Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Lashalicious · 21/02/2018 22:11

Ok, I’ve been trying to think why they would act that way....I don’t think they thought you were lying, they just met you, no reason to think that.

No way it was a “test”. Ridiculous.

The only thing I can think of is that they thought you meant a small little wet spot, like a drip or splash from a cup of water that was sitting there and perhaps they saw, just before you came in, the pa had splashed a tiny bit of it while putting it on the table. So they thought it was a small spot and couldn’t understand why you wouldn’t sit down.

But honestly, the whole thing doesn’t make a bit of sense! Any normal person would get up and look at your chair at the very least. And/or offer their chair to you, or bring in a chair. I do not believe there were no more chairs. I think that is the weirdest part. Them saying that. Trying to force you to use that chair. ODD!

BelleandBeast · 21/02/2018 22:11

Thing is, you'd have had to have walked out with a wet patch on your skirt and people thinking you had wet yourself. They were happy to let you be humiliated. That is a form of bullying.

Who would want to work for an organisation like that? If it were a school, nobody here would say that was acceptable, so its not acceptable for a place of employment.

roundaboutthetown · 21/02/2018 22:12

Could this have been their way of making sure the position went to their favoured internal candidate?... I would be inclined to make a formal complaint.

rosenylund · 21/02/2018 22:12

God I am raging reading this! Please make a complaint, even if it wasn't a test this is totally ridiculous. What a rude fucking bunch of twats.

Pffftttt!

littlebillie · 21/02/2018 22:13

Out of order I would ask to meet with one of the directors

JustHereForThePooStories · 21/02/2018 22:14

I walked in and we all shook hands and then the lady (possibly a PA?) invited me to take a seat

What makes you think she was a PA? The fact that she was a woman? Hmm

Whole thing is utterly bizarre. From the fact that the chair was wet, to you crying.

Spudlet · 21/02/2018 22:15

What wanky buggerment. (Hopefully not literally).

They are either:

Fond of ridiculous 'tests';
Think they are wacky and out there with their unusual interview techniques;
Too disorganised to find a dry chair, or;
All of the above.

None of these things are making them seem like great potential employers, imo. I reckon you dodged a bullet.

JMAngel1 · 21/02/2018 22:17

Oh god you're all bonkers - it's a wet patch not a radioactive - mumsnet seriously blows my mind sometimes.

DenPerry · 21/02/2018 22:19

Good on you OP, I think you sound like a strong person who sticks to her principles, whereas I would have sat down and got a wet arse.
Skills test: wouldn't want to work for them anyway, can't be doing with all these out of the box scenarios. They must be missing out on genuine good candidates.
Even if it wasn't a test then it's not very welcoming.

Original poster
LadyIrisBarclay · 21/02/2018 22:19

Two males, one female.

One was from HR he looked about 12 One would have been my new Manager.

The female was a PA, pretty certain that she was introduced in that way anyway but I was quite nervous so not taking everything in.

Please don't make assumptions about my assumptions ....

OP posts:
Whisky2014 · 21/02/2018 22:19

I'd have asked if any of them were willing to swap chairs! If not, why not?

FairNotFair · 21/02/2018 22:22

I used to do a lot of interviews at a relatively senior level. If I was seeing, say, 10 people got a job, I knew that at least 9 of those people would be unsuccessful. I still wanted to ensure they were left with a positive impression of the company. Behaving like a twat, just because you can, is unprofessional and completely counterproductive.

Littlepleasures · 21/02/2018 22:23

So weird. My DH once had an interview where the interviewer’s opening comment was, “ I see you come from Glasgow. Yes, I could tell that from the way you walked in.” Killed the interview stone dead.

With the benefit of time to think about it, which you didn’t have, I might have said something along the lines of ‘ No chair for me. How embarrassing for you. I’ll just go back and wait in reception and let you get that organised.”

TulipsInABlueVase · 21/02/2018 22:24

Perplexed at the responses wondering why you were upset or suggesting you're overacting about a wet patch.

An interview is horribly daunting. You were faced with three people, all staring at you, asking you to sit in a wet seat. It is humiliating.

You did the right thing by walking out. I hope you feel better soonFlowers

DalekDalekDalek · 21/02/2018 22:26

Alright JM you've stated your opinion. We ALL know that you disagree.

Efrig · 21/02/2018 22:28

The wet patch may have been urine from a previous candidate. Sitting in it would have been undignified, unhygienic and an infection risk.

Expecting someone to undergo an employment interview whilst sitting on a wet patch - of possibly urine - is not going to extract the best performance out of the candidate. It’s also disrespectful and just plain weird.

They showed you who they are and you’ve had a lucky escape.

Calvinlookingforhobbs · 21/02/2018 22:29

Well done for waking out. No job is worth your dignity.

ShiftyMcGifty · 21/02/2018 22:30

If it was a test, you were meant to get one of them to swap chairs with you and challenge them in a non confrontational manner.

But then you wrote “ Pengggwn - that is brilliant!!” And I just can’t comprehend what role you could have interviewed for that required you think think on your feet and be assertive in a polite way and still think that childish, cringey “comeback” was in any way a zinger.

ThisBabyIsAnOctopus · 21/02/2018 22:30

Sounds like you conducted yourself well and did absolutely the right thing in walking out and avoiding being humiliated by having a wet patch on skirt. You really must contact them though to follow up - this is outrageous behaviour from an interviewing panel. Make sure the manager of the HR member of the panel is aware that this is how he is conducting interviews- appalling behaviour.

MrsPestilence · 21/02/2018 22:34

JMAngel1 were you interviewing today?

bigsighall · 21/02/2018 22:38

Send the email suggested from pp (and a link to this thread!)
Absolutely disgraceful the way they treated you. Test or not, lucky escape I reckon.
Glad you had the self respect to walk out. People could learn from that...

XmasInTintagel · 21/02/2018 22:41

Could this have been their way of making sure the position went to their favoured internal candidate?... I would be inclined to make a formal complaint.
I wondered this too...have seen an alternative techniques for this a lot..job descriptions that require such a strange and specific set of skills, that they seem to be thinking of one particular person ]hmm]

Ikanon · 21/02/2018 22:41

I don't think it was a test. I don't think they were really listening or taking you seriously. In which case you dodged a bullet.

quizqueen · 21/02/2018 22:51

Rather than just walking out, it might have been better to have said that, if there were no other chairs available, as you would like to be comfortable you would need a minute to go to the toilet to get some paper to wipe off the liquid or, better still, go outside to where you were previously waiting and carry a chair in from there in case it was wee and you don't want to touch that!!. That would have shown initiative but easy to get unnerved in situations like this. I would definitely email the one in charge and ask for another interview if you are still keen on the position.

YouOKHun · 21/02/2018 22:52

Either it wasn’t a test and they’re being wankers or it was a test and they’re being wankers - either way it sounds like a lucky escape from what sounds like a bullying culture. What sort of interviewers intimidate by either employing ‘testing’ from the Armchair Psychologists Guide to Misunderstanding Humans or by not being civil enough to find another chair?

Swipe left for the next trending thread