Think you’ve had some bad job interviews this year? This survey is guaranteed to cheer you up (unless you happen to be part of it). When staffing firm OfficeTeam asked 600 managers across North America to describe the most embarrassing interview blunders they had seen in 2014, here’s what they said.
The candidate
- “…called the interviewer by the wrong name.”
- “…was so nervous she almost fainted.”
- “…did a song and dance routine in hopes of getting the job.”
- “…brought his dog.”
Wardrobe malfunctions was another common theme. Some hapless interviewees “showed up in sweatpants,” one “was wearing mismatched shoes,” and another “didn’t realize his zipper was down.”
Lots of managers recalled extreme etiquette errors. The applicant
- “…started swearing during the interview.”
- “…was checking his cell phone and chewing gum during the meeting.”
- “…fell asleep.”
Then there were these cautionary tales, where a candidate
- “…claimed he was late because he got lost, but our receptionist said she had seen him hanging out at the coffee shop.”
- “…was caught in a big lie on her resume during the meeting.”
- “…said he never lets people see him sweat — but he was sweating profusely.”
- “…was asked to tell the interviewer a little about herself, and didn’t have anything to say.”
Interviewers made their share of blunders, too.
- “Someone spilled a pot of hot coffee on the candidate.”
- “An interviewer walked into a closet instead of the meeting room.”
- “A hiring manager was reading the wrong person’s resume.”
Oops. Better luck in 2015, everybody.