Job candidate forced to sit on the floor while waiting an hour for her interview after other employees refused to give her a seat: 'I felt invisible'

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jul 12, 2024 9:00 AM EDT

No matter how desperate one might be for a job, there are some things they should never let happen to them while interviewing, and being forced to sit on the floor is one of them.

I honestly don't know how the woman who wrote this Reddit story could stand (pun intended) the way she was treated in her job interview. When she arrived at her interview, she was told to wait for the employer in a lobby area and was surprised to see that the area was occupied by a few other people, who were taking up all the sitting spaces in that lobby. Unphased, OP (original poster) approached them and asked if they could clear space for her to sit, but was shocked when they decided to simply act like she wasn't there and ignore her request, which forced her to continue standing. 30-minutes later, OP was still waiting for her interview, when she decided to sit on the floor until the interviewer showed up.

I'll let you guess if she got the job, or you could simply scroll down and find out by reading the rest of the story. After you are done, click here for a story of an entitled employee who refused to take no for an answer when asking a coworker to take over a shift.

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  • 01
    "I asked them to make room but they ignored me"
    via Canva
  • 02
    Had to sit on the floor at an interview.
    via u/Master_Charge5383
  • 03
    Okay let me be clear... I did not have to sit on the floor DURING the interview. But when I showed up, I was a bit early... so I went in the lobby area and there were 2 chairs, one large couch and one loveseat. The chairs were taken.
    via u/Master_Charge5383
  • 04
    There was one person sitting in the middle of the loveseat. There were 2 people sitting on the large couch but in a way where there wasn't room for another person (unless they scooted over a few inches... I'm not a big person). All
    via u/Master_Charge5383
  • 05
    5 people were talking. I went over and asked if they could make room for me to sit and it was the craziest thing... they didn't even look up at me! I am 99% positive I said it out loud and 100% positive they saw me. I
    via u/Master_Charge5383
  • 06
    then said it again and one of the ladies in a chair looked at me but in a blank way, but she said nothing and went back to talking with the other people.
    via u/Master_Charge5383
  • 07
    I thought, okay this is weird, but the interview was in 10 minutes so I decided I would just stand. Then got told by the receptionist that the interviewer was running late. So 30 minutes later, after
    via u/Master_Charge5383
  • 08
    standing in heels for that length of time, I was like - omg I have to sit down. So I went over and asked a 3rd time. Same thing happened... no one even acknowledged me.
    via u/Master_Charge5383
  • 09
    There was a little ledge by the window that was legit about 3 inches up from the floor and I ended up sitting on that for almost 20 minutes before the interviewer came down. One of the people on the couch looked
    via u/Master_Charge5383
  • 10
    at me sitting on the floor and made direct eye contact with me, then quickly looked away. It was so embarrassing and I truly felt like I didn't exist. It's been messing with my head and I'm convincing myself of all these things that probably aren't true.
    via u/Master_Charge5383
  • 11
    Im ethnic, they were not. They were younger than me by about 10-15 years. I'm not saying it was an age or a race thing... but I swear it's like they didn't even see me. It was crazy.
    via u/Master_Charge5383
  • 12
    People really s❤k. And I didn't get the job. (Probably because when they came and got me I was sitting on the fing floor)
    via u/Master_Charge5383
  • 13
    MagnoliaQ. 22 hr. ago Would've sat there anyway 387 Reply Share MotherofLuke · 22 hr. ago On somebody's lap.
    via u/MagnoliaQ
  • 14
    EnvironmentalGift257 20 hr. ago This was my response. "Move over or I'm sitting down anyway. I'm not tolerating your alpha And 10 seconds later I'm on the couch regardless.
    via u/EnvironmentalGift257
  • 15
    Critical_Boot9433 · 11 hr. ago People do sk. Are the 5 other women? Because an old school man would have been a gentleman and given you his seat.
    via u/Critical_Boot9433
  • 16
    • Master_Charge5383 OP · 9 hr. ago It was 3 women and 2 men. [
    via u/Master_Charge5383
  • 17
    • Neon_Camouflage · 23 hr. ago Yeah that's 1. If those were employees then you may have dodged a bullet, absolutely nos how some folks can be.
    via u/Neon_Camouflage
  • 18
    Master_Charge5383 OP · 23 hr. ago Agreed. After the interview, when asked how it went by friends and family... I told them it was bizarre and probably wouldn't accept the job even if they offered it to me due to that experience. I still can't stop thinking about it though. I felt absolutely invisible.
    via u/Master_Charge5383
  • 19
    burlyburlay 16 hr. ago Agreed - the receptionist should've also offered a chair!! 21 Reply Share • exscapegoat 17 hr. ago Or arranged to get an extra chair
    via u/burlyburlay, u/exscapegoat
  • 20
    krammiit · 21 hr. ago I absolutely would have taken my heels off. Actually, F that I would have left. If they can't be on time for an interview that THEY scheduled, they are the
    via u/krammiit
  • 21
    As for the people who ignored you, that's even more enraging. What is wrong with people? This whole thing has me fuming for you.
    via u/krammiit
  • 22
    yagooch 20 hr. ago The only comeback I could think of to salvage the interviewer's first impression would have been, "My apologies for sitting on the floor. I chose the wrong shoes for prolonged standing, and when I asked around, there was no place for me to sit."
    via u/yagooch
  • 23
    FreakyGreenberg . 20 hr. ago Sounds like you were part of a social experiment where all the other people sitting there were planted actors. 10 Reply Share Master_Charge5383 OP 18 hr. ago It felt like it!
    via u/FreakyGreenberg
  • 24
    Fit_Bus9614.20 hr. ago I think it's was the people's attitude. They didn't care. Company was a red flag. No room to sit. Late interviewing. Redflag.
    via u/Fit_Bus9614
  • 25
    • impulsive_me · 18 hr. ago I wonder if it was a test. I heard of one Fortune 100 having a test to see if people would be aggressive enough to walk in to an office when their interview was delayed. Either way, seems like a red flag. I wouldn't want to work there either.
    via u/impulsive_me
  • 26
    EmphaticallyWrong · 22 hr. ago This doesn't sit right with me. I'm floored that this happened to you. 25 Reply Share Master_Charge5383 OP · 22 hr. ago It was a week ago and it still doesn't sit right with me. I was floored too! (Literally)
    via u/EmphaticallyWrong

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workplace-stories employee manager job tales-from-the-workplace work job candidate reddit story employer workplace job search Reddit job interview interview weird
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