Boss uses a wobbly chair test to weed out candidates: A commentary

  

Job interviews are stressful and nerve wrecking. You're doing your best to impress hiring managers and potential boss and interviewers are doing what they can to weed out candidates. Hiring managers use various interview techniques to find the best candidate. There's the Behavioral interview, which asks the candidate questions about their past job experiences and skills. You know, the "tell me about yourself" or "tell me about a time you had to bla bla bla".  

Then there's the Panel interview, which is a lot like being interrogated in a room full of cops. You have several interviewers sitting in a room launching questions at the candidate. Afterwards they compare notes on the individual. 

The Case interview is my most hated type of interview. This is when a candidate is given a task or business problem to solve during the actual interview (while being timed) and then told to give a presentation of a solution to the interviewers. I've heard of companies using case interviews in advance of a job interview as a way to find a free solution to an issue they're having. Sleazy.

Hiring managers and bosses are always looking for ways to rattle candidates. In an article by The Mirror, a boss claims to use the wobbly chair test as part of the interview process. The boss will purposely shorten a leg of a chair to make it wobbly. When a job applicant sits on it, it wobbles forcing the person to sit uncomfortably. There's a reason why this ahole does this. In the same room, the boss has a regular chair. The point of this bullshit sadistic game is to see if a job candidate is brave enough to stop the interview and ask to switch chairs. Those who don't ask to switch chairs fail the interview regardless of their qualifications.

I know companies want to hire the best candidate. Hey, I get it. It's a big investment to bring someone on board. I've endured my share of tricks and mind games companies play on candidates. If ever come across the wobbly chair test, I would ask to switch chairs. If they made me an offer, I would decline. And here's why:

It's a preview into the culture of the place. If you have a boss who relishes in playing these types of games during an interview, imagine what it would be like to work for them. They probably rule by fear and intimidation - a toxic environment. IMO, the candidates who failed the wobbly chair test should consider themselves lucky they're not working for this jackass. 

Source: The Mirror. Image: LinkedIn