Recently I was reading about bait and switch during preliminary interviews. I then recalled the worst interview torture that I was ever subjected to. It was a few years back and I had applied for a nurse educator position in a 74 bed hospital. I was greeted by 2-3 interviewers and we were located in a small conference room. There were probably 8 total chairs in there. During the interview a couple more people came in, then in a few minutes a few more came in, till at one point people were standing. At that time someone mentioned that we would be moving to a larger room.
I was escorted to a very large class room, more like an auditorium really. I sat and waited in front of the class at a small table and chair. As I waited more and more and more people came in, department heads, assistants of department heads, managers, secretarial staff, nurse residents, trainees, every single member of the HR department. Finally the crowd was all settled in and introductions began. Each person introduced themselves and what their position was. No way was I going to remember who all these people were. I'd say there were about 40-50 people there. I mean really? So they start hammering me with questions. Why do you think you should get this job? What makes you qualified? Talk about mob mentality. I felt like I was on the witness stand being drilled by a team of lawyers. There were a couple of mean ones in there too, staring at me as if I were a creepy little bug that they wanted to squash. The one I remember most was the nurse manager of the OR who would roll her eyes. Now, I wish I would have gotten up and walked out leaving them there scratching their heads.
At one point, I quipped, " wow, it looks like everyone is here, Who is running the hospital?" I got several laughs about it. The HR folks told me that they invited everyone who wanted to come (it was an open type of torture for anybody to join in on I guess). Yes, and this was the first interview. I decided I would never work at that hospital. They didn't call me back anyway but I don't think it would have mattered. I was ready to tell them that their practices were unwarranted and unfair and like the Spanish Inquisition. If they treated potential employees that way I couldn't imagine how they treated actual employees.
So... Tell me about your nightmare interview experience.
I had a gauntlet-style interview for my trauma educator job, but I was so relaxed because I was 99.9% already sure I was going to take an informatics job at another hospital. But the ED director described the educator position and I realized it was made for me, so I decided I wanted it instead! There were a ton of people in the room (trauma, ED, hospital education, etc.) but it didn't feel hostile.
A couple of years later I interviewed for another educator position at a different hospital, and the job posting wasn't very descriptive. About 10 minutes into the interview, I was like heck no, I don't want this job and the vibe was bad! But I ended up going through the interview, just as practice. I was relieved to hear that someone else was selected! But then a few weeks later, I was offered the job — I guess their first choice declined, but then I did as well. They reposted the job eventually, this time with more details. I actually know the nurse who finally ended up in the role, I hope she doesn't hate it.
This is an awful interview that I conducted. I was interviewing an individual for a CNA position, and I suddenly felt very sick to my stomach. My office was long and narrow, and the candidate was between me and the door.
I think I blurted out, "Excuse me," before I grabbed the trashcan and upchucked. To the candidate's credit, she kept her composure and actually handed me a tissue.
When I returned from being off for a couple of days, I hired her. She is a great CNA!
I interviewed back in February for my current position and posted about my experience. It wasn't my first interview with this group, just the second to "meet the gang." And gang is sure what it felt like. At the time I thought it was about 8 or 9 people. When we doing paperwork for clinical ladder last month, I saw my interview sign-in sheet going around and saw that it was actually 12 people. This, just for a regular clinic job. During the interview I was basically told I wasn't a good fit due to my experience. I was offered and ended up taking the position to get out of my current role due to long term disability.
I won't go into more detail but only 2.5 more months until I can transfer again. Ugh.
The worst nursing interview of my career was in Pittsburgh Pa. I forget the exact position, but I believe it was something in outpatient surgery. I was looking for a second part-time or prn position to earn a little extra money.
I arrived for the interview and met a woman who introduced herself as the manager of the department. The interview was conducted in an exam room. She was about mid 40s and had been with the facility 7 years. The interview went as expected with the first few questions then she pulled out my resume and this is where it went south quickly. She looked over the paper (had she not looked at it before) and saw I had a Masters Degree and asked, "A masters degree is useless, what do you think you can do with that?" I was a bit shocked as I came from Florida and everyone either had a graduate degree or was working towards one and in Pittsburgh there were still diploma programs and advanced degrees were not as common. I answered the woman with a typical self-improvement and a desire to remain marketable. She responded very poorly, "Its a ***ing waste of money and I find nurses with graduate degrees make *** nurses."
