looking for people interested in starting a job in that industry, no previous experience required etc. After a few questions, he handed me a pencil and some paper and asked me to write a website out by hand. Whilst I had done several basic sites in dreamweaver I was no way able to write from scratch! I can't imagine many professionals could do so either.
Wouldn't they have just wanted something like:

<html>
<head>
<title>My Title Text</title>
</head>
<body>
The rest of the page contents
</body>
</html>

E.g. checking you had the vaguest idea of how HTML uses tags.
I should have expanded, there was a 'brief' to have specific things, image & form from memory. Not big stuff, but pen and paper for a "no experience required" job...
no experience != no knowledge. I coded as a hobby for about a decade before I could convince someone to give me a job (having no degree).

I'd have jumped at a "no experience" interview

Greshamst

2,060 posts

120 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
rxe said:
My most amusing experience was an interviewee. It was a big investment bank back in the day and I'd been headhunted for an opportunity. I'd spoken to them already, and made it clear that whatever they had needed to be spectacular to pry me out of my current job. I was slightly surprised to be in some sort of interview hopper when I got there, but I just assumed these were common HR interview processes.

I sat down with some callow youth in a small office, and he started off with his killer question "why do you want to work at XYZ bank". My reply was loosely "I have no idea, I'm here to explore an interesting opportunity". The colour draining from his face was amusing - he'd been expecting a graduate style interview, and he was actually interviewing a 40 year old that they were keen to hire for a specific role. He managed to hold it together for about 5 minutes, then bailed and went to get his boss. I got taken out for a very nice lunch by way of apology, didn't take the job.
Oh wow, I hope that the callow youth now tells stories about being allowed to be in the presence of such greatness. rolleyes

I like that you’ve just ignored the actual theme of the thread to write a very obnoxious post about how terribly impressive you are.



Jakg

3,463 posts

168 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Greshamst said:
rxe said:
My most amusing experience was an interviewee. It was a big investment bank back in the day and I'd been headhunted for an opportunity. I'd spoken to them already, and made it clear that whatever they had needed to be spectacular to pry me out of my current job. I was slightly surprised to be in some sort of interview hopper when I got there, but I just assumed these were common HR interview processes.

I sat down with some callow youth in a small office, and he started off with his killer question "why do you want to work at XYZ bank". My reply was loosely "I have no idea, I'm here to explore an interesting opportunity". The colour draining from his face was amusing - he'd been expecting a graduate style interview, and he was actually interviewing a 40 year old that they were keen to hire for a specific role. He managed to hold it together for about 5 minutes, then bailed and went to get his boss. I got taken out for a very nice lunch by way of apology, didn't take the job.
Oh wow, I hope that the callow youth now tells stories about being allowed to be in the presence of such greatness. rolleyes

I like that you’ve just ignored the actual theme of the thread to write a very obnoxious post about how terribly impressive you are.
To be fair - if they tell you they want you and then turn it on it's head in the interview, that's not cricket.

I applied for a job, the interview turned out to be an assessment - on paper, in a group.
The HR person explained the test was really hard, maybe only one person in the entire group would pass, after the best of the best etc.
I was significantly earlier in my career than everyone else present and felt a bit out of place.
Test was a mix of easy textbook technical questions, and cliched "how many golf balls could you fit in a school bus" estimation problems clearly nicked off the internet (when has anyone in the UK ever said "school bus"?)

I got a surprised call back saying I'd passed, they were really impressed but didn't think I was the right fit for the job I applied for, but had something else in mind and wanted me to come in for an actual interview.
I turn up and the interviewer is late (red flag) and clearly unprepared (red flag 2).
I'm put in a room on my own and asked to think about a technical solution to a problem - all the documentation is in a foreign language I don't know, nor is it required for the job - "give it your best shot" (red flag 3).
After about 5 minutes, someone turfs me out of the room because they've already booked it (red flag 4).

I finally get into the interview - generally the interviewer is pretty negative throughout, and at the end says - "We don't have a role for you, we don't need you at all - is there any reason why I should hire you?" (red flag 5).
I give an answer but I'm feeling pretty annoyed at this point - I've booked a day off work, I'm only here because you invited me and told me you had a role in mind, and instead you've just spent half an hour belittling me.

