Walking out of an interview justified?

[Red Squirrel]

They are doing you a favour by giving you the chance at a job, I'd still take the interview. Maybe be slightly annoyed if I planed to have my lunch there and purposely did not eat anything, but not something worth actually bailing out on.

 

[DaveSimmons]

As I see it, this went beyond just "didn't provide lunch" but "took away the option for lunch."

It would be one thing if the managers had said "Hey, the lunch got goofed up, why don't you go get something for yourself." While it would be less than ideal, it would at least acknowledge that this guy needed to be able to eat.

But when 2 of them go off to get lunch (and bring some back for the third guy) and he's meant to be shuffled to the next interview with no consideration for his needs it shows a clear lack of care about him at all.

In perspective, I have been in a similar situation from the other side, I had a 1pm interview, and it turned out the previous interviewer (who was supposed to provide lunch) was out sick that day, the interviewee ended up at my office 30 minutes early when the admin assistant wasn't sure what to do with him. At which point I took him to the cafe and bought us both lunch, which we took to a conference room for a lunch interview. I later submitted the receipt for reimbursement, but even if it wasn't reimbursed it was simply the appropriate thing to do as a human and a representative of my company.

And that's one sign of a company I'd work for. People that take care of problems instead of ignoring them, people that think about someone besides themselves.

The people giving the interviews didn't care whether or not this guy had lunch and even went so far as snubbing him when they got their own food. They could at least have said "sorry, we can't pay for it but if you want we can pick you up something too."

 

[IronWing]

I did an interview once where we ended the actual interview almost immediately. It was clear fairly early on that I wasn't the person they needed and I told them so. They advertised for the technical expert but it became quite clear that they really needed a public administration type person. We dropped the pretense that I could be their Neo and switched gears to talk about where they were going with their project in more general terms. The project was an urban groundwater remediation project with multiple polluters, most long dead. The scheme the city had come up with to pay for the cleanup was to bill property owners whose property overlaid the contamination. So if your property was shown to be dirty, you paid. But... you didn't have to let the city test your property. :biggrin: The folks charged with implementing the plan were so screwed, I felt bad for them. We parted on good terms though I wish they had known what they needed before I made the interview trip.

 

[dud]

They didn't want the job that badly ...

 

[Blanky]

Overall I think he acted like a princess, though if he's as hot as he thinks he is he can get a job elsewhere.

 

[Kelvrick]

The managers/interviewers seemed like dicks.

 

[JulesMaximus]

No, I wouldn't walk out. That is pretty rude... even more rude than not providing lunch when you said you would.

 

[HeXen]

I would have just asked about the lunch I was promised once I got hungry. If this is some like 6+ hr interview or at a time between 11am to 2pm then certainly it seems logical that one might get pretty darn hungry about that time so yeah, I'd mention I'm getting rather hungry and if no lunch then I'd flat out ask them who the guy is that told me a bold faced lie so I could call him out on it.
but that's me if I wasn't desperate for a job. Obviously this guy wasn't either. Don't put up with BS from other people if you don't have to.

 

[lxskllr]

Fuck those people. I doubt I'd walk out because I'm very flexible with food time, but I don't blame anyone that would.

Those assclowns don't pull that shit with their machines. Copiers need toner, computers need electricity, and cars need petrol. People need food, and them showing that little concern when they're supposed to be looking their best is wasting my time. I wouldn't do a thing for them without cash up front.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Not over lunch, but I've talked a lot of shit and blatantly sabotaged one interview.

If you schedule me for an interview I expect you to show up on time expect you at least researched my resume. This was for a Snr. Director position. Spoke with 2 of the 4 people on my scheduled interview, the HR recruiter hung out with me due to the no shows and I basically told him this place sucks and needs to work on their corp culture.

Another one, I was sold a pack of lies and when I called out the Partner on it and I said, "so I guess we're done here?" Flew me in, dinner and nice hotel the night before, full day of interviews and lunch out. 5yrs later I think the position is still vacant as the Partner was a complete ass. Had no interest in growing the firm but needed to show the other managers there really was hope & a pathway to Partner.

 

[clamum]

The company did say he'd get lunch, and it sounded like it was a long interview process, but jeez. And yeah, from what he said, could they really not figure out how to get him some food?

But I stand by my original sentiment. And this is only one/his side of the story. I still think he's kind of a puss for not being able to handle a skipped lunch.

 

[Markbnj]

It's ridiculous, under no circumstances can you walk out of an interview, if nothing else, it can burn bridges. And given the reason for his walking out, it's unthinkable.

btw, OP, you missed the ATOT customary "I am a raging moron" poll option...

Well there certainly may be circumstances where it is more than justified... but lunch not showing up isn't one of them.

 

[GasX]

Fuck me, people are such prima donnas these days. You fucking suck it up like a man and finish the interview. If you can't be excited and enthusiastic enough about an opportunity to skip a meal, life just passed you by...

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I'd leave of course, I work for hospitality companies and that would be a major faux pas.

 

[skyking]

the interview process is a two-way process. The employer failed. It sounds simple to me.

 

[SKORPI0]

the interview process is a two-way process. The employer failed. It sounds simple to me.

