Currys interview 'humiliation' as graduate 'made to dance

ireland.man

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-23972952

"A university graduate says he was left humiliated after being asked to dance to a Daft Punk song during a job interview at an electronics superstore.

Alan Bacon, 21, thought working at Currys in Cardiff would be ideal given his love of cameras, and he spent a week preparing for the interview.

But instead of showcasing his skills, he ended up doing robotic-style dancing "like a scene out of [BBC TV comedy] The Office".

Currys has since apologised...

"I told my dad it was like a scene out of The Office. I would have walked out but I need a job.

"Another middle aged guy looked really upset as he danced to a rap song...."


I've had a fair few interviews in my early twenties (about ten years ago) and then again this past year and while I've not had any experience close to the humiliation this man suffered, I do find the employers I encounter are becoming less and less compassionate and, well, ignorant these days. What do others think? Would your own experiences job hunting tally with what I've said?

Ray Palmer

I did an interview kind of similar for a software company many moons ago. They had us try to sell things like toilet rolls, pens and other various items to the rest of people doing the interviews. We had to team up and act out a story we created based on the random items.
The interview itself was in two parts one where they just abused you and the 2nd they were overly nice but took ages to do the questions. It was the same people in both interview parts. It was the weirdest and most contrived process I ever experienced.

2 years later the MD rang me and offered me a job after never getting in touch about the original job.

This was for a tech support role and is relatively well know company.

cloudatlas

Definitely less compassionate, the tables have turned completely. I have attended interviews where it has become painfully obvious that the human resources department have selected me and the interviewers/direct bosses had no part in it. Their boredom and frustration at having to do the interviews was thinly veiled to say the least. If you get bullied in the interview that a bad sign for your day to day employment. I hope that manager is let go.

Rod Serling

I was expecting to hear he left when they suggested he do this. I don't know why anyone wouldn't tell them to shove their job and get out of there? If they make a clown of you at the interview how the hell are they going to treat you if they take you on?

There is absolutely no chance, no matter how badly I needed a job, that I'd let myself be humiliated like that and it amazes me that anyone would. It wasn't just the graduate mentioned in the story either, he said there was another middle aged guy who did it too?!

ireland.man

Rod Serling wrote: »

I was expecting to hear he left when they suggested he do this. I don't know why anyone wouldn't tell them to shove their job and get out of there? If they make a clown of you at the interview how the hell are they going to treat you if they take you on?

There is absolutely no chance, no matter how badly I needed a job, that I'd let myself be humiliated like that and it amazes me that anyone would. It wasn't just the graduate mentioned in the story either, he said there was another middle aged guy who did it too?!

I would rather be unemployed than to dance for the amusement of a potential employer but I guess when you're middle-aged and have children or other dependents you need to put aside dignity and your own interests. That's what kills me in this story, that image of a older gentleman being forced to dance for just the possibility of a job. Very depressing.

Shelflife

I don't like these contrived interviews where they do off the wall stuff. fine a bit of role play to see how people interact but these good cop bad cop style are just a joke.

throwing stuff at you or shouting at you is just childish and has no place in the workplace.

I see where HO has agreed to re-interview all the applicants and have called in the manager in charge of the "dance off".

gandalf

I don't mind roleplaying once it is relevant to the job you are being interviewed for. I once had to sell a pencil to the manager interviewing me for a sales position years ago and got the job. I certainly would not take part in a session like the one described and would have asked for the interviewers full name and positions and sent a complaint to their HO along with an invoice for my time and expenses in getting to the interview. I expect a company to show me professional respect and not to act like its playtime at the crèche.

Seriously though, that's very unprofessional behaviour. Maybe some of these places have been watching too much Apprentice and Gordon Ramsay and think this is the cool way to behave.
I feel sorry for the people who really need the job so much they would be willing to re interview with these clowns. Hopefully it was just the manager and not the whole culture, and that this manager gets into serious trouble

I did the same kind of silliness during an interview for Ikea, years ago when it first opened in Dublin. I'm more surprised to hear that people are unaware of the existence of these kind of interview techniques.

It's humiliating, but what can you do? At least I had carelessness & youth on my side, there were plenty of recently-unemployed middle-aged people in my round of interview being made to do the same thing. And considering thousands of people applied for a few jobs, most people made fools of themselves for nothing

EdenHazard

Bad form, but then again its all about perception. My sister had to do something like this for a restaurant chain recently, she's outgoing and fun, and found the whole process fun. She got the job. But like has been mentioned my sister is just finished college and this job is not one she badly needs, put her in a middle age man who is going to the interview to get a job to support his family, well its not the time for a song and dance.

jimmycrackcorm

I hope someone gets fired for this as it would be an appalling indication of the competence of a company that would simply let this go