Would you do this at a job interview?

[Anna B]

This taken from tonight's Sheffield Star:

 

'A job seeker has said he was left "humiliated" after being told to put a bag on his head, pretend to be a cow, and make animal noises at an interview at a Sheffield Shoe Store.'

 

'No individual questions were asked during the group exercise which was described as degrading.'

 

Interviews have certainly changed since my day. And no, I wouldn't.

[davyboy]

They were probably seeing if he could take orders.

[ECCOnoob]

This taken from tonight's Sheffield Star:

 

'A job seeker has said he was left "humiliated" after being told to put a bag on his head, pretend to be a cow, and make animal noises at an interview at a Sheffield Shoe Store.'

 

'No individual questions were asked during the group exercise which was described as degrading.'

 

Interviews have certainly changed since my day. And no, I wouldn't.

 

Yes I would absolutely do it if it was clearly part of some group exercise as part of overall candidate assessment.

 

I have in my past had to do group role play discussions, make models using pasta, play guessing games about people as part of various recruitment.

 

The world of Q&A in a meeting room is changing rapidly. These days is all about observing candidates, watching them interact with others, problem solving, improvisation, reactions to scenarios, logical thinking, willingness to particpate etc... etc...

 

I dont really get the whole "humiliated" and "degrading" nonsense. All seems a bit OTT to me. I dont know what this "student" is planning after their A levels but if they want a job in the world of white collar or indeed any sort of larger professional organisation they had better grow up fast, because there will be lot more of that to come.

 

Your average annual team building day is filled with crap like that let alone the sort of things prospective candidates are expected to do on corporate assessment days, work placements or even client networking events.

 

He cant have been that humiliated considering he named himself in the National Press and got his mummy to give a comment sticking up for him. Im sure that will really help hide his embarrasment

 

Seems more like an attention seeker to me with mummy just fuelling the fire.

 

Maybe i'm just of completely different age and temper but I can guarantee if I went running home to mummy all "humiliated" because of an ice breaker exercise in a job assessment she wouldn't have got my back when I cried to the press.

Edited May 15, 2018 by ECCOnoob

[Bob Arctor]

Yes I would absolutely do it if it was clearly part of some group exercise as part of overall candidate assessment.

 

I have in my past had to do group role play discussions, make models using pasta, play guessing games about people as part of various recruitment.

 

The world of Q&A in a meeting room is changing rapidly. These days is all about observing candidates, watching them interact with others, problem solving, improvisation, reactions to scenarios, logical thinking, willingness to particpate etc... etc...

 

I dont really get the whole "humiliated" and "degrading" nonsense. All seems a bit OTT to me. I dont know what this "student" is planning after their A levels but if they want a job in the world of white collar or indeed any sort of larger professional organisation they had better grow up fast, because there will be lot more of that to come.

 

Your average annual team building day is filled with crap like that let alone the sort of things prospective candidates are expected to do on corporate assessment days, work placements or even client networking events.

 

He cant have been that humiliated considering he named himself in the National Press and got his mummy to give a comment sticking up for him. Im sure that will really help hide his embarrasment

 

Seems more like an attention seeker to me with mummy just fuelling the fire.

 

Maybe i'm just of completely different age and temper but I can guarantee if I went running home to mummy all "humiliated" because of an ice breaker exercise in a job assessment she wouldn't have got my back when I cried to the press.

 

Yup, putting a bag on your head and pretending to be a cow is totally relevant to selling shoes. This is how British capitalism is going to forge ahead. It's also nothing to do with 'growing up', in fact it's utterly childish.

 

We recruit really good staff by finding out what they are good at, not by arsing about.

[Rhyno]

Yup, putting a bag on your head and pretending to be a cow is totally relevant to selling shoes. This is how British capitalism is going to forge ahead. It's also nothing to do with 'growing up', in fact it's utterly childish.

 

We recruit really good staff by finding out what they are good at, not by arsing about.

 

I agree totally.

 

If someone asked me to do that at interview, I’d reason that they didn’t deserve me as an employee. Then I’d move on to try to find a sane employer.

 

Unless I’d applied to be the front end of a pantomime cow, of course.

