What’s the most ridiculous job process you’ve been through

[confusde]

I can remember when I was 17 and I applied for a job at a well known DIY store. They wanted a CV, cover letter, pre interview telephone call, whole day assessment (unpaid!) and finally an interview! All this for minimum wage! I ended up working at Tesco for better pay!

Anyone else had something as ridiculous as this before?

I refuse to jump through all these hoops. I have however seen some hilarious expectations within the charity sector (numerous rounds of interviews, excessive application forms etc).

Teaching interviews are the worst!
One I went to that was particularly bad was
-given the lesson topic on arrival and class info, had 1 hour to plan and resource the lesson
-taught the lesson, was observed by 3 staff
-lesson evaluation
-tour of school with students who feed back on your likability
-interview with panel of students
-subject knowledge test (had to do an a level paper)
-given a topic title (out of specialism but closely related) and had to plan a scheme for covering the topic is 5 lessons then talk it over with head of science.
-half of the candidates cut at lunch time in front of everyone else
-formal interview with Head and governors in the afternoon

Yes. Major retail chain. CV, online application including personality tests, then take a day off to go to a city centre serviced office for an assessment day. Where they ignored most local retail experienced staff and progressed candidates already working at or had previously worked at, other branches. Without telling anyone present what shifts were available beforehand so half the interviewees couldn’t have accepted anyway. Three months in advance of the store being opened. TWO DAYS RUNNING! A colleague went the day after.

I went for an interview where we all had to arrive at the same time. They showed us around like school children, had a bit of a chat then called us in for the interview one by one like being at the doctors. I was one of the last to be called in and it was so late I’d almost left in disgust. It was an utter waste of a day and by that time I’d decided I wasn’t going to work there if this was how they did things. My job requires a professional degree!

Two spring to mind:

All 20+ candidates told to arrive at same time. Left sat in a circle awkwardly
Called one at a time to interview ... Then to sit down.
Successful candidate called in at end to be offered job.
Wasn't me !

Second one was a promotion in same workplace.
I was the only candidate.
Had to prepare a 30 min presentation and then a 5 panel interview.
One panel member was an arse who kept asking me things that were impossible to answer with my experience . I tried to say things like... Well as you know I don't have direct experience but I can tell you about x, y ,z and how those exper inches blah blah
Nope she kept asking about exact experience .
I left the room and they phoned me from inside the room..I was sat outside to say I hadn't got it .
Thank God!

Went for a job interview on a medical ward and was told afterwards that I was a close second but didn’t have as much experience as the other candidate. Told that they would contact me if any other vacancies came up. All very normal.
The next Saturday morning I received a letter in the post asking me to interview for a job on a different medical ward, however the interviewers were the same people. The interview was for 9am on Monday morning.
I called up HR department first thing in Monday morning to say I wouldn’t be attending as it was short notice for my current role and I was interviewed just over a week before by the same people for the same role just in a different ward. I got berated for wasting their time and advised not to apply for jobs I wasn’t attending interviews for.
Minday lunchtime I got offered the job.

Panel interview. One member asked me to explain a statute only by giving it's reference number.

After a phone interview and face to face interview, I was given a problem that the organisation was facing. I then had to go away and research a solution, prepare a PowerPoint and present this to the senior leadership team (!) a week or so later.

This was for a graduate position not a CEO!

I reckon they were just fishing for ideas to solve their organisation’s problems!

To me the worst was one where they asked a million documents beforehand (copy of the degree, personality tests etc) and when I finally was invited for an interview, they left me waiting for one hour only to let me know that they had not agreed the terms with the headhunter and that I could go.
It was one of the most humiliating experiences.

I enquired down the pub if they had any pot washing/serving jobs my 16 year old dd could do as she’s finished school now and will be going to college and will have time for a part time job.

They asked for a CV.

I did explain that she hasn’t even got her GCSEs yet. Nope, standard practice, CV please.

It’s not going to say a lot. I don’t really know what they’re expecting.

On the flip side of this, I received a formal rejection letter for a full time job I’d neither applied nor interviewed for! I’d rung to ask about part time positions-there weren’t any- and sent in my details for any future openings as requested. The letter thanked me for taking the time to attend and they were sorry to disappoint me!! Must have been automated. Computer says no, eh!

Was invited to interview for an adult educational role. The role had been 'empty' for several terms due to long term sickness of previous teacher.

Went through very convoluted interview process, many ridiculous forms etc. They insisted on interviewing me on a particular day which was very inconvenient and meant I had to miss several hours of work elsewhere (got colleagues to cover). Did interview, including delivering a lesson.

