People going into interviews with unreasonable requests

[Tradd]

I don't know how this person even got past HR and the phone interview...

My department is looking for a new person due to a person leaving to get a job in the field they were in school for. Manager and supervisor asked me to sit in - but don't talk during interviews - to get a feel for some candidates. One woman took the cake. First off, you need to know she was a Muslim woman wearing a hijab (head scarf). That wasn't the problem. The issue was her demands. She expected to work Sunday through Thursday, when we are a M-F office. Sunday would be a work at home day for her. No one is allowed to work from home except managers and supervisors. Then, the religion-related demands. She expected to have a room set aside for her daily prayers that no one else would be allowed in. We don't have the space for that. On her way out, she passed by my desk, and saw my small religious icon on my desk. She actually said those would be removed when she began work.

Needless to say, she was not hired.

Dang. There's no way you can make this stuff up. My manager and supervisor had a come to Jesus moment with HR, about them passing along such candidates. They swore up and down she hadn't said any of this in their phone interview with her.

Now your turn to share stories of unreasonable demands candidates made in interviews.

[Zoe Girl]

Oh dear, that is beyond. I do my own hiring and a lot of people bave no experience, but they really like kids! One had experience as a dogcatcher.

I have an open position, my oh so helpful supervisor has sent me candidates for the lower level position i can't hire more people into. The last one i asked him a lot of questions and he could not answer, like is he close to the number of hours for the next level position or how was his interview project (everyone has to present a sample lesson)

Right now i have a staff who lives at a special work release jail, totally regretting i didn't see this train wreck coming

[iris lilies]

Hm, that candidate wont get far with these expectations. I wonder about her work background.

[herbgeek]

I did have one candidate at a startup who told me in the first 5 minutes that she'd need to come late, leave in the middle of the day, and not work a minute over. She also wasn't going to work anytime school was out. We were at a critical juncture and all working 10-12 hour days. Her background wasn't that impressive to pay full-time for someone who wanted to work part time.

I also had an odd person come in at another established place who was very curious about our cafeteria and what it served. He would only work at a place that had meat potato and vegetable. Just sandwiches and salads wouldn't do.

[Chicken lady]

It's always good when people throw their issues out up front - before you accidentally hire them.

the first week my dd worked she made a point of getting there 10-15 minutes early, starting something new if it wasn't 5 yet, and getting to a good stopping place before she left. She was on the clock, and on Thursday the supervisor told her she was going to have to go home around 3 on Friday because she couldn't work more than 40 hours a week. So she started going in more or less on time and leaving more or less at 5 like everyone else.

[saguaro]

Agree with Chicken Lady, interviewees who make these kinds of demands / expectations known immediately, focusing on all that you are supposed to do for them as opposed to showing what they can do for you, keep you from making a hiring mistake, though it's annoying that it's wasting your time having to deal with them.

My interview story: years ago I was moving internally to another position in my company. I was asked to sit in on the interviews for my replacement. We brought in one candidate, who had good qualifications and interviewed well. No red flags that either I or my boss could see. Until after the interview was over. As I was escorting her out, once we were out the office door, she then informed me that she needed train fare for her ride home. Since we brought her in for the interview, she expected that we should cover her fare, which begged the question of how she got there in the first place with no problem. She made a big enough stink about this that I called the recruiter in HR (who had passed her resume) who got her out of the building, which was a good thing because the next step would be involving security, she was making that much of a fuss. Needless to say, she did not get the job.

It seems some candidates can keep the red flags from flying early in the process but when it gets to interview time, they decide that's the time to start getting picky, demanding and sometimes just plain weird. So it's hard to know from the beginning that you are dealing with this type of candidate.

[razz]

May I offer a bad interview from the interviewee's point of view?
I am a retired dental hygienist but when DH was transferred to another community, I went for an interview with a local dental office knowing no one there . The dentist in his wisdom had decided that his staff would do the hiring. They brought in a number of candidates who were asked to sit in front of the staff who were free to ask any questions to see if the hire might be compatible. These were very angry people with very limited interview skills and it became a stressful, bear pit situation. I was asked to consider working for the office but declined due to what I felt was the lack of professionalism on everyone's part.

[Float On]

When I was a bank manager I had a college age student apply for a simple part-time customer service teller position. He apparently really got a kick out of the word position because he let me know he was available for "any" and drew pictures to go along with it (wink wink nod nod)! I'm sure I threw up a little!

My worst employees were those HR hired and "transferred" to my branches.

[Float On]

I don't know how this person even got past HR and the phone interview...

My department is looking for a new person due to a person leaving to get a job in the field they were in school for. Manager and supervisor asked me to sit in - but don't talk during interviews - to get a feel for some candidates. One woman took the cake. First off, you need to know she was a Muslim woman wearing a hijab (head scarf). That wasn't the problem. The issue was her demands. She expected to work Sunday through Thursday, when we are a M-F office. Sunday would be a work at home day for her. No one is allowed to work from home except managers and supervisors. Then, the religion-related demands. She expected to have a room set aside for her daily prayers that no one else would be allowed in. We don't have the space for that. On her way out, she passed by my desk, and saw my small religious icon on my desk. She actually said those would be removed when she began work.

Needless to say, she was not hired.

Dang. There's no way you can make this stuff up. My manager and supervisor had a come to Jesus moment with HR, about them passing along such candidates. They swore up and down she hadn't said any of this in their phone interview with her.

Now your turn to share stories of unreasonable demands candidates made in interviews.

If you don't hire her will you now be slapped with "Religious Descrimination" lawsuit??? http://www.primerus.com/business-law...ess-332011.htm

[ToomuchStuff]

I don't know how this person even got past HR and the phone interview...

She expected to work Sunday through Thursday, when we are a M-F office. Sunday would be a work at home day for her. No one is allowed to work from home except managers and supervisors. Then, the religion-related demands. She expected to have a room set aside for her daily prayers that no one else would be allowed in. We don't have the space for that. On her way out, she passed by my desk, and saw my small religious icon on my desk. She actually said those would be removed when she began work.

Religious questions are a taboo subject, legally. Certainly wouldn't want them on the phone where someone might record.

If you don't hire her will you now be slapped with "Religious Descrimination" lawsuit??? http://www.primerus.com/business-law...ess-332011.htm

She may try, but there are legal requirements to Tradd's job that doesn't allow modification (working days/government reasons). Then if they did hire her they would have a religious discrimination lawsuit, for not allowing Tradd to keep the religious icon on her desk. (can a prospective employee force you into being sued, so you don't get sued for the same thing?)