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Original poster

This was a test wasn't it?

542 replies

LadyIrisBarclay · 21/02/2018 20:55

And I obviously failed?

Had an interview for a job today. Really, really wanted it as it's my dream role and I so desperately need to get away from current organisation and arse of a boss

It was interview panel of 3 which I had kind of expected but I know my nerves got the better of me.

Anyway, I walked into the boardroom and the 3 interviewers were sat on opposite side of boardroom table. It was quite formal and I was trying not to hyperventilate Grin

On my side of the table there was just one chair plus a notepad and pencil and carafe and glass of water. So this was obviously where I was supposed to sit.

I walked in and we all shook hands and then the lady (possibly a PA?) invited me to take a seat - but here's where it all went tit's up!

My chair had a very large and noticeable wet patch on it. I have no idea what it was, possibly water or a spilt cup of tea? I touched it with my fingers and it was very damp.

So I pointed it out to the panel in a casual way, didn't want to make a fuss but just said 'oh dear, something has been spilt on this chair and it's still very damp'. I was assuming someone would offer to go and get another for me as there were no other chairs in the room other than the three they were sitting on.

But no-one offered so I asked whether a replacement could be found. I was told that none were available and the Manager then just asked whether I was ready to get started with the interview??????

I said that yes I was but I couldn't sit in the chair provided, I was really trying to keep it light and breezy, the manager just said that no other chairs were available. This is the UK HQ of a large global organisation in a state of the art building covering 5 floors. Of course there were other fucking chairs available??

I could feel tears building up at this point as there was no way I was going to humiliate myself by having a wet patch on my skirt after the interview.

So I walked out Sad - I can't remember now what I said but managed to keep it fairly polite still.

What the actual fuck was I supposed to do? Was this a test?

I have read about organisations such as Apple and Google asking really wanky questions at interviews that I just think is a pile of shite. This was a large organisation in the Financial Services sector though.

It did occur to me afterwards that maybe it was a test and I was supposed to show my initiative by using the notepad they'd provided to cover up the wet patch?

I can't be doing with such arsery though - so very fucking upset this evening Sad

OP posts:
PurpleStarInCashmereSky · 22/02/2018 18:22

Managers were clearly twats. Hope you gave yourself a relaxing evening.

browneyes77 · 22/02/2018 18:28

I'm sorry but I have no idea what your issue is? The panel just wanted to get on with the interview - you sound like seriously high maintenance and that they seriously missed a bullet.

No idea what the issue is? Are you deranged or were you one of the panel? If the panel ‘just wanted to get on with the interview’ they should have pulled their finger out and got an appropriate chair for the OP to sit on and not expected her to sit in a soaking wet seat.

I work in Recruitment. I have done for over 20 years. Never in my entire career would I or a company I’ve worked for, treat a candidate like this.

Whether or not it’s some kind of stupid test, it says a lot about the company and how they treat their staff. That they’re prepared to make candidates feel as uncomfortable as possible through the interview process. No decent company would do that to a candidate. You want to see what a candidate has to offer and you give them the best opportunity to do that. If they treat a potential employee this way, how do they treat staff who already work for them?

If a candidate pointed out we’d given them a wet chair, firstly I’d be embarrassed because it would make us look unprofessional and unprepared. Secondly I’d replace the chair as quickly as possible.

With the spread of social media these days, companies are using it to increase their reach to potential candidates and show they’re a great company to work for. And it’s easy for someone to leave a negative review that can put other potential candidates off. If you give a poor interview/recruitment experience it can be on the internet in minutes. As a business you have to be more savvy than that.

ratspeaker · 22/02/2018 18:40

I find it really odd that many of you would be willing to sit on a wet chair not knowing the cause of the dampness.
Yeah it could be spilled water, or ink, or someone peed on it or maybe it was corrosive fluid spilled when the office was cleaned.
Maybe Im biased after working in labs where every spill was treated with caution.

Anyway I can't understand why a company could not afford to supply another chair

Goodasgoldilox · 22/02/2018 18:41

In your response/review of the interview - don't forget to add that you wouldn't feel secure working for an organisation that can't afford enough chairs !

Tapandgo · 22/02/2018 18:47

You did the right thing. Why work for a company who would humiliate you.

AL75 · 22/02/2018 18:49

It's a shame you didn't have spare tissues in your bag, as a mum you have to prepare for any sort of accident so you should always have it. I wonder how the next candidate reacted?....

Crazyunicornlady · 22/02/2018 18:50

I really don’t get why people think it’s ok to sit on a wet chair? I would have declined to sit and invited them to carry on whilst I stood up!

Please speak to their HR team

SomeKnobend · 22/02/2018 18:55

I keep checking on this thread hoping for an explanation. It's so weird. The only thing I can think of is it was some kind of set up for a "prank" show. But then they'd have to disclose that afterwards and get you to sign something so they could broadcast it. Also it's not remotely funny. Hmm

Abbylee · 22/02/2018 18:57

I'm not sure OP, if I would have taken a piece of the paper, blotted the wet spot and showed them the seriousness of the spot. Disgusting if it was wee! Or simply stood for the interview. However, the others are very correct; this type of interview is a clue to unhappiness and crazy people if you did get the job. You dodged a bad situation.

