Interview Candidate Leaves After Being Disrespected By Manager’s Behavior And Their Test
InterviewProbably most of us have been to at least one job interview. If so, then you know that they can be stressful, time consuming and tiring. And even if the interviews themselves aren’t stressful enough, unprofessional and rude managers who act like they are the most important people in this world don’t make them easier.
However, if the hiring managers are nice, friendly and make you feel welcome and treat you as an equal – well, then the whole interview experience and company’s image is different.
More info: Reddit
The least that hiring managers can do during job interviews is to introduce themselves
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
Student shares their story of how they just walked out of an interview for a clerk position at a bookstore near campus
Image credits: u/watercolorfxg
Image credits: Pixabay (not the actual photo)
They had to do quite a long test with general and literature questions for a minimum-wage position
Image credits: u/watercolorfxg
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
Later on, they were introduced to the manager, who didn’t even introduce herself, kept looking only at the application and said that they don’t usually hire students
Image credits: u/watercolorfxg
So after they sat for an exam and the management couldn’t even introduce themselves, the student asked for their bag as they had it and exited the bookstore
A few days ago, a Reddit user shared their story to one of its communities of how they just walked out of their job interview at a bookstore near their campus. The post received quite a lot of attention as in just 3 days, it got more than 4.6K upvotes and 200 comments.
To begin with, OP shares that they went back to school and to pay rent, decided to find some job near campus. The author loves books and has experience, thus decided to apply to be a clerk at a bookstore. When they came to the bookstore, they received an application and were informed that there was a test attached. It took around one hour as it consisted of general and literature questions.
After this, they finally were introduced to the manager; well, it was unexpected that she was the manager as she came out without any greetings or looking the applicant in the eye. And surprisingly, the first thing she said was that they usually don’t hire students. What made OP even more furious was that she kept looking at their application rather than at them. So at this point the author just took their bag and left the interview.
So, long story short, OP shares that the moral of the story is to know your worth. Community members were shocked about the requirement for a test for a part-time and minimum-wage job as well as the manager’s behavior as a whole. “They are delusional,” one user wrote. “If they treat you this poorly during the interview process, it’s going to get worse when you actually get the job,” another added.
Image credits: Tima Miroshnichenko (not the actual photo)
Moreover, Bored Panda reached out to Deb Falzoi, who is the founder of Dignity Together, End Workplace Abuse and host of the “Screw the Hierarchy” podcast. She agreed to provide her professional insights regarding the consequences of poor hiring managers’ behavior, common time-wasting practices in interviews and red flags that candidates should be aware of during interviews.
According to Deb, a hiring manager who doesn’t give proper attention to candidates is a red flag that they won’t give proper attention to employee needs on the job. They need to be upfront about their expectations for a role, pay and knowledge before prospective candidates even apply. “Disinterest and rudeness during the interview also shows lack of respect.”
Now, analyzing common time-wasting practices in interviews, the expert emphasizes that any practice beyond seeing how the employee will fill a business need is a waste of time. Employers should focus on the candidate’s experience and knowledge that may help for business, not on some tests of obedience such as giving work assignments for which the candidate should be paid or such violations of privacy as asking about weaknesses or resume gaps.
“Not being upfront about expectations and asking candidates for several rounds of interviewing that can be accomplished through fewer organized rounds also wastes candidates’ time,” Deb emphasizes.
And finally, speaking about red flags, the founder of Dignity Together shares that not feeling like an equal, valued or respected is the main red flag.
Moreover, “Warning signs that indicate a toxic work culture during the interview process include lack of interest in the candidates’ successes or input, such indicators of reinforcing a hierarchy as asking about weaknesses or gaps in work, rushing to hire, and not having goals for the role or a way to evaluate success,” Deb describes.
So folks, know your worth, don’t let any hiring manager ‘bully’ you or make you feel like you are less!
Redditors had little discussions with the author and shared their stories
I used to work in a book store. They wanted a four year degree in a relevant field for the department manager while paying them 50 cents above minimum wage at the time. You do not need a degree to work in a book store. A love of reading and the ability to alphabetize are usually the important bits. I suppose a rare book store might be different. But good lord some people confuse pretentiousness with knowledge and worth, especially when it comes to things like books, music, or movies.
Someone said it was akin to making sure a server applicant knew how to wait tables. No, it's akin to expecting the server applicant to have tasted, and experienced, fine dining. It's only tangentially related and completely unnecessary.
Load More Replies...An exam for a $7 an hour bookshop job? One word - pretentious. The individual wasn't curating a museum.
Back in the day when there were local independent music stores, a test on music was kind of common.
Load More Replies...How many times is BP going to change the title of this article? And OP, here's this: You say it's a well known "eccentric" bookstore. Why wouldn't you think everything about the hiring process would also be eccentric?
