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The most bizarre interview ever?
Hezzawithkids
Posts: 3,018 Forumite
A couple of months ago I was invited to interview for a role with a leisure company. The role was to be based in their Midlands office but I was asked to travel to another office Wimbledon for the interview since that was where the hiring manager was on the day.
Wimbledon was being dug up at the time and after crawling through miles of roadworks I arrived at the office on time only to get no answer to my ringing the door buzzer. I was just getting my phone out when a lady came up behind me and let me in with her pass, not even asking me who I was. I arrived at the 2nd floor office reception and was asked to take a seat. After 5 minutes a lady wearing jeans and chewing on a sandwich popped her head out of the door and said "Hello, we'll be with you in 5 minutes". This turned out to be the hiring manager.
She and another lady duly appeared. The first lady was pulling on a coat and said that as there were no meeting rooms free we'd be going to the local Starbucks. We proceeded down the stairs while I introduced myself to the 2nd lady who turned out to be the HR manager.
Putting aside my qualms at being asked to talk about myself in such a public place, we arrived in Starbucks to find the only seats available were some sofas by the window. That wasn't the worst part: just outside the window, about 6 feet away from where we were sitting, some workmen were breaking up the pavement with a jack hammer. I literally couldn't hear myself think.
The first lady went up to the counter while I made small talk (sort of) with the 2nd lady. The first lady came back with 2 mugs of coffee, one for her and one which she placed in front of the 2nd lady. She then said to me "Oh sorry, did you want a drink?". I declined.
We then proceeded with the "interview", spending the first 5 minutes changing seats around to give ourselves the best chance of being heard over the noise of the workmen outside. Eventually I found myself almost sitting on the hiring manager's lap and watching her lips to try and make out what she was saying. I even saw her write on her notes: "Invades personal space."
We struggled on for 50 minutes, by the end of which though I was exhausted I still think I gave a good interview. And that included listening to both ladies' complaints about what a "difficult" bunch of people the senior management were to work with.
Driving home I called the agency to tell them I wasn't interested in pursuing the role any further. Sometimes even today I can still hear that jackhammer.
Wimbledon was being dug up at the time and after crawling through miles of roadworks I arrived at the office on time only to get no answer to my ringing the door buzzer. I was just getting my phone out when a lady came up behind me and let me in with her pass, not even asking me who I was. I arrived at the 2nd floor office reception and was asked to take a seat. After 5 minutes a lady wearing jeans and chewing on a sandwich popped her head out of the door and said "Hello, we'll be with you in 5 minutes". This turned out to be the hiring manager.
She and another lady duly appeared. The first lady was pulling on a coat and said that as there were no meeting rooms free we'd be going to the local Starbucks. We proceeded down the stairs while I introduced myself to the 2nd lady who turned out to be the HR manager.
Putting aside my qualms at being asked to talk about myself in such a public place, we arrived in Starbucks to find the only seats available were some sofas by the window. That wasn't the worst part: just outside the window, about 6 feet away from where we were sitting, some workmen were breaking up the pavement with a jack hammer. I literally couldn't hear myself think.
The first lady went up to the counter while I made small talk (sort of) with the 2nd lady. The first lady came back with 2 mugs of coffee, one for her and one which she placed in front of the 2nd lady. She then said to me "Oh sorry, did you want a drink?". I declined.
We then proceeded with the "interview", spending the first 5 minutes changing seats around to give ourselves the best chance of being heard over the noise of the workmen outside. Eventually I found myself almost sitting on the hiring manager's lap and watching her lips to try and make out what she was saying. I even saw her write on her notes: "Invades personal space."
We struggled on for 50 minutes, by the end of which though I was exhausted I still think I gave a good interview. And that included listening to both ladies' complaints about what a "difficult" bunch of people the senior management were to work with.
Driving home I called the agency to tell them I wasn't interested in pursuing the role any further. Sometimes even today I can still hear that jackhammer.
£2 Savers Club 2016 #21 £14/£250
£2 Savers Club 2015 #8 £250£200 :j
Proud to be an OU graduate :j :j
Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain
£2 Savers Club 2015 #8 £250£200 :j
Proud to be an OU graduate :j :j
Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain
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Comments
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I had an interview three weeks ago in a coffee shop as the large US company (new opening in London) didn't have space in their pre opening office to see me.
It is far from professional to take someone to a coffee shop to discuss the job and all your details with other people sitting 2feet away.0 -
it is certainly not ideal. But it happens in the industry.0
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I've had a bizarre interview; in the company's extremely funky canteen - which WAS more like a coffee shop [they were the next big thing in our industry and I was being headhunted]...he asked me zero questions, at all. Spent an hour telling me all about the new direction they were going in.
Then said he would be in touch.
2 weeks later, he turns up at one of my industry network meetings [unannounced and uninvited] where I was presenting, proceeded to announce they were coming in and were going to take business off my network. Then he invited me into the canteen again and offered me £50k.
I took it. Stayed 13 months but boy, what a whirlwind learning curve that company gave me.
If you haven't got it - please don't flaunt it. TIA.0 -
I have had a few weird interviews, one 3hr interview in a service station off the M1, and an interview in room 101 of a hotel in manchester!, most recently I had a interview in a pub, which then carried on to a Thai restaurant and finally finished after we fell out of a club at 4am. Don't think the job is for me but am negotiating with them to do some consultancy work out in new York for them.0
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About 3-4 years ago I had an interview with a recruitment agency/headhunter type person in a coffee-shop (Starbucks). This was in Kingsway, London.
Part of the reason was because it was a mutually convenient place to meet for both of us and we were in a rush (time wise).
When I met her about 1-2 years later, same, went to pub for pub lunch but this was social/work.
The recruitment agency/headhunter only had small offices I think.
I suppose it was out of the norm to meet at a coffee shop but both times she bought food/drink (I suppose she can claim back through tax/expenses?) and although I went through my CV first time round, 2nd time it was more of a chat. We certainly didn't sit in the middle of a crowded place, it was at a more quiet time and she gave me the option of moving or deciding where to go both times.
Another scenario when I was temping (contracts) in Victoria area of London, 1 government office (heads of department) asked me to meet in their coffee shop/cafeteria and we ran through the interview there. I would assume other colleagues would *mind their own business* and not earwig.
Both the above scenarios were mostly down to either lack or meeting space or no possible meeting space/venue available at the time. If it gets me a job/interview etc I'm not really fussed unless it's a proper permanent job and also if I do feel uncomfortable or couldn't hear myself think (as OP stated). I would have asked to move - I work in Wimbledon now - know the roadworks and the Starbucks (right next to busy junction and they seem to spend most year digging up roads there!) and would have asked for a quieter place to go.0
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