Bizarre job interview question saw man asked to leave seconds after sitting down
Topics: Jobs, Business, Reddit, Social Media
Ellie Kemp
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Xavier Lorenzo
Topics: Jobs, Business, Reddit, Social Media
The job hunt is a stressful feat, whether you're unemployed or applying for your dream role.
From the tedious application process to the nerve-wracking interviews (if you're lucky), and then the inevitable rejections, it's not all fun and games.
However, one social media user was left in shock when they were told to leave a job interview after being asked an incredibly personal - and incredibly irrelevant - question.
Posting to Reddit's R/AntiWork subreddit and identifying themselves as Mick, they recounted their bizarre interview experience at a manufacturing company.
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The poster was told to arrive at 9am but, being conscientious, they arrived 30 minutes early just in case.
"But guess what? The interview didn’t start on time," Mick explained. "I sat there waiting for a whole hour until they finally called me in at 10am.
"No explanation, no apology. Just waiting."
So things didn't get off to the best start - and only got more and more questionable from that point onwards.
Mick continued: "Once inside, the HR lady asked me to sit down - then proceeded to make two phone calls in front of me before actually starting the interview.
"Not exactly a great first impression."
The interviewer then demanded to know the poster's nickname ('Mick' from 'Micky'), and apparently questioned it before asking a really unusual question.
The Redditor explained: "She asked: 'What does your father do for a living?' [I explained] my father works at a private electronics company."
Mick said they were then asked to specify exactly which company their dad worked for.
"At this point, I started feeling uncomfortable. This is personal information and completely irrelevant to the job I was applying for," they wrote.
"So I politely said, 'I’m sorry ma'am, but I’d rather not answer that. It’s a private matter.'"
The woman's response floored Mick, as she allegedly hit back: "Then we can’t continue this interview.”
Mick continued: "I was honestly shocked. But instead of arguing, I just stood up and said, 'Alright then.' And walked out."
Mick summarized: "Not only did they waste an hour of my time, but the HR rep was also rude, unprofessional, and condescending. No apology for the delay, playing on her phone during the interview, and then basically threatening to end the interview just because I wouldn’t give details about my father’s workplace."
Other Reddit users were shocked to read Mick's story, while some were surprised they didn't walk out sooner.
"I'm going to make a wild suggestion. It is ok to walk out on an interview if people are more than a half hour late with no explanation or communication," one wrote, as a second agreed: "I'd say 15 minutes, honestly."
A third added: "I think that is a fair amount too, 30 the absolute maximum if you are a more tentative, nervous person."