Run for your life from the job interviews from hell
Asking a candidate “Do you like foot massages?” is perhaps the stand-out question to feature in Protecting.co.uk’s compilation of job interviews from hell.
The employment law consultants found three in 10 UK workers have walked out of a job interview because of something their interview panel said that put them off.
Their poll of 600 workers found 32% said they had left an interview before the end, with 9% finding the job wasn't as advertised, 19% because of something the interviewer had said and 4% because of something the jobseeker had said.
But it is in trading war stories that some of the most eye-watering faux pas emerge, with some of the anonymous candidates claiming the following:
Jackie, Newcastle: "He asked me if I liked foot massages. I thought I had misheard, so I asked again, but no – it was foot massages. This was for a job at a well known chain store which is not known for foot care, so I left feeling a bit ill."
Alex, Essex: "I'll never forget their po-faced, highly illegal, take-it-or-leave it offer of £2 per hour. I hope they'll never forget the subsequent visit from Trading Standards, which I later arranged."
Laura, London: "I went to an interview to be a senior manager's personal assistant. He told me that the job would include babysitting his kids three nights a week, so I suggested they recruit a domestic help instead, and left."
Theresa, Cardiff: "They told me right from the outset 'You won't be cold-calling clients'. Ten minutes later they admitted that I would be spending eight hours a day doing nothing but cold-calling clients. I won't work for liars."
James, Liverpool: "I get ribbed a lot by my mates over this one – but the woman who interviewed me for one job came on to me to the point she licked the end of her pencil and undid her top button. I was only 17 at the time, and didn't what to do, so I didn't walk out of that room, I ran for my life. It was a shame, because the job seemed quite good."
Richard, Portsmouth: "Estate agent job, and I thought I had it in the bag before they mentioned the so-called company tradition that the newest person is always in charge of cleaning the toilets, and they weren't joking. I've been in the business for 10 years, and told them to get stuffed. What a bunch of clowns. Actually, it was a lot stronger than 'get stuffed'."
• Can you beat any of these corkers? Let us know! Email us at [email protected] or tweet us below to share your stories. We will run comments online in a round-up at the end of the week.