I leave, sour taste in my mouth.
They call me later - they love me, I was fantastic, offer me the job - I decline. I had a pretty good idea at the this point it'd be a terrible place to work.

Watchman

6,391 posts

245 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Jakg said:
o be fair - if they tell you they want you and then turn it on it's head in the interview, that's not cricket.

I applied for a job, the interview turned out to be an assessment - on paper, in a group.
The HR person explained the test was really hard, maybe only one person in the entire group would pass, after the best of the best etc.
I was significantly earlier in my career than everyone else present and felt a bit out of place.
Test was a mix of easy textbook technical questions, and cliched "how many golf balls could you fit in a school bus" estimation problems clearly nicked off the internet (when has anyone in the UK ever said "school bus"?)

I got a surprised call back saying I'd passed, they were really impressed but didn't think I was the right fit for the job I applied for, but had something else in mind and wanted me to come in for an actual interview.
I turn up and the interviewer is late (red flag) and clearly unprepared (red flag 2).
I'm put in a room on my own and asked to think about a technical solution to a problem - all the documentation is in a foreign language I don't know, nor is it required for the job - "give it your best shot" (red flag 3).
After about 5 minutes, someone turfs me out of the room because they've already booked it (red flag 4).

I finally get into the interview - generally the interviewer is pretty negative throughout, and at the end says - "We don't have a role for you, we don't need you at all - is there any reason why I should hire you?" (red flag 5).
I give an answer but I'm feeling pretty annoyed at this point - I've booked a day off work, I'm only here because you invited me and told me you had a role in mind, and instead you've just spent half an hour belittling me.

I leave, sour taste in my mouth.
They call me later - they love me, I was fantastic, offer me the job - I decline. I had a pretty good idea at the this point it'd be a terrible place to work.
I feel angry on your behalf, just reading that.

I had a similar-ish interview a few years ago where about half way through I realised the interviewer just didn't like me. He had been rather arrogant all the way through - starting by telling me how "premium" their company was by way of letting me know he didn't thnk I was premium enough (it was a brewery and apart from the salary offer, which was decent enough, there was nother special about it really). I am a very experienced snr Technical Project and Programme Manager so I'm hardly short of options however I am not the type of person to talk myself up in a pissing contest - preferring my experience and recommendations to provide a more impartial opinion of me which usually works.

OK, so the salary at this brewery seemed worth the day out for the interview but this interviewer kept trying to undermine my answers to his questions, and once explained that the processes they had in place were better than ones I'd just described (they weren't - I knew what he was talking about which was old and outdated practices). And then we came to a point where he plainly didn't like the answer I gave to one question and just asked me the same question again, expecting me to provide a different answer. I thought about it for a few seconds then realised he was just being passive aggressive, so I asked him what he didn't like about my previous answer. He just asked the same question a third time, so I stood up and told him that I didn't think this was working, and turned to leave.

The HR chap to his right looked absolutely shocked at this point, and hurried after me into the corridor. He asked me lots of questions about how I thought the interview had been conducted - clearly worried whether my opinion would find its way back to the company. I was straight with him and told him I didn't think the interviewer liked me for some reason, and carried on walking out. I had a call back two days later from someone else in their HR dept, asking me similar questions that the HR chap had asked me on the day, and then he offered another interview with someone else, if I would agree to it.

Thing is, the original interviewer would have been my boss, if I had ended up working there, so I declined on that basis.

About 18 months later, I met someone they had employed in a similar role to the one I interviewed for. He said it was a horrible place to work and was looking for somewhere else, and that he'd heard two people had walked out from those interviews I attended (I was one). My interviewer had left under some sort of a cloud a few months after I had gone there - he didn't know why, but the interviewer withdrew his Linked-In profile just after he left.

Sir Bagalot

6,479 posts

181 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
rxe said:
My strangest interviewee decided to answer his phone during an interview for a casual chat with one of his mates. Shortest interview ever, he seemed genuinely surprised that I binned it early.
Great.

Glad I'm not the only one. Interviewed a guy one day and his phone rings. It happens. People forget to turn their phone off due to nerves etc. He took it out of his inside pocket and instead of muting it he had a full on conversation with someone. I, and the HR manager, stared at each other in disbelief and waiting for them to finish. He finished the call, and we immediately finished the interview.