Meh it's not that big of a deal she said she doesn't 'usually' hire students which means sometimes they do and she gave you specific reason why - scheduling - which is a valid concern managers have to worry about. The 'test' is iffy but you're looking at it the wrong way by even calling it a test. It's probably more of a knowledge assessment to see how much training they'll have to give you to be able to competently converse with clients on product knowledge. While I totally agree minimum wage is bs I'm equally irked by the OP's disrespect towards a service industry like retail. Acting like anyone can sit behind a cash register and provide the same level of service is not only completely false but flat out disrespectful towards retail workers. In any industry - but books especially - people need a little guidance finding the right product for them. The manager was simply assuring her customers got the best service possible and OP did right by leaving.
Please explain how knowing which regions Eudora Welty wrote about is going to be covered in staff training, or how it will ensure customers find the right book (“Hello, I’d like some fiction about a single town in Mississippi please. If you can’t immediately guess the authority I’m thinking of then you will never get my custom again!”). It sounds like the test wasn’t to judge candidates’ suitability, it was a flex by management.
Load More Replies...As per usual we likely are not getting the full story. What we do get is that it’s an eccentric book store, they utilize an equally eccentric hiring test, and the manager gave an aloof and perhaps rude interview. We also know that the OP thinks quite a lot about their experience (even to the clear point that they think they are above the retail shop). So while OP characterizes this as a rude retail hiring manager who precipitated a quick, indignant exit, what I see is a secondary test of the demeanor and patience of a prospective employee. If OPcannot handle a little adversity when on best behavior, then clearly they are not suited for the retail reality of rude, impatient, know-it-all customers. OP likely failed the test. If further evidence is needed, see their responses to the comments. Even the most benign comments asking further questions are met with unnecessarily petulant responses like, “no exams for a retail job hon.” OP just sounds like a totally arrogant a*s.
Nope. What I see is OP not suffering a fool. I say Bravo!
Load More Replies...The whole "experience needed for entry level" is linguistically impossible. Which is it - is it entry level OR do I need experience? These don't overlap.
Exactly. Entry level means you have little to no experience, but you're there to learn on the job. Experience means you're applying for a position where they don't have to hold your hand at each step, and training time is shorter.
Load More Replies...I literally have a PhD in English literature and I didn't know the answers to those questions. I've never even HEARD of Button Gwinnet. What a bunch of pretentious gits.
His claim to fame is as the funniest-named signer of the Declaration of Independence. Killed in a duel by a rival plantation-owner, and the namesake of a Georgia county next to Atlanta whose population exploded when “white flight” became a thing post-segregation. This is apt, since Georgia was founded by James Olglethorp; a friend of William Penn. when Penn was thrown into debtor’s prison, Oglethorp was determined that Georgia would not have any slaves. Gwinnett and his ilk weren’t going to let that stop them, and Georgia became the largest slave state.
Load More Replies...This reminds me immensely about my interview experience with Cargill. Same level of delusional thinking, also for a ridiculously underpaid position in a 4°C. I did told them that they had extremely unbalanced expectations for the low wage and non-existent social benefits they are offering. They didn't liked that, but I also didn't like wasting my time, so...
If I go to a bookstore, and ask questions about books, and the person behind the counter has no clue, I am pissed. I get where this manager is coming from. As to why they don't USUALLY hire students, she said it : it's because of the dayshifts, and she asked when the applicant was available. Why didn't she look him in the eye ? Because she was reading the papers he just completed, to see if they would be a good fit. IMO, the bookstore manager dodged a bullet here by not hiring someone with an "I am too good for your s****y job !" attitude. Were I to hire someone, I would like them to know something about the job too, and if you feel like you're better than that, well, good riddance.
Honestly I see nothing wrong with the interview process, as long as it's clear in advance what experience and qualifications are expected. The applicant seems to have a sense of entitlement that just because she's not been given the job means that she's being 'disrespected'. No, you're simply not qualified. Why should you expect 'respect' from them?
If she doesn't like them during the interview, then it's a good indication of how they'd get along even if she was hired, so she was right to walk in that sense.
Load More Replies...Ironically the only 2 people who I know with Masters in Eng Lit both worked in bookstores for years after their degrees.
Oh yeah how dare they have a test and not look op in the eye. Sounds horrific
If a boss can’t have basic manners during an interview it seems unlikely that they’ll be any better when you work for them.
Load More Replies...Store dodged a bullet. Couldn't understand why they didn't usually hire from school after being told it was because of day shifts.
Students: Prepared to work minimum wage; their availability rarely varies; often available at short notice and welcome the extra money from additional shifts; more likely to be young, fit and healthy. Yeah, store dodged a bullet there.
Load More Replies...I used to work in a book store. They wanted a four year degree in a relevant field for the department manager while paying them 50 cents above minimum wage at the time. You do not need a degree to work in a book store. A love of reading and the ability to alphabetize are usually the important bits. I suppose a rare book store might be different. But good lord some people confuse pretentiousness with knowledge and worth, especially when it comes to things like books, music, or movies.
Someone said it was akin to making sure a server applicant knew how to wait tables. No, it's akin to expecting the server applicant to have tasted, and experienced, fine dining. It's only tangentially related and completely unnecessary.