My perspective is a house of mirrors confusion right now, you have my complete sympathy, in any event.

My dh is an experienced professional at the top of his field, whose last job was terminated unexpectedly early. He was hired bc he's a dependable, long term person. But let go after 3 months bc the person he replaced wanted his job back. Then he was given a time and date for phone interview with another company and was never called (or acknowledged by original person.)most recently, he was "hired" last week but the paperwork was supposed to be emailed last Wed. Then yesterday. Still no contact since Monday.

I'm nearly in tears as I write this.

Since when is it okay to blow off interviews, hire then fire on whim (they were happy with him, but had loyalty to former employee) and now the paperwork on delay? Our lives depend upon his salary.
Is this the world that we now live in?

Rules made up by people who are so wildly successful that good manners and minimal respect are obsolete?

I'm not certain if I'm more afraid of no money or this new world of crazy bad rules.

gingergenius · 22/02/2018 18:58

AL I'm a mum of 3. I don't always carry tissues and cI risibly not in enough quantity to soak up the quantity of fluid the OP is talking about. And why should she be responsible for clearing up a mess that she didn't make whilst at an interview???

Spudlet · 22/02/2018 18:59

I'm imagining the 'you wanted a DRY CHAIR?! How ENTITLED!' brigade to look a bit like Lady Whiteadder.

Two spikes would be an extravagance!

This was a test wasn't it?
gingergenius · 22/02/2018 18:59

@Spudlet Grin

tiredbutFuckIt · 22/02/2018 19:00

My interview preamble is always to say- thee are no trick questions, nothing today is designed to catch you out or trip you up, we want you to relax as much as you can and give your best answers....

I hate bullying interviews. I had one one that was just “why would you do x?” And every possible reason I gave, they changed it so that x and y were identical in every way....so why would I do x? Didn’t get that job.

ImpeachTheOrangeGibbon · 22/02/2018 19:00

God interviews are stressful enough without dealing with this sort of weirdness. Can’t decide if it was a test or they literally couldn’t give a shit about having candidates sit in a soaking wet chair.

Nasty experience for you OP and hope you find your dream job very soon.

DailyMailReadersAreThick · 22/02/2018 19:02

I sat through a humiliating interview when I was 21 - one of my first after leaving uni. Nothing as bad as the OP's, just ridiculous questions completely unrelated to the position. Now I assume they had an internal candidate lined up but had to go through the motions. These days I wouldn't have sat through it, but would have asked what the relevance was to the position and walked if they carried on.

I also went for one last year where they asked, I kid you not, "If you were an animal, what kind would you be?" I decided at that very moment not to take the job.

AskBasil · 22/02/2018 19:07

"anyone who has to add recruitment into their job hasn't got time to think about chairs"

If they're incompetent.

Attention to detail is essential in recruitment.

If you can't pay attention to a really basic detail like a clean, dry chair, you are not very good at your job.

People who say that interview candidates should just stand up in that situation, forget that many people have minor, or invisible disabilities, where standing up for about an hour would be horribly painful.

FFS people wake up and stop making excuses for people being vile to one another. There's no excuse for it.

AskBasil · 22/02/2018 19:09

DailyMail, I think the answer to that one is "I am an animal, a human".

frieda909 · 22/02/2018 19:12

It's a shame you didn't have spare tissues in your bag, as a mum you have to prepare for any sort of accident so you should always have it.

I find it bizarre that people think OP should have cleaned up the spill!

AtomHeart · 22/02/2018 19:16

Please tell us what they say next time they contact you!

bobstersmum · 22/02/2018 19:20

I hope they ring and say it was a test, and you can tell them to shove it up their arse!

Lemonnaise · 22/02/2018 19:24

It's a shame you didn't have spare tissues in your bag, as a mum you have to prepare for any sort of accident so you should always have it. I wonder how the next candidate reacted?

A tissue? What size of tissues do you carry? By the sounds of it the OP would've needed more than a tissue to soak up the wetness of the chair. It wasn't just a few drops on the chair, OP said it was soaking.

Afternoon · 22/02/2018 19:31

"as a mum you have to prepare for any sort of accident so you should always have it"

The company wouldn't know which applicants are parents as it is irrelevant to the work and, of course, illegal to ask.

NapQueen · 22/02/2018 19:33

Im a mum and i never have tissues on me. Amd i certainly wouldnt consider it appropriate to kit myself out like a mum for a job interview.

purplebunny2012 · 22/02/2018 19:34

If it was a test, maybe that wasn't the end of it and they are testing to see what your next move will be, ie contacting them about it or just stewing about it.
They want to see if you contact them what kind of email you will write.
Or they were just inconsiderate arseholes.

frasier · 22/02/2018 19:37

"I find it bizarre that people think OP should have cleaned up the spill!"

Agreed. It might have been urine!