Have you ever refused job due to not liking interviewer?

[loadsoftwonk]

Had an interview today and was totally put off by the interviewer.

Have you ever gone against your gut by taking a job after not liking the person who would be your manager?

AIBU or should you always go with your gut. I didn't like the things she was spewing.

Go with your gut!
I was interviewed by amazing guy and HR, went really well, I've I could work for him. Progresses through stages, meet and greet with rest of dept including one person who would not be on my team but was manager of different team - 'phew thought I, she's awful, bad vibes, thank goodness she's not my boss' however by the time I'd worked my notice and started, they'd had personnel shuffle and she was now my manager. Arrgghhh.
She was ghastly, total bully, toxic af.
I lasted a year and I was shot to pieces by the end.
In that year, she went on leave for 3 weeks and I was managed by the guy I should have had - absolutely fantastic, like night and day.
If they hadn't shuffled the managers maybe I'd be there now! 🙃
But take home lesson is, vibes at interview are ignored at your peril.

Yes, panel interview and took an immediate dislike to who would be my line manager, who clearly didn’t have a good understanding of the role she was hiring to, or how to formulate a sensible sentence. Everything she asked I had to clarify twice to understand. However another panel member was the HRD, who I warmed to immediately. Accepted the job which includes a 50% pay rise , had no end of problems with the line manager, but learned so much from working closely with the HRD, spent two years there until I’d gained enough experience to be headhunted with a 40% pay rise. Sometimes if your personal situation demands it, it’s worth accepting that sometimes you need to work with people it’s difficult to respect- it’s all learning!

Decided during interviews for a teaching job that I didn't want to work there because I didn't like the manner of the head. Heard stories from that school later that indicated it was very much the correct decision.

She picked a fight with me about a perfectly reasonable answer to a 'either x or y' type question she had posed.

I only was given two options and I picked the one that I felt was right and clearly explained my point. She reacted very poorly and at first I thought it was test to see how I would cope with being challenged - but nope it became obvious that she was livid that I would not change my mind and go back on myself and accept her answer as the only possible correct answer.

It got really heated (on her side) and she stormed out. I spent the whole walk home going WTAF.

I was offered the job by one of the other interviewers but after confirming the angry interviewer would be my line manager I turned down the job (even though i really wanted to work with them).

I did get a job with them via another role a year or so later and it was a great place to work....(she left just before i started, under some sort of cloud but it was kept all hush hush so no one ever knew why)

Yes. I really wanted the job, it was something I knew I was good at and the money was quite an increase on what I was earning at the time. The company made special windows for secure hospitals and the manager could not contain his delight at the increase in mental health issues bringing him more money for his business, literally rubbing his hands together. He offered me the job immediately and shook my hand at the end of the interview but I knew I couldn't take it and phoned the next day to say thanks but no thanks. I felt bad that we had shaken hands on it, but I just couldn't work for the man.

I turned one down after a series of interviews. I didn't like HR manager at all - I could tell she wasn't a supporter but interviews with managers and department head went well enough and I got the offer but they were slow on the paperwork. In the end I just had bad feeling about it all and called and spoke to HR and turned it down. A few hours later, she called me back to say they were withdrawing the offer!

I don't know what that was all about - I assume some kind of power move? I honestly didn't know how to respond. Felt like o was in a comedy sketch of some kind ... "but I phoned YOU to decline the offer".

Recently yes, contract. I just didn’t gel with him at all. Am sure he was nice enough.

In the past before lockdown, interview in person with 2 women, permanent job. One woman was very rude, kept on sighing, looking all around her, not listening to me at all. I think she looked at her phone. I could just tell she wouldn’t be easy to work with so declined offer.

A previous job if I’d met my colleague who I’d be working with and inducting me, I probably wouldn’t have taken the job.

A supermarket position. During my induction, the manager slagged other staff off and shouted at someone. My induction was facing up the shelves instead of the usual stuff. Went in the next day and told him in the middle of the shop floor exactly why I didn't want to work for him. He went beetroot and staff sniggered.

What a shame you got her. Urgh! Like they say people usually leave bad managers, not jobs!