I've had people chewing gum etc.

Best ones were phone interviews which I always did for 1st and 2nd line IT Support. It was vital they knew how to speak to people on the phone. I would call and introduce myself (they knew I was calling at an agreed date/time) and confirm they were free to talk

I had people....
Reply, Hiya mate....
They're eating and then burp loudly.....
One bloke answered whilst in Tesco. He couldn't understand when I suggested that if he knew I was calling then perhaps shopping wasn't a good idea so I could have his full attention.....

The list is endless really

h0b0

7,598 posts

196 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Greshamst said:
rxe said:
My most amusing experience
Oh wow, I hope that the callow youth now tells stories about being allowed to be in the presence of such greatness. rolleyes

I like that you’ve just ignored the actual theme of the thread to write a very obnoxious post about how terribly impressive you are.
I think you missed the tone or perhaps it’s because I have been in the same situation.

Some of the big banks still live like it’s the 80’s and there is a fight to get in the door. “I will do anything, and work my way up!!” When they had 1000 applicants for any job they opened. That attitude is misplaced now as they can’t fill the roles with qualified people. They also realized they had to look outside of their industry to actively seek the people for the roles.

I have been in the same situation as Gresham twice. (Hmm. 3 times)

“What brings you to bank X?”
“You asked me to come”.

Over the course of those 2 interview processes I met with around 10 people. I’d say 9 adjusted their interview style. One didn’t. He was a prick. My favorite response was

“Oh, do you get st done?”
“Yes”
“Ok. You are in”
That was the entire interview after he found out his boss had asked me to come in.

What is odd, is you posting this on other completely unrelated threads.


As we are now firmly off track, I have often thought about writing a book on interviewing. I’ve been on a hundred, if we include phone interviews it’s a lot more, and I have conducted a hundred plus. For most it’s a skill that hasn’t been learnt or practiced. As a result, they are t speaking to the human in front of them. They are speaking to the actor who has rehearsed their lines.

I once responded to “what’s your biggest weakness?” With “pointing out st interview questions that offer no value”. In that case I knew I wasn’t going to accept the job and asking that question is lazy and of no value.


Fundoreen

4,180 posts

83 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Remember a very formal panel interview which to be frank I had never experience before or since went to exit the room and realised the senior person in the panel had somehow put his papers on top of mine.
I sort of reached under his stuff and took mine then exited. Dont remember saying a word lol.
Was probably filed under a strangest interview heading.

Gary29

4,155 posts

99 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
I'm probably on someone's list somewhere. A week leading up to an interview / assessment to become a train driver, I had horrendous flu like symptoms and felt like death warmed up on the day, so my preparation wasn't the best.

There was a half day assessment ~ 25 people in the same room doing a test, I managed to get asked back for the afternoon shortlist of 4-5 people I think it was, so I was doing quite well considering the circumstances.

The afternoon session was individual assessments and formal interview.

I was already massively fatigued by this point, and so I decided not to try and bullst any answers, and just spoke 100% honest, it was quite refreshing really.

They issued all the candidates with a rail voucher for that day and the assessment was near a railway station, they asked me about how I had travelled to the interview, I said "by car as I wanted to be sure I actually arrived in a timely manner, in case of complications on the rail network" I don't think it was what they wanted to hear. I thought it was a valid response, but needless to say I didn't get any further. 3 of the other shortlisters were already employed by the rail network in other roles so I think it was an inside job anyway.

It makes me laugh looking back wondering what they must have thought of me sweating profusely and largely incoherent due to fever, yet managed to 'ace' the morning assessment.

bigpriest

1,600 posts

130 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Best application I had for a an analyst role was from a mid-50's male, no qualifications, no experience currently working as a magician in Devon. Reason for applying - "I fancy a change". I wasn't allowed to invite him for interview.

One interviewee started every answer with "Gentlemen..." and the panel included two females.

I asked one candidate if they wanted to put their chewing gum in the bin, they said they didn't have any but had a gum problem that gave them a speech defect.

