Job candidate attends 4 person interview, director demands to know which interview they would least like as a manager: 'I thought she misspoke'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Aug 14, 2026 9:45 AM EDT

Perhaps a job interview is a popularity contest in more ways than one.

Interviewing for a role is tricky by design. Not only does a candidate have to put a lot of effort into selling themselves and making sure they look like the best fit for the job, but they also have to face all the potential tricks that an interviewer might play to trip them up. As if the pressure of multi-stage interviews and pre-interview tasks wasn't stressful enough, facing a potential employer in conversation can prove to be playing office politics in expert mode. It takes experience to succeed, unless you already have your foot in the door.

Even those who have earned their stripes in the war of the job search can find that it is possible to be surprised by an interviewer. They are always finding novel and interesting ways to make potential employees feel uncomfortable in their decision to apply to a job. While it is important to challenge a job candidate who wants to take a role with a company, few are going to feel good about being employed at a place where playing psychological games is the norm from the interview stage onwards. It sets a bad precedent.

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  • A pair of interviewers speaking to a candidate across a table as they make notes.
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    A pair of interviewers speaking to a candidate across a table as they make notes. Not actual story subjects.


     

  • A job candidate attended an interview that had a panel of interviewers, and they were taken aback by a question that one of them asked. The director wanted to know which of the interviewers they would least like to have as a manager. They didn't know if they handled the query well and found it a strange thing to ask.

  • The panel asked which interviewer I would least want as a manager

    At the end of a four-person panel, the director asked which person at the table I would least want to report to. I thought she misspoke, but she clarifed: "Which one would frustrate you as a manager, and why?"
    via LV426Unit
  • I picked the person who had interrupted twice and said I work best with managers who let answers land before redirecting. He laughed; nobody else did. Then they wrote my answer on the scoring sheet.
    via LV426Unit
  • The recuiter says I'm still being considered. Was this a reasonable culture question, or were they testing whether I'd criticize someone under pressure?
    via LV426Unit
  • A close-up of colleagues sitting down in a circle while holding notebooks and tablets.
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    A close-up of colleagues sitting down in a circle while holding notebooks and tablets. Model portrayal.


     

  • People didn't feel like this question was good interview etiquette.

    ShipComprehensive543 I would laugh and answer- "oh no, not answering that one here - - plus I don't have enough information to make a good, rational decision."
    via ShipComprehensive543
  • Mandalor7Eel If they wanted to assess candor, they could ask about a past disagreement. Making a candidate rank actual panelists feels like office politics dressed up as behavioral intervewing.
    via Mandalor7Eel

  • They acknowledged that there were different ways to spin this type of question.

    DogeBonk_58 A company once asked me the reverse: which interviewer I would most trust with bad news. I chose the person who had challenged my answer but explained why, and that became a surprisingly useful conversation. Your version is different becuase it forces a negative judgment about
    via DogeB0nk_58
  • someone you barely know. If they make an offer, I would not reject it solely over this, but I would request a short conversation with the prospective manager and watch whether they interrupt, answer defensively, or invite questions. The exercise may have accidentally handed you a very specific reference check.
    via DogeB0nk_58
  • Lucky-Access-121 what an absurd question i would definitely refuse to answer
    via Lucky-Access-121

  • They praised the way that the candidate had handled the situation.

    Icy_Variation2787 You gave the least bad answer available. The question was designed to create discomfort, so their reaction tells you more than yours.
    via Icy_Variation2787
  • Material_Complaint_7 I think your answer was great given the question. I would've said, "I don't know any of you well enough to answer that question. Once I've been here for a year we can circle back to that."
    via Material_Complaint_7
  • ForeverOne4756 This is an awful question. I think if I were made to answer the question, I would answer like you did but not single the panel member out. Something like" I work best for a manager that listens without interrupting and gives thoughtful feedback without micromanaging."
    via ForeverOne4756
  • Basic-Masterpiece-99 This sounds like a test in prejudice. I would have answered that I have no idea, I don't know any of you.
    via Basic-Masterpiece-99

  • It could have been a test of loyalty.

    NellieArvin My instinct would have been to say the person who asked the question since I prefer leaders who are collaborative, not divisive.
    via NellieArvin
  • -Seether- This place is a giant red flag. Run
    via -Seether-
  • Legatomaster "I would happily report to anyone on this panel as my manager."
    via Legatomaster

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question job candidate workplace job interview
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