It was at this point I picked up my water and said, "well this interview is over" and I walked out. I thought about reporting her behavior and comments to HR, but I really wanted nothing to do with that organization after that.. I have had a few poor interviews when I worked as a nurse, but that one always stuck with me. Thankfully, I moved away from Pittsburgh and never experienced that type of attitude since..
This is an awful interview that I conducted. I was interviewing an individual for a CNA position, and I suddenly felt very sick to my stomach. My office was long and narrow, and the candidate was between me and the door.
I think I blurted out, "Excuse me," before I grabbed the trashcan and upchucked. To the candidate's credit, she kept her composure and actually handed me a tissue.
When I returned from being off for a couple of days, I hired her. She is a great CNA!
There's no way that many people are ever going to be able to come to any agreeable consensus. There's simply too many people, with too many individual opinions and it's not even possible to "win" in that situation.
Think about it... That many people can't even equally agree what to eat for lunch, nevermind agree with one another about anything complex like hiring an employee.
I would have indicated the interview process they are using is not agreeable, thanked everyone for their time, walked out and left.
There's something wrong with that place. (red flag)
I know! If they think I can educate the surgical department and OB and everyone, then that is impossible. I would have been hired to do general education, not the specific education to those departments. So I, in my head was thinking, "what the h _ _ _ are they doing?". There is no way they could have accomplished their goal of hiring the right person using that process. I know there were 3-4 rows of chairs and each row had 10-15 people. so I guessed it to be around 45 people perhaps. I felt extremely uncomfortable. I will never forget it.
I'm sure many on AN know how bad those cramps can be.
OMG! Yea, feel like you will pass out, or curled up in a fetal position, moaning and rolling around in bed. Have gone to work like that, leaning over with my head on the desk or rocking back and forth crumpled up. So glad those days are long gone! Bless you.
I've had many less than pleasant interviews, but one hilarious one that comes to mind is when I was applying in person for a job as a bar person in a London pub many years ago. The guy interviewing me gave me a LONG list of drink prices and told me to add them up in my head! I just laughed and walked out.
I've had crazy interviews in my long career. But the weirdest one was when I finished the interview after just 15 minutes at most.
It was the most cut & dry interview I had ever experienced until then and ever since. I got to my car and just sat there befuddled and laughing to myself. She asked maybe 3 or 4 questions and then explained the position. That was it.
Funny thing was that just a few days later, she called and the job was mine. To tell all, it was a CIVIL SERVICE education position and I was top of 'the list' of qualifiers. In Civil Service, it is 'the list' that is all important for filling positions. I accepted that position and it turned out to be one of the very rare few that I really liked working.
I did have one interview for a small computer/business school where the position was to teach very, very rudimentary A & P and medical terminology to generic students. I was asked to prepare for the interview by literally TEACHING a class something medical-ly and with terminology. (My choice of whatever.) I chose the integumentary system - not only did I present the material I had prepared but I also developed the lesson plan to match. I was hired before I left the place. I really enjoyed that position also.
Some interviews can be so uncomfortable! I once went on an interview at a facility and was immediately told about the drama on the unit. I shadowed a few people and no one looked happy. I had anxiety and had to get out of there!!
Lunah, MSN, RN
14 Articles; 13,773 Posts
I had a gauntlet-style interview for my trauma educator job, but I was so relaxed because I was 99.9% already sure I was going to take an informatics job at another hospital. But the ED director described the educator position and I realized it was made for me, so I decided I wanted it instead! There were a ton of people in the room (trauma, ED, hospital education, etc.) but it didn't feel hostile.
A couple of years later I interviewed for another educator position at a different hospital, and the job posting wasn't very descriptive. About 10 minutes into the interview, I was like heck no, I don't want this job and the vibe was bad! But I ended up going through the interview, just as practice. I was relieved to hear that someone else was selected! But then a few weeks later, I was offered the job — I guess their first choice declined, but then I did as well. They reposted the job eventually, this time with more details. I actually know the nurse who finally ended up in the role, I hope she doesn't hate it.