Terrible job interview! Is complaint warranted?

[GingerTheGiantSlayer]

Hi ladies,

Writing this for a friend...

She recently had a job interview with a big, well know chain of pet supply stores (wasn't sure if I was allowed to name names)...
...the interview process took TWO HOURS!!

All fine except for the fact the interview was incredibly unprofessional (interview was conducted in the staff room with other prospective members eavesdropping nearby and people coming in and asking manager questions and to have their sandwiches). Friend has been working with public/in retail for over 20 years only to get feedback saying she was "overly negative" "didn't know how to put stock out" "wouldn't be a good fit" leaving her in tears!! The feedback was very personal and the interview itself (one of the deputy managers even admitted to this) was unconventional with impossible to answer questions! I mean this isn't MENSA!! AIBU to think she should complain? Also curious to know if you ladies know of anything similar happening-and if so what did you do?

Thank you! :)

My wife had an interview at "hets at pome" and also said it was horrendous. Lucky escape I'd say!

I’ve walked out of more than one interview, it’s important to remember that you’re also interviewing them to see if you want to work there. If I get a bad feeling during and interview I just say thank you for your time, I’m not sure this job is quite what I’m looking for or I’m not sure I’d be a good fit so I won’t take up any more of your time. The interviewers have always been ok with that 😀

There is Glassdoor for leaving reviews of processes such as interviewing procedures. Other than that, chalk it up to experience and keep in mind the mn advice of if someone shows you who they are, believe them.

Yes, of course she should complain to the prospective employer if she thinks it will help her put this unfortunate incident to rest.

However, if she wants to try and work for that outlet or one in the same chain I would not complain. The letter will go somewhere on record.

Better to just put it behind her and thin she is lucky not to be working there.

If it is Pets at Home, they've got terrible feedback re. management from employers on Glassdoor.

I think random questions unrelated to the job are just a technique some employers use nowadays to get people to "think outside the box". Once, at an interview for a retail job I was asked questions about which item of office supplies symbolised my personality and what items I would use to survive a shipwreck but not one question about my relevant experience! So that might just be their interview style but the lack of privacy for the interview is certainly a concern that she could flag up with HR, what if the interviewee needed to discuss something confidential like a disability or previous criminal conviction? And their feedback seems ironic given that they accused her of being overly negative! Overall it sounds like she had a lucky escape! An employer that can't even conduct an interview correctly and constructively isn't going to manage staff effectively either. But I understand it must be a disappointment.

Came on here to say Glassdoor have an interview review feature - but it seems to have been mentioned already.

Some places have rather bizarre interviewing practices. I remember interviewing for a client project (sourcing staff from outside my own firm) and the client manager declaring that he trusted me (in my role as project lead) to decide on the guys but wanted a look at all the women that applied to see if they were pretty enough. This was for a technical position in IT.

Needless to say, I picked a woman and didn't show her off to him - he could hardly complain to his bosses seeing as I had the request in writing.

Weirdest place I've ever worked at. Bar none.

If its Pets at Home then believe me it was a lucky escape. They are shite to work for, I speak from my DH's experience.

How can job interview feedback be anything other than personal?

How many lurkers are now looking up Pets at Home on Glassdoor?

It sounds like it all became unprofessional when she didn't hear what she wanted. Would she have complained if she'd been offered the job?

She might not have liked the feedback but she could see it from another perspective and that is that they were honest when others wouldn't have bothered. It is up to her whether to consider that all what was said was complete nonsense, or whether she might consider that indeed, she didn't interview well and could learn from what she's been told.

I've interviewed people who are so negative about their previous post, I can't believe they are not aware of the message they feedback. I almost want to stop the interview and say to them 'how do I know that everything went wrong at your last place because they were horrible rather than the issue steering from you and unless I can be sure, I am not going to take the chance with someone who could possibly be a trouble maker', but of course I don't. I used to give more honest feedback but except for the occasional thank you for the honesty, I usually get defensive attitude back, which only confirms that I'd made the right decision. I now don't bother.

I see your point Swing but they really are crap to work for

If it were me I'd want to file a complaint too. It seems like they just didn't treat the process fairly and responsibly and it really pisses me off when employers do this. You've (or your friend has) gone to the trouble of finding the job, applying, preparing for an interview etc and then they come across like a bunch of unprofessional arseholes? Looks like they don't care about their employees.

Some places are not good to work for, no matter how much you wanted the job. Just remind your friend that the interview process is there for you also, to assess whether you think you'd be a good fit for the job and the company. If that answer is 'no' then its their loss.

But I'd still highlight it to HR as they should be more professional. It might mean in future that no one else has to go through that crap.

Sounds awful, but like many of the grievances on here I often wonder what on earth the point would be in complaining? To whom? Saying what? Chalk it up to a shitty experience, and focus on the next one. C'est la vie.

But I'd still highlight it to HR as they should be more professional. It might mean in future that no one else has to go through that crap.

Changed my mind, tbh. I take back my previous post :)