In today’s competitive job market, interviews are meant to assess a candidate’s skills, experience, and suitability for a role. But what happens when the questions cross professional limits and dig into a person’s private life? Recently, a job seeker’s Reddit post went viral, sparking debate over interview practices that many found questionable.
A routine interview turns unusualA candidate with more than four years of work experience applied for a job at a small firm. What began as a standard HR round soon raised concerns when the HR informed them that the second round would last two hours and focus not just on professional qualifications, but heavily on personal background.
The candidate shared that the HR representative explained the areas of questioning in advance. They would ask about:
- The jobs of their parents and how these shaped the candidate
- Childhood memories and experiences
- Challenges faced and methods of overcoming them
- Role of teachers and family in academic achievements
- School life experiences
- Major turning points in life
Despite having relevant experience, the candidate felt uncomfortable and later decided not to continue with the process, posting online, “Thank you everyone!”
Online community weighs in
The post struck a chord online, with many expressing surprise and disapproval. One user wrote, “Looks like HR doesn’t have anyone to talk to or looks like they’re going to hire your whole family.”Another comment added perspective, “1 or 2 questions about family background or childhood is fine, but this is not normal.”
Some users suggested there might be hidden motives behind such deep questions. One said, “Employers often ask personal questions so they can know to which level you’re vulnerable and to which level you can be exploited and controlled, and how much you are going to be dependent on your job.
At least that’s what l’ve observed.
”Others raised suspicions that the interview might be part of some larger, questionable strategy: “Looks like maybe they are training some internal automated model based on your video interview. Using Psychology (potentially) to such deeper practice is synonymous with an organization discriminating and wanting a certain robotic mindset people.”
Adding a lighter touch, one user remarked, “Is this interview for a bride/groom position by any chance? Lmao.”