A man lost the chance of securing a job within “the first five minutes” of an interview after failing a mysterious test at reception.
Job seekers should always stay alert to potential employer’s questions during an interview, but unfortunately for one man, his careless behaviour even before the actual interview cost him the opportunity.
Bizarrely, the blunder had nothing to do with his responses or presentation during the interview, it instead hinged on his interaction with one crucial individual – the receptionist.
As events unfolded, the seemingly insignificant interaction was far from unimportant – the receptionist turned out to be the hiring manager, who wanted to assess candidates’ attitudes towards all team members, not just those interviewing them, reports the Mirror.
Sharing the experience on the popular Life Pro Tips section on Reddit, the manager lamented: “Today, a candidate blew his interview in the first five minutes after he entered the building. He was dismissive to the receptionist.
“She greeted him and he barely made eye contact. She tried to engage him in conversation. Again, no eye contact, and no interest in speaking with her. What the candidate did not realise was that the ‘receptionist’ was actually the hiring manager.
“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.”
Many Reddit users agreed that it’s crucial to be courteous to everyone, which seems like common sense.
One user commented: “BINGO! After a candidate leaves one of the first things those involved in the interview will do is speak to the receptionist and ask them how the interviewee treated them.”
“The person could be the best person for the position but if they treated the receptionist like —- … THEY ARE DONE! “.
“If they treated the receptionist like —- when on their best behaviour imagine how awful they will treat them once they get the job. The same goes for any cleaning staff. They are consulted, too.”
Another shared: “I got hired once because I held the door for the janitor coming in with his cart. The receptionist said, ‘that’s so nice of you’. I said it was just decency, but apparently, she was in the hiring manager’s ear later that day.”
“The choice was between me, and someone more knowledgeable, but he was a p—-… so they went with me.”
Others suggested that even if you struggle with anxiety and find it hard to make conversation, it’s always a good idea to at least try and be polite to those around you.
A social media user shared: “My only question about this is I have horrible anxiety and struggle to focus on stuff other than the actual process so I’m sure I’ve blanked on responding to a receptionist.
“Not because I’m a rude person but purely because I just struggle to pay attention to everything because of the other stuff I’m thinking of.
“So this is actually nice and reminds me I need to make sure to interact. Granted had I been not nice, I always make sure to
