awful interview, WIBU to have ended it early?

[cigarsmokingwoman]

I had an interview this week for a fixed‑term maternity cover role in a field I’ve worked in for years. On paper, it looked perfect — but it turned into a complete nightmare.
The current postholder is full‑time, but they want to replace her with someone part time, on a short contract, no team, and still covering the same massive list of responsibilities. Straight away, it felt like they were expecting one person to do the work of several. Its not a senior role, but sounded it as they kept refering to "supporting our staff of over 2000".
Beforehand, I’d asked for some reasonable adjustments, as I have several disabilities, which they agreed to — but when the interview started, they hadn’t done them. I had to ask twice, which was awkward and made me feel like I was being a nuisance. They did send the questions in advance, again as an adjustment, but then on the day they started asking completely different ones, putting me on the spot and making it much harder to answer properly.
One of the panel was so patronising. They asked me to explain really basic concepts that I’d expect anyone in the field to already know. When I started talking about some of my biggest achievements, they cut across me and actually said they didn’t want to hear about the awards I'd won! The question was literally about qualifications, experience and achievements related to the role.
The whole thing felt off. The tone was wrong, the expectations were ridiculous, and there was no sign of respect for my experience or the effort I’d put into preparing. Eventually, I just said I was ending the interview because it was a waste of both our time. I left the Teams call feeling small, upset, and wondering why I’d ever applied.
I’ve done and sat on many interview panels, but I’ve never had such a bad experience.I've never exited an interview before either and I'm still shaken by it. AIBU to think that whatever the role is, the least you should expect is a bit of professionalism and basic respect?

The stupidest analogy for reasonable adjustment I’ve seen in a long time. The providing of the interview questions in advance is reasonable and fairly commonplace - some disabilities put you at a disadvantage because they mean you can’t cope with a barrage of questions. It doesn’t mean you can’t do the job. And if the employer has been advised the candidate is disabled and requires reasonable adjustment, then it’s pretty shitty to agree to it and then renege on the agreement when they get to interview.

They did not want you to pass the interview, so made sure that you didn't. Possibly because of the adjustments you asked for, or possibly your face doesn't fit in other ways.
Probably illegal but also you probably wouldn't enjoy working for them. Don't let it affect your next application. They won't all be like that.

The whole thing sounds hateful OP. As an interviewer you want to put people at ease and get the best out of them. You did right to halt the process if it wasn't working for you. I wish you every success in finding something that is a better fit.

The workplace is a totally different thing. There isn’t the stress of having questions fired at you, being aware that you’re under scrutiny and that the job itself depends on your performance. Some employers employ psychometric and other formal testing at interview. Bugger all to do with the ability to do the job.

I've had similar: when I got to the interview room, the lead interviewer said 'I've only been told this morning that you asked for some adjustments because of your disability, can you manage?'

The rest of the interview was similar in tone. Complete waste of my time. They didn't offer me the job but that was ok because I didn't want to work with them.

Maybe they haven’t asked directly but there are definitely some posters who are asking what kind of disabilty requires the questions to be given in advance. Amounts to the same thing.

Been said multiple times but just wanted to chime in that being given the questions in advance is a very common reasonable adjustment for so many disabilities. Amazed so many people have not come across this. You did nothing wrong OP!

Understandable concerns. I imagine a candidate could suggest what adjustments they might need in those particular scenarios though. Especiallly if they're experienced enough to be shortlisted. And especially if the desired outcome (of, say, thinking on your feet) is clear. Of course no need to make adjustments if they are disproportionate or unreasonable.

You've dodged a bullet.

Sounds like they wanted to 'save money' at your expense: part time job, no support, covering fulltime work and then some.

Finding it really hard to believe the number of people not being aware of questions in advance for candidates with disabilities - or that don't have any idea what questions they're going to ask before they start the interview.
A round of interviews this week we had two candidates who'd let me know they were autistic. I decided to experiment with providing the questions to everyone in advance - it was interesting, one neurotypical candidate actually tripped up quite a bit with getting ahead of himself with the examples for questions, which was a bit weird.

I recall one interview (many years ago, so not too much of the detail still in my head) for whatever reason I didn't like the interview panel/what they'd said about the role..
WHen they asked what appealed to me about the role, I just said that it had sounded interesting before applying, but having met them and found out more about the role, I didn't think it was for me, and left.

They wanted me back for a second interview😕

Sounds like they've got an internal candidate in mind and are just going through the motions. I absolutely would complain to the company. I'd then put it behind you and move on. If they allow their staff to behave in such a way then you've had a lucky escape.

I would be very surprised if any of these people are very qualified in anything HR related.

They didn't want you, and instead of acting professionally they decided to take the unprofessional route.

I would only provide feedback if they ask for it. Do whatever you do to calm down and move on.

@cigarsmokingwoman actually, I think you did exactly the right thing if you didn't want to continue the interview.

I've turned jobs down before. An interview is as much you assessing them as them interviewing you. Far better to cut your loses and avoid heading into a shit-show job than to just acknowledge that they don't offer what you want.

Bloody well done!

Given they agreed reasonable adjustments and didn't do them you have a case for disability discrimination and you should certainly report them to the disability confident scheme.

ADHD. People can't keep track of questions with multiple parts to them.

Which many decent employers do...give the questions in advance to everyone

Well done OP for ending the interview.

It really is shocking that so many people on this thread can't grasp the concept of reasonable adjustments and question the fact that you asked for the questions in advance...

Nearly 20 years ago the CAB in Leeds gave the questions out in advance...best interview ever...you were able to feel far more relaxed and do your best. It wasn't disability related just ? kindness?
I'm concerned about several interviewers on here saying they don't pre prepare questions. How do they keep a record of their scoring competing candidates and their relative strengths? I thought asking the same questions to all was equal opportunities 101?

Quite concerned by the people who do interviews for a living who think that supplying questions in advance is “unfair” but simultaneously think winging their interview questions depending on how they’re feeling that day is totally fine.

I am not sure I agree, for many jobs you need to react on the spot, you can't rehearse everything. If you can't even come up with your own achievements, in the context of an interview you should have prepared for (and your achievement and past employment is a blindingly obvious question), how will you manage with the actual job?

What's the point of an interview if you are reading through a script - it won't show us anything you actually do in real life.

All of this.

But in a job you’re not in that nervous stressful interview situation where your mind goes blank and you freeze
it IS a reasonable adjustment whether people agree or not and it’s a very common one

not "unfair" but unrealistic

It's not about "winging questions on the day", it's about not being a robot with a ridiculous "computer says no" attitude.

Not everyone recruits for purely technical roles, where there are only right and wrong answers. Candidates are not clone, come from different fields, have different experience, what kind of interview do you think you can have if you don't adapt as you go? It's for the same job, but human experience is different!

again, depends on the job.

Faced with clients, face with difficult cases, faced with actual consequences to your presentation, you are in a much more stressful situation than an in front of the panel of 1 interviews among many others.

In an interview, the worst that can happen is that you don't get that job.
In real life situation, it's harder.