Countdown

39,885 posts

196 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
h0b0 said:
I once responded to “what’s your biggest weakness?” With “pointing out st interview questions that offer no value”. In that case I knew I wasn’t going to accept the job and asking that question is lazy and of no value.
If you knew you weren't going to accept the job why waste your time and theirs in continuing to answer questions (silly or otherwise)? Why not simply say "Thanks for your time. I don't think this is the role I thought it would be"? Or carry on answering in short answers just to be courteous?

With respect I think the above response risks an equally insulting/arrogant counter response. Whilst you may not have liked that particular role or interviewer you've then pretty much ruled yourself out of any future opportunities with that particular organisation. There's also a risk that in certain industries where people talk to other people and you get ruled out for other opportunities without even knowing why.

Interviews shouldn't be dick-swinging contests.

Foliage

3,861 posts

122 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Doofus said:
ClaphamGT3 said:
She has some truly amazing anecdotes but the weirdest/saddest was the poor woman who keeled over and died during an interview
And your wife knew she was poor because she only had £2.38 in her purse?
In this context its a term of sympathy, to someones unfortunate situation.

"The poor boy just broke his arm"


Bumblebee7

1,527 posts

75 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Countdown said:
If you knew you weren't going to accept the job why waste your time and theirs in continuing to answer questions (silly or otherwise)? Why not simply say "Thanks for your time. I don't think this is the role I thought it would be"? Or carry on answering in short answers just to be courteous?

With respect I think the above response risks an equally insulting/arrogant counter response. Whilst you may not have liked that particular role or interviewer you've then pretty much ruled yourself out of any future opportunities with that particular organisation. There's also a risk that in certain industries where people talk to other people and you get ruled out for other opportunities without even knowing why.

Interviews shouldn't be dick-swinging contests.
Agreed, always try your best. If you don't get offered the job, there was nothing more you could have done and at least it's good practice. If you do get offered the job, you can always politely turn it down if you don't want it.

cdon

2,124 posts

175 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Not so much at an interview but I had an interesting experience at an assessment centre for a graduate scheme.

I was one of maybe 10 people there for the day interviewing for different roles (Engineering, finance, sales etc) we would interact with the other applicants in a casual group setting and then head away periodically for 1 on 1 interviews.

In between the interviews current employees were milling around and would stop for a chat with a coffee, maybe talk about hobbies, what they’re working on currently etc.

One of the applicants didn’t quite grasp that they were still being assessed in between the formal interviews and would just kick back and relax when he got back to the group room.

At one point he jokingly exclaimed “let’s get these contracts signed already”.

I never saw him again.


LukeBrown66

4,479 posts

46 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
I recall going to an assessment day for a car company.

It was very bizarre and incredibly frustrating for a lot of people sadly.

Basically the advert intimated that you were going to be dealing with customer related issues regarding their cars, I assumed complaints, it sounded interesting to me, the package was good.

Turns out their plan was to attract people NOT linked or interested in sales, but that is ALL the job was about. It was an all day thing run by an outside company, (not the car firm) with numerous deletion periods in it, I only did one test which basically consisted of being given a list of things a stranded islander would need, which was basically viewed by a few panelists and was a "who can shout loudest and make their voice heard at this table and therefore sell cars to people" idea.

I failed there and was asked to leave, I was bloody furious, threw my pass at the arrogant cretin flooring the whole thing. And so wish I had stood up in the middle of this arse telling us how great he was at selling, how easy it is etc. Wish I had said "this is a total waste of my and probably a lot of other peoples time" and walked out. If you can sell, you can, if you cant you loath, hate and detest it as I do.

But what upset me was going outside and seeing and hearing the looks of delirium on young kids faces, people who had taken time off, Mums, etc who thought this was a job about one thing, yet was totally not that.


Doofus

25,817 posts

173 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Foliage said:
Doofus said:
ClaphamGT3 said:
She has some truly amazing anecdotes but the weirdest/saddest was the poor woman who keeled over and died during an interview
And your wife knew she was poor because she only had £2.38 in her purse?
In this context its a term of sympathy, to someones unfortunate situation.

"The poor boy just broke his arm"
Presumably we know he's poor because he only has fifty pee in his pocket.

rolleyes