What is the strangest feedback you've had from an interview?

[Confusedmummytotwo]

Hi All,

This one has got me interested today.

I had a job interview last week, set up via a recruitment agent, at a big posh relatively newly built building, with two managers who had been the longest serving members of staff in the whole nationwide company- at 4 years tenure, this put me off so I wasn't interested in the job.

However, I've just had the feedback from the recruitment agent which has made me laugh. Apparently they feel I wouldn't fit in with their team as I'm not 'rough enough' and they don't feel I would be able to deal with the banter, that their staff have.

So what is the strangest feedback you have ever been given?

I was too I was 'too nice' at an NHS interview for a Band 4 Med Sec

Turned out the consultant was a complete tyrant who bullied staff so dodged a bullet there

My feedback was that I didn't sit forward enough in my chair and seem eager enough.

Apparently the woman who got the job moved her chair so she was sat at the desk opposite the interviewers 😂

The interviewer was so earnest when explaining this to me over the phone, she thought it was a wonderful tip that I could use in future interviews and couldn't understand why I was laughing.

The was about 10 other candidates so I assume we all got the same feedback.

I think anyone would have been confused by your laughing. Does show much self-control in a professional environment.

She’s not laughing in the interview though. Just while receiving the feedback for a rejection.

Exactly 😁

I once had feedback from a secondment that my voice wasn’t masculine enough. They still offered me a job (which I turned down). Yes I am a woman with a woman’s voice sorry about that!

Was made redundant so went for a job as a waitress for Friday/Saturday nights just for some income. The guy was really nice but he wanted a ‘career waitress’.

That they were going to go with another candidate, but they wanted to use the plan that I had developed (marketing role, standard practice to produce a marketing plan to brief at interview) and could I expand on it so that the other candidate could use it in the role, as they didn't think they'd fully understand all the detail that I had provided.

Oh, and was I happy for them to contact me if they needed anything clarifying! I laughed and told them to do one, not overly politely if I'm honest.

This shows how Kafkaesque the whole "interviewing" process is.. the right "fit" what does that even mean?? People need work ..most jobs are not careers and there are too few "good jobs" and too many people applying for them. I think it gives the interviewed something to do, to make them feel... somehow like they're in charge of people's destinies?? So much nonsense...and then when someone walks out of a job after 5 mins after supposedly being the "best fit" they just ring around the 2nd 3rd 4th takers who then become the "next best fit"... ludicrous..some really good anectodal experiences by posters!

“You looked too fluffy”

When pressed for clarification on what on earth they meant by ‘fluffy’, apparently my blonde hair was too girly and ‘serious tech companies would be put off by that’ (was for grad job in tech recruitment) 🤮 just say you wanted a man ffs

Today- “presented well, came across well, good skills but didn’t blow us away and didn’t seem better than the people we already have”. Which just seems a bit unfair, really. Why do I have to be better? If I’m not actually doing the job yet and I’m as good as the existing people, isn’t that a good thing?

I would take that as a reflection of the experience and competence (or lack thereof) of the interviewers.

@swanling that’s comforting, but they were directors and it was a household name company. I had told the recruitment agency guy that if I was offered the job I’d be pushing for slightly more than the salary advertised, I’m wondering if he let that slip and that was their response.

I would have thought that suggested they were looking for someone better than their current team but odd feedback all the same

I would have replied with: So you are discriminating against me due to my sex? You are aware that sex is ‘protected characteristic’ in the Equality Act 2010?