{"id":15024,"date":"2019-04-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-16T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/identifi-global.eu.applyflow.com\/the-worst-real-life-interviews-we-ve-ever-dealt-with\/"},"modified":"2022-12-09T06:14:42","modified_gmt":"2022-12-09T06:14:42","slug":"the-worst-real-life-interviews-we-ve-ever-dealt-with","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/news\/the-worst-real-life-interviews-we-ve-ever-dealt-with\/","title":{"rendered":"The worst (real-life) interviews we’ve ever dealt with"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat\u2019s the worst that could happen in a job interview?<\/em><\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tFor a candidate, arriving late, being overcome with nerves or not preparing properly can all make the experience feel less-than-positive. For an interviewer, being faced with a completely unsuitable candidate can make the whole thing feel like a complete waste of time.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tBut trust us; things can get much, much worse.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tFeast your eyes on these real-life interview shockers that we’ve encountered over the years: stories that take the phrase \u201cbad interview experience\u201d to a whole new level\u2026<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n

\n\tA little Dutch courage<\/h2>\n
\n\tWe offer candidates support to help them perform as well as possible in future interviews. In one case, however, our candidate probably had no clear perception of his interview performance.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tFollowing an interview, the employer phoned to let us know that the candidate was clearly inebriated – slurring his words and reeking of strong spirits throughout. Naturally, we then reached out to the candidate to get his views.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n

\n\t“Brandies and a few beers later, those nerves were gone.”<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n
\n\t\tIt turned out that nerves had got the better of him, and he\u2019d decided that the best way to calm himself was to head to the nearest pub for some Dutch courage. Brandies and a few beers later, those nerves were gone – replaced with confidence and the belief that he\u2019d get away with it. That wasn\u2019t the case, though, and it was a no from the interviewer for the role, which was with the Metropolitan Police.<\/div>\n
\n\t\t <\/div>\n

\n\t\tIf you\u2019ll just let me finish<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tOne of our longstanding clients had a very bad stutter. This meant that a deal of patience and understanding was needed when speaking with him, which we always made candidates aware of in advance.<\/div>\n
\n\t\t <\/div>\n
\n\t\tGenerally, this wasn\u2019t an issue: any decent person will understand that great communication involves both self-awareness and awareness of the other person involved. Sadly, in one interview, this just didn\u2019t happen.<\/div>\n
\n\t\t <\/div>\n
\n\t\tThe client\u2019s feedback revealed that the candidate finished off every single sentence and question he, the interviewer, started – and often answering his own (wrong) interpretation of the question. At the end of the interview, when the client began to summarise, the candidate interrupted again, agreeing (before any feedback whatsoever from the client) that it had been a brilliant interview and that he\u2019d be in touch – clearly assuming that the job was in the bag.<\/div>\n
\n\t\t <\/div>\n
\n\t\tIt wasn\u2019t. The client described the interview as being the rudest and most bizarre he\u2019d ever experienced.<\/div>\n
\n\t\t <\/div>\n

\n\t\tAre you coming back?<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tSome things – like fire alarms going off during an interview – are completely out of our control, and while they can really disrupt an interview\u2019s flow, they must be taken on the chin. The (literal) alarm bells started ringing early on in an interview for one of our team members. As the interviewer was the company\u2019s Fire Marshall, the interviewed was paused.<\/div>\n
\n\t\t <\/div>\n
\n\t\tThe entire company headed outside, and in the end, the fire service allowed everyone back into the building. The candidate headed straight back to the interview room, ready to pick up where they\u2019d left off, and waited for the interviewer to return. And waited…and waited\u2026 In the end, he left the interview room to ask someone when the interviewer\u2019s marshalling duties would be complete.<\/div>\n
\n\t\t <\/div>\n

\n\t\t“They\u2019d forgotten that they were mid-interview, and had gone home.”<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n\t\t <\/div>\n
\n\t\tThey\u2019d been completed a while ago, it turned out: in all the commotion, they\u2019d forgotten that they were mid-interview, and had gone home. Proof that it\u2019s down to both candidate and interviewer alike to make sure the interview experience is a positive one.<\/div>\n
\n\t\t <\/div>\n

\n\t\tKeep certain views to yourself<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tBetween a successful interview and the candidate\u2019s start date, it\u2019s unlikely that anything will go wrong. But it does happen.<\/div>\n
\n\t\t <\/div>\n
\n\t\tA case in point is one candidate who\u2019d secured a directorial role at a new firm. Gardening leave stipulations meant that she wasn\u2019t able to join the firm immediately, but a meet and greet drinks evening was organised so she could get to know her new team.<\/div>\n
\n\t\t <\/div>\n
\n\t\tIt was clear that she was a very different person to how she came across in the interview. The more the drinks flowed, the more vocal she became, sharing thoughts and opinions that turned out to be extreme, to say the least.<\/div>\n
\n\t\t <\/div>\n
\n\t\tThe team she was inheriting made their views on her behaviour and beliefs very clear. She was called into HR the following day to hand in her notice for the job she\u2019d never actually even started.<\/div>\n
\n\t\t <\/div>\n

\n\t\tYou know it\u2019s a bad interview when\u2026<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tThe disasters we\u2019ve covered above are bad enough, but we\u2019d also like to give a special mention to these gems we\u2019ve also heard about:<\/div>\n
\n\t\t <\/div>\n