There were no other visible candidates, and I was told the other person hadn't been able to come.

Got home to several messages saying to ring them, then one saying I hadn't got the job, as the other person had more recent classroom experience.

I later found out the other candidate (who hadn't turned up) was the person who had been off for the last two terms. They were offered their job back.

The entire thing was just a monumental waste of time and energy!!!! Arggghhh!!!

A teaching interview where I did a lesson observation and an interview , then waited for hours to be called back in and told I hadn’t got the job , then asked how that made me feel and if I thought they were right , asked to tell them how much I wanted the job , then sent back out , called back in and told that they were changing their mind to give me a chance but I would have to prove myself pretty much . Had to decide there and then if I wanted it then very quickly had an offer letter given to me that I had to sign there and then.

I did and I did work there a while ( in all fairness it was a good experience in terms of what I learnt as it was a massively high achieving school ) I always felt as though I wasn’t good enough though , no one ever said that to me, but the process made me feel that way . I never had confidence though and it affected me massively and I left . Found out they did the same thing with most of the staff ( they all thought they had something special because they had changed their mind specifically for them because they saw something in them ) . Maybe it’s a tactic , but it has quite an impact on me .

I had to stand and sing Hit me Baby one more time with random words put into it in front of a group of people to get a bar supervisor role - I did it, felt like an idiot but did get the job.

I went for a job as secretary - quite a junior role. I was interviewed sitting on a chair surrounded by a semi circle of interviewers - at least 7 of them. Total overkill for that level of job!

At around the same time I was one of two people being interviewed for a similar job in the same organisation. 2 interviewers, small room, desk between us. The other person didn't turn up and I got the job.

I recently applied for a job with a well known health insurance company. It was a five stage interview process, and I was offered the job which I accepted. During the onboarding process, they wanted a copy of my birth certificate, so I gave them a paid for and verified copy that I got from the registry office. That was not acceptable - it had to be the original birth certificate. I'm 54. I had to rescind my acceptance.

During uni holidays I interviewed for a role working the Next sale- not sure of they still do it this way but back then next had set short sales and the shops were overrun by people. So this was to be a one off 4 days of work.

I was asked why I had turned up to the interview not wearing anything purchased from Next (I was 19 so hardly the target audience) asked what my 5 year plan was (I kid you not) and finally asked how I'd react if a customer grabbed clothing out of my hand as I was rehanging it.

I have nonidea how I kept a straight face throughout. I got the job and the 4 days remain some of the worst in my career so far.

I'm a midwife, and a few months after qualifying interviewed for a London based abortion care clinic.

When I arrived, despite introducing myself and telling them I was there for an interview, they seated me in the patients waiting lounge. I went back again and told them what I was there for and they looked down a few lists and said 'so you're not here for an abortion then? Why didn't you say earlier?'

The interviewers were so unwelcoming and stony faced. It was my birthday as well, what a crap way to spend it.

When they called me to say I hadn't been successful I gave them my own feedback and that I was actually pleased.

another teaching one. Have had several bad experiences but this one was the worst. Assistant head post at very very minor, small
private school. First of all received a email saying my application wasn’t successful. Then the next day had a phone call from the head apologising, saying it was a HR mistake and she’d been impressed with my CV. I accepted an interview.
was told it was a two day process and that half of us would be cut at the end of the first day. About seven of us there on first day. Felt like the apprentice (not in a good way). We were all each assigned a ‘helper’ who chaperoned us around the school to the extent where they escorted us to a toilet cubicle if we needed a wee. I mean, I get safe guarding, but this was ridiculous. Had to do observed lesson, in tray exercise, panel interview and then had to all pretend to be in a SLT meeting and the rest of SLT observed us. There was an internal candidate there who clearly thought the job was his and was so condescending to everyone. Though it must have been doubly awkward for him with his colleagues. Then interview with the head, where she opened with the line ‘you seemed very surprised to be offered an interview with us’. I was so unbalanced by this weird question that I just got flustered and didn’t respond with the right answer which would have been ‘that’s because you sent me an email saying that I hadn’t been invited to interview 24 hours before!’
interview with head was weird, she kept on saying things like ‘but what academic experience do you have?’ When I’d been teaching for years with several middle management roles. Couldn’t understand what she meant. Half way through one answer I was giving my ‘helper’ just walked in the unannounced and said ‘times up!’
I was not invited back to day two. Was pleased because the people who were had to give an assembly to the whole school as part of the interview process which everyone I’ve mentioned this to since has agreed is not only mad but downright cruel.
horrible!!