Load More Replies...An exam for a $7 an hour bookshop job? One word - pretentious. The individual wasn't curating a museum.
Back in the day when there were local independent music stores, a test on music was kind of common.
Load More Replies...How many times is BP going to change the title of this article? And OP, here's this: You say it's a well known "eccentric" bookstore. Why wouldn't you think everything about the hiring process would also be eccentric?
Meh it's not that big of a deal she said she doesn't 'usually' hire students which means sometimes they do and she gave you specific reason why - scheduling - which is a valid concern managers have to worry about. The 'test' is iffy but you're looking at it the wrong way by even calling it a test. It's probably more of a knowledge assessment to see how much training they'll have to give you to be able to competently converse with clients on product knowledge. While I totally agree minimum wage is bs I'm equally irked by the OP's disrespect towards a service industry like retail. Acting like anyone can sit behind a cash register and provide the same level of service is not only completely false but flat out disrespectful towards retail workers. In any industry - but books especially - people need a little guidance finding the right product for them. The manager was simply assuring her customers got the best service possible and OP did right by leaving.
Please explain how knowing which regions Eudora Welty wrote about is going to be covered in staff training, or how it will ensure customers find the right book (“Hello, I’d like some fiction about a single town in Mississippi please. If you can’t immediately guess the authority I’m thinking of then you will never get my custom again!”). It sounds like the test wasn’t to judge candidates’ suitability, it was a flex by management.
Load More Replies...As per usual we likely are not getting the full story. What we do get is that it’s an eccentric book store, they utilize an equally eccentric hiring test, and the manager gave an aloof and perhaps rude interview. We also know that the OP thinks quite a lot about their experience (even to the clear point that they think they are above the retail shop). So while OP characterizes this as a rude retail hiring manager who precipitated a quick, indignant exit, what I see is a secondary test of the demeanor and patience of a prospective employee. If OPcannot handle a little adversity when on best behavior, then clearly they are not suited for the retail reality of rude, impatient, know-it-all customers. OP likely failed the test. If further evidence is needed, see their responses to the comments. Even the most benign comments asking further questions are met with unnecessarily petulant responses like, “no exams for a retail job hon.” OP just sounds like a totally arrogant a*s.
Nope. What I see is OP not suffering a fool. I say Bravo!
Load More Replies...The whole "experience needed for entry level" is linguistically impossible. Which is it - is it entry level OR do I need experience? These don't overlap.
Exactly. Entry level means you have little to no experience, but you're there to learn on the job. Experience means you're applying for a position where they don't have to hold your hand at each step, and training time is shorter.
Load More Replies...I literally have a PhD in English literature and I didn't know the answers to those questions. I've never even HEARD of Button Gwinnet. What a bunch of pretentious gits.
His claim to fame is as the funniest-named signer of the Declaration of Independence. Killed in a duel by a rival plantation-owner, and the namesake of a Georgia county next to Atlanta whose population exploded when “white flight” became a thing post-segregation. This is apt, since Georgia was founded by James Olglethorp; a friend of William Penn. when Penn was thrown into debtor’s prison, Oglethorp was determined that Georgia would not have any slaves. Gwinnett and his ilk weren’t going to let that stop them, and Georgia became the largest slave state.
Load More Replies...This reminds me immensely about my interview experience with Cargill. Same level of delusional thinking, also for a ridiculously underpaid position in a 4°C. I did told them that they had extremely unbalanced expectations for the low wage and non-existent social benefits they are offering. They didn't liked that, but I also didn't like wasting my time, so...
If I go to a bookstore, and ask questions about books, and the person behind the counter has no clue, I am pissed. I get where this manager is coming from. As to why they don't USUALLY hire students, she said it : it's because of the dayshifts, and she asked when the applicant was available. Why didn't she look him in the eye ? Because she was reading the papers he just completed, to see if they would be a good fit. IMO, the bookstore manager dodged a bullet here by not hiring someone with an "I am too good for your s****y job !" attitude. Were I to hire someone, I would like them to know something about the job too, and if you feel like you're better than that, well, good riddance.
Honestly I see nothing wrong with the interview process, as long as it's clear in advance what experience and qualifications are expected. The applicant seems to have a sense of entitlement that just because she's not been given the job means that she's being 'disrespected'. No, you're simply not qualified. Why should you expect 'respect' from them?
If she doesn't like them during the interview, then it's a good indication of how they'd get along even if she was hired, so she was right to walk in that sense.
Load More Replies...Ironically the only 2 people who I know with Masters in Eng Lit both worked in bookstores for years after their degrees.
Oh yeah how dare they have a test and not look op in the eye. Sounds horrific
If a boss can’t have basic manners during an interview it seems unlikely that they’ll be any better when you work for them.
Load More Replies...Store dodged a bullet. Couldn't understand why they didn't usually hire from school after being told it was because of day shifts.
Students: Prepared to work minimum wage; their availability rarely varies; often available at short notice and welcome the extra money from additional shifts; more likely to be young, fit and healthy. Yeah, store dodged a bullet there.
Load More Replies...
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