'I declined [the job] because of their actions': Four job candidates share stories of walking out of job interviews after disrespectful behavior

Brad Dickson • Managing Editor

Apr 12, 2023 9:00 AM EDT

A job interview is a two-way street: you're testing the waters to see if you want to work there just as much as they're trying to feel you out and see if they want to hire you.

Interviewers and candidates often forget this fact, being so used to the power imbalance offered by the employment markets of the last twenty years and the general desperation unemployed candidates experience. But it's important for both parties to act with respect and extend professional courtesies to one another; while a candidate might not immediately walk out because an interviewer is tardy, it often will leave them with a bad taste in their mouth and questions as to whether or not the disorganized organization would be a good place to work.

These four threads tackled the trending topic of mutual respect in job interviews; four candidates shared their experience of walking out of the interview or declining the position after their interviewers didn't respect their time. Read on to browse our selected screen grabs of the threads and the responses they generated on Reddit. And let us know your thoughts in the comments!

For more, check out this job seeker who sent a scathing email to recruiters.