To think this may go against you in an interview ?

[inthemoment1990]

Name changed on this as didn’t want to link to other posts .

So say you were interviewing someone for a job , you very vaguely knew that person you were interviewing from a previous role a while back , and prior to the interview you were briefing that person on the some of the job responsibilities.

What would you think if the interviewee was very eager to get a job and a comment they made prior to proper questions was:

“You are looking very lovely and radiant by the way’

Well - could it be that they thought you were lovely and radiant? Surely you would see it for what it was - a compliment? Is there some backstory?

I would think that was a very odd thing for an interviewer to say to an interviewer and quite unprofessional.

No back history at all - and nothing against either of the people involved at all. But the interviewee said something similar in a previous interview and didn’t get the job. So just wondering if personal comments as such would go against someone in an interview

I wouldn't hold it against someone.

do you mean that the person applying for the job said this prior to the interview to someone who already works in that organisation, poss in a responsible/ interviewing role ?
I would find it creepy, maybe trying to curry favour, sexist, unprofessional and totally inappropriate.
but that's just me.
I think people should not make personal comments, inc re appearance in a work setting. esp nowadays. its not on.
would question this person's judgment, and / or integrity.

Well yeah, if they came across as creepy/ignorant of normal social boundaries

I might blurt something stupid out like that if I was nervous.

So I wouldn’t hold it against someone unless they had form for being a creep.

I wouldn't hold it against someone but I also wouldn't really believe it either. I would base how I judge them on the interview.
Some people are genuine and some people aren't.
Wouldn't mean I'd give them the job.

As someone who interviews, I wouldn't know how to respond and would be uncomfortable. Not exactly reading the room or showing appropriate interpersonal skills, etc.
I say that whether it's a man or a woman you're interviewing.

It's not appropriate to be commenting on personal appearances like that, it's cringe worthy.

Radiant = pregnant?

Depends

It's the sort of things you'd hear about someone when they are pregnant, or when they are just getting married!

Otherwise a young man to a young-ish woman? not terribly appropriate.

A middle-age woman to a younger woman? sounds maternal.

So the applicant made the comment to a member of the interview board? Or the other way round?

Either way, it's inappropriate in a professional setting, especially on an occasion as formal as a job interview and especially to a virtual stranger. If I really thought about it, it sounds a bit like something somebody might think they should say if they didn't have very well developed social skills for whatever reason and were told that it's nice to give a compliment. But not realising that this wasn't the right compliment in this setting.

It probably wouldn't be definitive in the hiring process, but if the candidate had the same scores as another candidate, it's the type of thing that might shade my opinion in favour of the other. If a person had, for example autism, it's the kind of things that might come under 'reasonable adjustment' under a disability policy. But if a disability hasn't been declared, it's likely to count against the candidate, particularly if the job requires dealing with members of the public.

Are you the candidate, OP?

Personal comments should be kept out of the workplace. A man wouldn't be able to say things like that to a woman colleague these days as it could be seen as sexual harassment so for the sake of equality a woman shouldn't say it to another woman.

Creepy. As for holding it against the interviewee, some interview methods don't allow personal impressions to get in the way because everything is competency based and scored. Would still creep me out though.

To put into perspective . It was my Husband who was the candidate , who made the comment to the lady who was interviewing him.

Unless he knows her quite well it’s fairly socially inept. Empty comments don’t make people like you more. Quite the opposite.

It was my Husband who was the candidate , who made the comment to the lady who was interviewing him.

unless she was wearing a "baby on board" badge, why on earth did he say that?

Totally inappropriate, he should avoid making any personal comments in the future.

Does he generally struggle with social situations? It sounds like an odd thing to do in the first place, let alone to repeat it at another interview. Is there any way he could get some interview coaching or training?

Or if he does have a social difficulty, could he seek support for that?

Who the hell says someone looks 'radiant' in day to day conversation?!

If he had to say something like that (which is odd in my opinion) couldn't he just have said 'you look well' or such like.

He’s a very confident social person , and doesn’t struggle with social situations - in fact quite the opposite. He is outgoing and eager to get a job, perhaps It was his nerves that made him say that comment , I just don’t know !?

I'd probably react worse to such a comment from a very confident social person. For who generally seemed nervous and ill-at-ease, it could be forgiven as nerves or awkwardness. From a confident slick person, it would be downright creepy.

He definitely needs interview coaching. Ask him would he say such a thing to a man in the same context? And if not, why not?

I think “lovely and radiant” sounds really contrived and at the same time, over-familiar - especially in an interview situation!

Is your husband usually such a slimeball with other women?
How mortifying for you.
I imagine the interviewer probably had a laugh with the others on the panel along the lines of "who does he think he is, Leslie Philips"
It might be held against him if he came across as trying to curry favour by telling her she was looking hot I suppose.

Inappropriate. "You're looking well" would be better.