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Original poster

Strangest question a recruiter has asked you?

301 replies

stickydancefloor · 11/05/2021 12:50

Had an online meeting this week with a recruitment agency.

It was all the usual questions until she asked me about the role I held previous to my current one...

"So you were there for 7 years?"
"Yes that's right"
"Who do you keep in touch with from there?"
"Well, no-one nowadays"
"Why's that?"
"I think that's natural when you move onto a new employer that you gradually lose touch with your old colleagues"
But why don't you keep in touch with them?"
"Like I said, we drifted after I left, I think that's quite normal really"
"So you don't speak to any of them?"
"No, it was 7 years ago I left there"
"But why don't you speak to them anymore?"
"Because I'd moved on and things change when you move on and aren't at the same employer"
"So you don't keep in touch with anyone there?"
"NO!!!"

Round and round in a circle!!!!! It was most bizarre!!!!

What the strangest questions you've had from a recruiter?!

OP posts:
Mammyloveswine · 13/05/2021 19:37

Ha I went for a leadership position in a school and one of my tasks was to respond to different scenarios and put them in order of importance to deal with..also how I would deal with each one..

One was "you arrive to school to find the school
Pig has escaped after the caretaker accidentally left the pen open and is currently running around the nursery yard-it is time to open the main school gates and nursery are due to arrive in 15 minutes".

Mind the same interview I was nervous and when I got my feedback the head said "I don't know how to put this..but you actually made us on the interview panel feel really uncomfortable with his nervous you were" 😱

Fairfatandforty · 13/05/2021 21:50

I was interviewing a young girl many years ago. At the end of the interview I asked her if there was anything she would like to ask me? She thought for a moment and then said 'er, do you like my shoes?' Bless

Serin · 13/05/2021 22:24

I was once asked "Did I do ok?" by the interviewer as it was her first ever interview 😅
Worst ever was "you live in my village, would you consider a reciprocal childcare arrangement with me, over the summer?"

Ahardyfool · 14/05/2021 09:35

Jesus this thread is a depressing indictment of a pitiful state of affairs

BlueLobelia · 14/05/2021 15:03

[quote Fairfatandforty]I was interviewing a young girl many years ago. At the end of the interview I asked her if there was anything she would like to ask me? She thought for a moment and then said 'er, do you like my shoes?' Bless

LoveGucci · 14/05/2021 16:48

Ha ha that may not be professional but it's sweet!

AngelDelightUk · 14/05/2021 17:39

I once had “one of your clients complains that one of your members of staff has a BO problem and really smells. How do you deal with it”

Late hubby was once in an interview where half way through a guy comes in pretending to be attacked by a giant cuddly snake. Apparently it was to see how you reacted to it, and whether you ignored it, tried to help, laughed etc. Hubby walked out!

Alcemeg · 14/05/2021 18:12

@AngelDelightUk

I once had “one of your clients complains that one of your members of staff has a BO problem and really smells. How do you deal with it”

Late hubby was once in an interview where half way through a guy comes in pretending to be attacked by a giant cuddly snake. Apparently it was to see how you reacted to it, and whether you ignored it, tried to help, laughed etc. Hubby walked out!

Big round of applause for your hubby, and sorry for your loss. Flowers
fridaygirlhello · 14/05/2021 20:12

I once had a 5 second interview that wasn't meant to be. I had to do an online test first at home. Then it was a 45 minute journey on a filthy train to get to the interview. My train was delayed but I managed to get there in time. However my suit trousers were dirty from the train.

At the interview I was asked about my presentation. The agency hadn't told me I needed to prepare one. The interview couldn't go ahead without me having prepared a presentation. The job was for a fairly straightforward admin role by the way.

I was then told the company were doing group interviews and would I like to attend. I don't do group interviews and I wasn't going to deal with that agency again as I'd wasted almost £20 on train fare. So that, readers, was that.

alibongo5 · 14/05/2021 21:49

@KeflavikAirport

Oxford wouldn’t reject someone for living in a council house Hmm

Get hold of a tank? Easy. Just pop down to the nearest pet supplies shop.

So why ask the question?
KeflavikAirport · 15/05/2021 14:10

I doubt they did ask that way. Unless this was like in the 1970s or something. Sounds more like a failed applicant with a chip on her shoulder.

