Humour in the Interview Room
Humour and interviews don’t often go hand in hand but to get your year off on a happy note, we would like to share some funny stories with you. These are taken from a survey we recently conducted with over 1,000 Human Resource Managers.
Most Amusing Interview Moments:
- A candidate who demonstrated their ‘flexibility’ by doing gymnastics on the floor!
- A candidate who entered the interview in a cream jacket, swirled it off ”John Travolta style at the disco”, snapped his fingers and said “OK let’s go” and sat down. No he didn’t get the job…
- A candidate who asked if he could change into his football gear after the interview as he was late for a game.
- When I asked a candidate what they’d find most challenging in the role and they replied ‘the boredom’.
- A candidate who brought an interpreter with them to the interview.
- Reading a CV which had a dead person named as a referee (with RIP after their name).
- I was once brought a box of chocolates by a candidate. Nice..
Strangest Interview Outfits:
- A candidate wearing Lycra cycling gear head to toe. Apparently he’d forgotten his rucksack with his suit.
Strangest Answer to Biggest Weakness:
- Getting out of bed in the morning.
- An accountant who said they were not very comfortable with numbers.
- Women with big bums.
- Drink
Other:
- Ringing a candidate to organise an interview and being told that he couldn’t speak to me as he was having a bath (although it was 11.30 am during a working week)???
About the Author
Laura McGrath is a qualified executive coach, EMCC Certified with over 20 years’ experience in executive search and recruitment. She’s the owner of Interview Techniques, a leading provider of interview and career coaching services and has been a guest lecturer with Trinity College Dublin and TU Dublin. For a consultation, please call 087 669 1192 or go to www.interviewtechniques.ie.
