Many social media users have expressed just how difficult it’s been for them to secure a job. Even recruiters are hopping online to talk about how hundreds of applicants will throw their hats in for a single open role.
For some people, even landing an interview is a tall order, no matter how many gigs they apply to. A TikToker named Alexandra (@ur_interior_designer) said she was able to secure herself a job interview but was thrown off by the way it was handled.
In the clip, Alexandra said that the hiring manager interviewing her also had another candidate for the role on the same phone call. She said the two of them alternatively answered questions with the interviewer, with everyone hearing one another’s responses.
Alexandra appeared taken aback by the interview structure, and there were several other TikTokers who also thought it was a strange move for the business to pull.
@ur_interior_designer THIS CANT BE NORMAL 😵💫 #unemployment #jobapplications #hiringmanager #jobinterview #jobinterviewsbelike #jobinterviewnightmare #millenialsoftiktok #milleniallifecrisis ♬ original sound – alexandra
“Is this normal?” Alexandra asked in the clip. “As if the application process and like, you know, getting a job process isn’t humiliating and degrading enough as it is, they make us go like head to head.”
Viewers seemed equally shocked—one commenter quipped, “It’s giving Hunger Games.”
Another said, “It’s completely unhinged. Expect any performance coaching to also be done in front of others. They like exerting control.”
Someone else strongly urged Alexandra to stay away from the job even if she’s offered a position with the company, writing, “Noooo and say noooo to the job if you get it!!”
As stunned as many folks were in the comments section, it appeared that interviewing in front of one’s “competition” for a position isn’t entirely uncommon.
“Retail interview did this to me, put me in a room with five other candidates around a table,” a user said. “Never again.”
Indeed penned an article about group interviews, along with helpful pointers for job seekers on how to conduct themselves in these strange situations.
The Society for Human Resource Management delineated how and when “an employer [would] use a group interview technique.” According to the organization, one of the main functions of this interview style is to gauge how well potential candidates collaborate with members of a group.
How Alexandra described her scenario, however, it doesn’t appear like there were any requests for collaborative problem-solving between her and the other candidate. They were on the same call together and then took turns answering questions posed to them by the hiring manager.
The Daily Dot reached out to Alexandra via TikTok comment.