Was the lunch promised? How does he expect to be treated as an employee if they can't keep it. Promises, promises..
I would stay for the interview, not matter what... ^_^

 

[Rakehellion]

Did they outright refuse to provide lunch when asked? If so, I'd walk out. That seems like a shady company.

 

[Jeff7]

I've followed Liz Ryan's advice a lot on my job search and I've found her advice has helped me. Not sure I agree 100% with her on this one but it does show the company is a bit disorganized.

I wonder how many companies out there are actually organized.
There's a reason that Dilbert is so relatable and long-lived.

Example: Where I work, there's one person in Purchasing. No one else knows the proper way of doing a PO. If she's out, the normal method for buying things is to wait until she gets back.
If she's out for a week, we can run out of components if no one else is paying attention. The best way then is to buy stuff off a distributor's website using a credit card, and then she retroactively handles the purchasing paperwork when she gets back.
But from what I've heard from friends and family, my workplace is pretty organized and minimally-dysfunctional, compared to what they've got.


I'd like to know what those bagels were like, too. I'd imagine that for some people, anything that's been out of the oven for more than 15 minutes is "stale" and "should be in the trash."
And...dear god, no cream cheese? I doubt that even Putin would inflict such a horror on a political prisoner.

It does say that the bagels were "left over from a morning meeting." So...were they just bought that morning, and were therefore only a few hours old? I guess this person's used to a higher class of food than I am.

 

[Ns1]

on one hand he probably should have mentioned something earlier.

on the other hand I can't really disagree with his decision.

 

[Wuzup101]

Depends on how badly he wanted the job. If he was in tech and already employed, he might have just been interviewing to explore his options. In that case, he can probably afford to wipe his but with an interview or two (there is always the risk of that biting you later). Can't say I blame him for walking out. Lunch itself isn't a big deal, but if a company can't manage to handle lunch, what can they handle?

 

[videogames101]

If you have other options, fuck the company and burn the bridge, just understand what it is you are doing.

 

[mikeford]

Anytime something unexpected occurs in an interview you have an opportunity to make yourself stand out from the pack. Being rude isn't a good way to do this.

OTOH never let anybody waste your time, find out why the interview isn't going as planned.

 

[destrekor]

When are you PROMISED a fucking lunch prior to the interview?

Whenever I have an interview all I know is I have an interview. Any other plans are up to them (who does it, how many, etc...)

But to answer the question - NO. I wouldn't walk out on a $20 lunch when they are offering me six figures to have a lifetime career (potentially). That is just stupid.



TOTALLY agree with this part. You could be starring down at that person later in life sucking his balls for a different position and he will potentially remember you... All because your pussy self just wanted to talk over food.

Bullshit. If the employer blatantly lies about the job posting, they can certainly go fuck themselves.

This guy's case, I dunno. It could seem whiny. Still, he clearly wasn't all that confident in their reputation as an employer to begin with, and they did nothing to dispel that impression. They fumbled the simplest thing. ...Fuck 'em.

I've followed Liz Ryan's advice a lot on my job search and I've found her advice has helped me. Not sure I agree 100% with her on this one but it does show the company is a bit disorganized.

I agree with Liz 100%.

This is apparently a guy who is not at the bottom, and likely either has a job or got let go during a company buyout or something or whatever, and isn't necessarily in a all-out sprint toward the goal of getting hired.

When you are in that position, YOU are the one making the decisions, not the employer. When we poor sods are lower in the food chain (at least, people like myself), you take what you can get at times. But people forget that interviewing is not only about convincing the employer that you are worthy of being brought on board, but also is the time for the employer to convince you that they are the place for you to work at, that they offer a better potential and work environment and can provide more satisfaction than any other employer.

It's not so dreary in the U.S. and Canada that such situations do not exist. Plenty of people hold enough experience and clout that they really have the leverage, and are just looking for the next place of stability in their life.

I've got a brother in law that is sort of like that, and even after being fired from one restaurant chain (make that two, actually), in a very large metro area, he still has clout and has a significant network of positive references. Even in a major market region, the circle of GMs is small and word gets around.

And I don't doubt that something like what happened in the OP would not at all actually result in any kind of mark against the employee. Why? Because businesses ran like shit may very well be the cause of poor performance from managers lower down the chain, poor decisions made high in the chain reflect poorly on those lower in the chain. Those who know the chain, know the game so to speak, know this and let the actual referrals and clout speak for itself.

After reading the article, the guy sounds entirely in the right IMHO. This is an interview that is presumed to have been scheduled for over 4 or 5 hours in length. If you offer something and forget and then half-ass it, and you as the one being interviewed already hold a slight negative bias toward the company, are you really going to waste any more of your time when they have clearly demonstrated they do not offer a promising career? If I was actually in that kind of situation, I might have actually made a comment before walking out, but I would have hit a breaking point too. I'm also assuming that I would not be at the deadline for "get a job now or move into a shitty living situation, grow your debt beyond belief, and probably sell off assets." If I'm at that point, I'd probably suffer through the full interview process and see what came of it. If I have any leverage of my own, fuck it, you've proven you are worthless to me and do not value me either, why should I give you any more time, let alone the time of day if you were to ask?

 

[KeithTalent]

KT

 

[NesuD]

Don't walk out. just raise your salary requirement by 3% for lunch money.