Yes I have her number. I am so happy that I retorted when she tried to take me down with her stupid statements. She was mad she couldn't intimidate or undermine me!

I completely trust my gut. I withdrew my application today. I'm not working with such an idiot!

I was very impressed by the woman who had been hired to replace me in my last job. She was interviewed in the very fancy modern boardroom and convinced to come in for a trial. They took her into the tatty office next door, to my old desk, which still had papers all over it from when I had walked out with zero notice, a battered second hand desk and a manky old chair all cracked and wobbly. She took one look, said thank you for the offer I will let you know if I decide to accept. And went home never to be seen again.

And then everyone clapped.

Yes but I work as a Nanny in the home and if I don’t get a good feeling about the interviewer aka parent I’m not taking the job.

Yes! It was the CEO and she was incredibly rude and aggressive. Couldn’t imagine working for her.

She was genuinely aghast when I turned down her offer of a second interview.

I’ve accepted one because I liked the interviewer. I was between jobs and looking for a job but not particularly expecting to get one straight away. The two (female) interviewers and I chatted and laughed for 2.5 hours and I walked away REALLY wanting the job. I judged the workplace on who they’d put forward to interview me. Several years later I’m still very good friends with one of them although she’s moved to a less time-intensive role.

@Llamadrama2 Well done you and well done her. These employers need to be held accountable for their toxic working environments.

@RunningUpThatBuilding Like I said before, I think that they are so drunk on their perceived power, they forget that they are absolute nobodies outside of their little work bubble! Aghast indeed!

Oh yeah. The minute he started being completely rude about the company I was working for at the time. It was extremely tasteless and not a company I wanted to work for or someone who I wanted as my boss.

I told him this and I got up and walked out mid interview 😂 felt amazing!

I have!

But on the flip side, I also hated the guy who interviewed me in August. I took a risk as I really liked the job spec and I could no longer afford to be picky. I hated him even more after the 2nd interview. He offered me the job and then I took it despite not liking him. Needed the money and the hours were ideal.

Anyway, long story short - he's a lovely guy. I am so lucky he's my manager. I can't believe I ever thought those thoughts 😂

But I have definitely 100% turned down roles in the past because the interviewer was giving off bad vibes.

I was interviewed by someone very nasty for a national firm. it was so bad I emailed their HR department to say the interviewer was rude and unwelcoming. and that I no longer wanted to be part of the interview process.

they took it very seriously!

When I was 21 I was interviewed for a junior accountant position by a camply posh twat of a man who looked like Frank Sidebottom come to life, who looked down his nose at me (he read my cv aloud in front of me and said "ten O levels? And from a comprehensive? You did do well...") and when he said there was 3 weeks holiday allowance (with the air of a Lord of the Manor bestowing great favours), and I looked at him like WTF, he asked what I was used to. I told him 4 (as was perfectly standard in 1987) and he said "ooh, we have been spoiled, haven't we?"

And fuck the Daily Mail and all tabloids if this is gathering stories for an article. I kept my face straight long enough to get out of there and told the agency there was no way I'd ever work there.

They told me he'd called to offer me the job already because he liked "my grit" - what a tosser...

I'm not the Daily Mail lol!

Very interesting reading all your stories nonetheless!

I have twice taken a job despite not really warming to the interviewer who would be my future manager. I should have trusted my gut both times as they were both the two worst people I have ever worked for.

Yes. The woman who would have been my ultimate boss came in and we had a wide-ranging chat. The conversation moved to cats (I love them and would have had to relocate with mine) and she mentioned she'd bought one for her daughter but found it annoying so she got rid of it.

I could not get out of there fast enough.

A few times. One where I had driven 2.5 hours to meet the guy and he was a complete cockwomble. Arrogant git who left his mobile phone on during the interview and then answered it. His ringtone was his daughter who was obviously very young saying "Daddy it's Mummy calling" on repeat. Big int'l company too.
Another when I found the guy creepy - small start up and another when the panel of interviewees at a large City institution asked really basic and weird questions. It was if they hadn't prepared and they were pretty irrelevant to the role.