Job Candidate Says Recruiter Conducted Phone Interview With Her And The Other Applicant On The Same Call

Interviews can be an extremely stressful and anxiety-inducing feat for job hunters who are actively hoping to find a job in their desired field.

For the most part, job candidates assume their interviews are going to be conducted one-on-one with the hiring manager, but one woman was shocked to learn that her interview was a bit more dysfunctional as she wondered if such a thing was "normal."

The recruiter conducted the job interview over the phone with her and the other candidate at the same time.

In a video, a TikTok user named Alexandra revealed that she recently had a job interview over the phone. Before the interview, Alexandra assumed the phone call would be between her and the hiring manager, but was immediately proven wrong.

"I need to know if this is weird or not," Alexandra asked viewers in her video. "I just had a job interview and it was me, the hiring manager, and the other candidate on the same call."

recruiter conducts job interview with both candidates at the same time Photo: TikTok

During the interview, Alexandra said the hiring manager would direct one question to her, which she would answer, and then after, would direct the same question to the other candidate, who would then answer. "We would each answer one by one right in front of each other," she added.

Alexandra questioned why the notion of group interviews is considered normal, pointing out that the job application process in itself is incredibly "humiliating and degrading" as it is. "They make us go head to head," she insisted.

"I haven't been in the job market in a while and I just ... I don't know if this is normal?"

Many job candidates consider group interviews to be a 'red flag.'

While group job interviews aren't a practice used in every job field, many hiring managers and recruiters will use them in order to find more potential employees at higher rates or to observe the candidates’ interactions with each other and how well they work as a team, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.

However, there are some downsides to conducting a group interview, including how difficult it can be for candidates to stand out and show their unique strengths and abilities. Group interviews can even foster a competitive environment, as candidates are aware that they are being directly compared to others.

recruiter conducts job interview with both candidates at the same time Photo: Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock

This competitive atmosphere can lead to increased anxiety and may not accurately reflect a candidate's true abilities or potential for collaboration.

In the comments section, many viewers pointed out that a hiring manager conducting a group interview is a huge "red flag" and Alexandra should reconsider accepting the position if it comes to that.

"It’s completely unhinged. Expect any performance coaching to also be done in front of others. They like exerting control," one TikTok user pointed out.

Job Candidate Says Recruiter Conducted Phone Interview With Her And The Other Applicant On The Same Call

"I need to know if this is weird or not."

The recruiter conducted the job interview over the phone with her and the other candidate at the same time.

Many job candidates consider group interviews to be a 'red flag.'

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