[ECCOnoob]

Yup, putting a bag on your head and pretending to be a cow is totally relevant to selling shoes. This is how British capitalism is going to forge ahead. It's also nothing to do with 'growing up', in fact it's utterly childish.

 

We recruit really good staff by finding out what they are good at, not by arsing about.

 

Yes, things like teamworking, interacting with others, thinking on the spot, following instructions. There is a method in this perceived madness otherwise companies and managers would not do it.

 

Be interesting to see what happens with this "investigation" or whether (as I personally suspect) its nothing more than just a stock response to appease a hysterical young man and his mother.

 

To be honest, maybe my view of the world is tarnished. Perhaps my industry, namely Law is still "utterly childish" as you say. Clearly anyone who has had the joys or vacation placements, group assessment days or training contract interview events would tell you that activities such as the one being discussed are par for the course.

 

Perhaps he too thinks that if he has to play silly games like that - they dont deserve him as an employee too. Either way, HE didn't get the job and the company just picked another candidate - I think we all know who the real loser out of this debacle is.

Edited May 15, 2018 by ECCOnoob

[pattricia]

I agree totally.

 

If someone asked me to do that at interview, I’d reason that they didn’t deserve me as an employee. Then I’d move on to try to find a sane employer.

 

Unless I’d applied to be the front end of a pantomime cow, of course.

 

I agree.

[Anna B]

Yes I would absolutely do it if it was clearly part of some group exercise as part of overall candidate assessment.

 

I have in my past had to do group role play discussions, make models using pasta, play guessing games about people as part of various recruitment.

 

The world of Q&A in a meeting room is changing rapidly. These days is all about observing candidates, watching them interact with others, problem solving, improvisation, reactions to scenarios, logical thinking, willingness to particpate etc... etc...

 

I dont really get the whole "humiliated" and "degrading" nonsense. All seems a bit OTT to me. I dont know what this "student" is planning after their A levels but if they want a job in the world of white collar or indeed any sort of larger professional organisation they had better grow up fast, because there will be lot more of that to come.

 

Your average annual team building day is filled with crap like that let alone the sort of things prospective candidates are expected to do on corporate assessment days, work placements or even client networking events.

 

He cant have been that humiliated considering he named himself in the National Press and got his mummy to give a comment sticking up for him. Im sure that will really help hide his embarrasment

 

Seems more like an attention seeker to me with mummy just fuelling the fire.

 

Maybe i'm just of completely different age and temper but I can guarantee if I went running home to mummy all "humiliated" because of an ice breaker exercise in a job assessment she wouldn't have got my back when I cried to the press.

 

I'm not sure it's the candidate who needs to 'grow up fast...' more the recruiters.

 

By your own admission this sort of thing is 'crap,' so why do it? (and team building days are with people you know, not complete strangers, so it's different.) I've no objection to problem solving exercises, or even role play, but where will it stop? Recruiters thinking up evermore dehumanising scenarios to humiliate with? How amusing for them, but it's cruel.

 

If, as you say, 'there will be a lot more of this to come' in the future, then there are going to be some people who are virtually unemployable because they will never be able to 'perform' in this manner.

 

Can you imagine a 50 or 60 year old having to put a bag on his head and moo like a cow? It's for a job in a shoe shop for heaven's sake.

 

Get real.

[Bob Arctor]

Yes, things like teamworking, interacting with others, thinking on the spot, following instructions.

 

Following instructions is the only attribute that could possibly be measured by such a ridiculous task. I certainly wouldn't want to use an interview format when hiring a shop worker, I would set up exercises to observe how people are with others, eye contact, willingness to help, using initiative etc. None of which would necessitate putting a bag on one's head and mooing. Because I'm not a knob.

[Anna B]

Following instructions is the only attribute that could possibly be measured by such a ridiculous task. I certainly wouldn't want to use an interview format when hiring a shop worker, I would set up exercises to observe how people are with others, eye contact, willingness to help, using initiative etc. None of which would necessitate putting a bag on one's head and mooing. Because I'm not a knob.

 

Couldn't agree more.

 

As for the task being used to prove candidates can follow instructions - wasn't blind obedience one of Hitler's requirements?