Eggshausted · 15/05/2021 16:30

To be asked if
I had any Children (I was about late 40's at the time) When I said no, the interviewer asked why I had not had any??? WTF??? I answered 'Because we chose not to' I got the job, but was so outraged I turned it down.

JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff · 15/05/2021 20:32

"You've got a funny accent - where are you from?" - icebreaker at interview for serious professional job.

Also interviewed someone a fortnight ago who was asked what they'd do in a particular scenario - they gave a reasonable but general answer so were pushed for more detail - immediately backed down and said defensively "well actually, that wasn't my idea, it was an idea X had".

X was chairing the interview..... 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Pebbles16 · 15/05/2021 21:50

This was an interview I was conducting, I noticed the candidate was from a town near where I grew up and asked her about the area - general chit chat, settling in conversation I thought... Well she then launched into me about a local football team rivalry: "Are you a Scummer?"!
I think I managed about 20 mins of trying to ask her about her skills - I may have fed back to the recruiter that she needed to reign in her passions
(I was and still am a proud Scummer btw)

goose1964 · 15/05/2021 22:25

I can't remember the exact questions ,but after answering the first question the interviewer got more and more aggressive shouting questions at me, not giving me enough time to answer before shouting even louder. I left the interview in tears. The interview would have been for an accounts job.

Cindersrellie · 16/05/2021 12:23

I was once asked in an interview about a white paper - had no idea what they were talking about but tried to bluff my way out of it with a generic answer. Got home, looked up said paper, genetic answer would not have fit the bill at all! Did not get the job.

flaminjo · 16/05/2021 15:34

I know if a company who regularly asks this:

If you were out for dinner with friends and the menu was expensive and you were on a tight budget, but friends were not and they wanted to split the bill equally. What would you do?

BeenAsFarAsMercyAndGrand · 16/05/2021 20:43

@Cindersrellie

I was once asked in an interview about a white paper - had no idea what they were talking about but tried to bluff my way out of it with a generic answer. Got home, looked up said paper, genetic answer would not have fit the bill at all! Did not get the job.
Assuming the white paper was relevant to the role/industry.... why was this a strange question? Just because you couldn't answer it, that doesn't make it strange.
WeatherwaxOn · 17/05/2021 07:55

@flaminjo

I know if a company who regularly asks this:

If you were out for dinner with friends and the menu was expensive and you were on a tight budget, but friends were not and they wanted to split the bill equally. What would you do?

Bizarre. Other than "tell them I was unable to do that"/"go home" what would they expect to be a sensible answer?

Someone I used to work for told me about her Dad's interview techniques (he was some city bigwig at the time).
One was he would greet the person but not offer his hand first to see if they initiated a handshake.
Another was that if he shook their hand he would go be sit down but not ask them to.
His other 'trick' was to have a chair for interviewees that had a dodgy leg/was wobbly.
Apparently all these things were tests.

Tomasinabombadil · 17/05/2021 08:31

@flaminjo

I know if a company who regularly asks this:

If you were out for dinner with friends and the menu was expensive and you were on a tight budget, but friends were not and they wanted to split the bill equally. What would you do?

If I was in that situation I would tell my friends (of many years) that I was on a tight budget and ask to have a separate bill. My friends wouldn’t take offence at that at all, we would enjoy the meal and being in each other’s company without any embarrassment.
rockingchairhero · 17/05/2021 08:54

In 2019, in my interview, I was asked what my husband's opinion was on me taking this job .... Confused

wingsnthat · 17/05/2021 09:27

Not an interview, but an application form.

It was a government position which required security vetting; lots of in depth questions on my socio-economic status, parent’s attainment etc. I didn’t even know the answers off by heart

bluedomino · 17/05/2021 09:44

When I was 18 "how long will it be before you get pregnant and go part-time?". Followed up with "men lift boxes and girls make the tea". Horrible sexist man, (HMRC) who only promoted men as "they need more money".

me109f · 17/05/2021 16:09

" am I a spy for God? "

WTF!!!! I think it was a reference to a particular book about christianity. I hadn't a clue, and I have never tried to look it up.

cricketmum84 · 17/05/2021 16:28

It's depressing that the blatant sexism doesn't seems to be going away!

I was given a job about 16 years ago and was told afterwards by my boss that those (pointing at my tits) were the only reason I got the job over the bloke that applied at the same time. I was a nervous young girl in my early twenties otherwise I would have lamped him one!

God knows how we put up with it!

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