When you make a request of someone to uphold a certain standard, do a certain thing, or act a certain way, there's a general expectation that you will uphold the same—acting in a manner that makes your request appropriate. It's called "leading by example," and people seem to really struggle with it, with many leaders making no attempt or actively avoiding having to do so.
This job candidate reported being specifically asked by the HR worker who was setting up the interview to ensure that the candidate presented correctly, with formal grooming and attire. I'd argue that even setting this requirement is a wrong move for an interviewer. Wouldn't you rather see how a candidate chooses to present themselves to your company? This would be a much better indicator of the candidate you're dealing with, and demanding that a candidate dress nice is probably not having the effect you think it's having… coming across as needlessly micromanaging, uptight, and authoritative—which might tell the candidate a lot about the type of organization they're looking to join.
Regardless, when the candidate turned up to their interview, the interviewer was wearing shorts and flip-flops, which put a bad taste in the candidate's mouth. This may be a simple case of miscommunication or misunderstanding—or an uptight HR worker—but the interview process is hard enough without having to adhere to double standards.
Read on for the candidate's account of events below. Next, check out this flabbergasted candidate who had an interviewer call their current employer without asking.
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