The Working Dead: Interview Horror Stories

It’s no tall tale that interviews are undoubtedly nerve-racking. Every recruiter has stories of common mistakes such as candidates forgetting resumes or not dressing properly, however; few and far between are bizarre, hilarious, and even scary interview situations. Sweaty palms and awkward handshakes are the least of these recruiters worries when a subpar interview becomes downright terrifying.

In honor of the spooky season, our team created this collection of short stories of their worst interview experiences:

“Once a guy put a gun on the table as the interview began.”

“One time I scheduled a phone interview and when I called the woman had forgotten. Her toddler answered the phone and gave it to her—while she was in the shower!”

“A candidate showed up for an interview sporting a white tank top, ripped jeans, and sneakers. I knew he was wearing sneakers because he put his feet up on the conference room table as he told me he wanted a job with the ‘most amount of pay for the least amount of effort.’” Sometimes honesty isn’t always the best policy.

“I recently conducted an interview prep with a candidate and counseled this person how to deal with any nervousness she may feel at the onset of her interview. Instead of saying what I suggested (that her nervousness was due to the excitement about the opportunity), she actually told the panel of people interviewing her that she ‘just doesn’t do well on panel interviews.’ Needless to say, she wasn’t invited back!”

“I once had a candidate who offered all of the interviewers a beer. These were early morning interviews. And he would drink one during the interview.”

“When I asked a candidate why she wanted the job, she laughed and said, ‘My parents really want me to get off of my _ _ _.’ The interview ended shortly after that.”

“Once a candidate flushed the toilet during a phone interview.”

Have a horrible interview story worth sharing? Tell us in the comments!