‘I was asked if I was a crier’: Your worst job interviews revealed

Jobseekers have shared uncomfortable and revealing interview experiences, including a candidate left waiting 40 minutes and another asked whether he was a “crier”. Their accounts show how interviews can signal what a workplace is like and give candidates a chance to assess an employer.

Tiara Allen took a retail job despite the interviewer’s delay because she needed work, but says she would now see such treatment as a warning. Chas Edwards was hired after saying he did not cry, then stayed 13 months with a boss whose previous assistants reportedly lasted no more than three. Career adviser Corinne Mills suggests asking interviewers to clarify unusual questions; employment lawyer Roy Magara says discrimination based on protected characteristics is unlawful and candidates can request records of how their application was discussed.