Boss Used A Receptionist Test For A Job Interview And Refused To Hire A Candidate That Failed
It's essential to treat everyone with kindness and respect, regardless of their job title.
Stock Rocket / Shutterstock As the job market becomes increasingly competitive with so many people searching for open positions, interviewers have gotten creative with the ways they test candidates.
More and more frequently, hiring managers have decided to employ nontraditional methods to determine who they should hire.
One boss came up with a clever receptionist test to uncover his candidates’ true character.
One employee shared the trick her boss used to weed out job candidates on Reddit. She described it as the “interview starts immediately.”
“Today, a candidate blew his interview in the first five minutes after he entered the building,” she said. “He was dismissive to the receptionist.”
The man’s behavior towards the receptionist was, apparently, pretty bad. “She greeted him and he barely made eye contact. She tried to engage him in conversation. Again, no eye contact, no interest in speaking with her,” she explained.
But, there was something the job candidate didn’t know that would prove to be detrimental.
“What the candidate did not realize was that the ‘receptionist’ was actually the hiring manager,” she stated.
The Reddit user continued, “She called him back to the conference room and explained how every single person on our team is valuable and worthy of respect. Due to his interaction with the ‘receptionist,’ the hiring manager did not feel he was a good fit. ‘Thank you for your time, but the interview is over.’”
“Be nice to everyone in the building,” the employee advised.
Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels
The employee edited the post to clarify that the candidate was beyond just nervous in his interactions with the fake receptionist.
“It wasn’t just lack of eye contact,” she said. “He was openly rude and treated her like she was beneath him. When he thought he was talking to the decision maker, [his] personality totally changed. Suddenly he was friendly, open [and] relaxed. So, I don’t think this was a case of social anxiety.”
She concluded the post by saying, “The position is a client-facing position where being warm, approachable [and] outgoing is critical.”
It’s important to be nice to everyone at a job interview.
Le Courage Staffing pointed out that first impressions go way beyond just the interviewer when going in for a job interview.
Obviously, it’s natural to focus on the interviewer since that’s the person who holds the fate of your employment in their hands. But you never know who else could be playing an important role in the office.
“You never know the importance or professional status of each individual, so it pays to be nice to everyone!” the staffing agency said.
They continued, “Some professionals might be surprised to learn that many hiring managers actually consult other employees around the office to get their impression of the interviewed candidates. Hiring managers realize that you put your best foot forward with them, so they want to know how you acted and treated others when you weren’t in their presence.”
Le Courage Staffing suggested paying special attention to receptionists in particular.
“For example, many hiring managers will ask their receptionist or administrative assistants what their first impression was of the interviewed candidate,” they said. “The receptionist is typically the first person you interact with at a job interview, and the way you treat them says a lot about you.”
The bottom line? “Hiring managers want to know that you were polite and professional with their support staff because your behavior will demonstrate what kind of employee you will be if hired.”
Cedric Fauntleroy / Pexels
A receptionist may seem like one of the “little people” in an office, but each and every person holds value for an organization and makes significant contributions.
Plus, aside from the fact that you want to make a good impression, isn’t basic human decency also a factor? Kindness is always preferred.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news, and human interest topics.