Man declines plum job after spotting red flag during interview with new employers, sparks debate

Editor's note: This article was originally published on May 15, 2023. It has since been updated.

The modern work environment places a high value on punctuality. It plays an integral role in workplace productivity and more importantly, reducing stress levels. The world will not stop revolving if you are five minutes late, but your career will. Business leaders often address tardiness because it impacts the company's reputation and disrupts the natural workflow among your colleagues. This time, however, the roles have been reversed, and a job applicant has criticized the company they were interviewing for having poor time management and ultimately rejected the position they initially were offered.

In a Reddit post by u/Snoo-87328, the user shared an instance from when the organization they were interviewing for interviewed almost an hour and fifteen minutes later than the designated time. The Reddit user noted that they arrived five minutes early from their allotted time of 13:30 and had seen eight other potential candidates waiting since 13:00. They added that they eventually interviewed at 14:45, mentioning that it went well and the company offered the user a position, to which they denied. Being late or being interviewed late for the company's scheduled interview indicates that the employee or the employer does not pay attention to minute yet consequential details. A lack of punctuality demonstrates that you do not value other people's time and frequently regard it as an undesirable character attribute at work.

When asked why the Reddit user withdrew from the position, they replied, "If you can't even value a potential candidate's time when they don't work for the company yet, then what will working for you be like? It is disrespectful to have us all waiting that long and shows poor time management skills from yourself." They wrote they wished them luck with the rest of the applicants and left the office. The Reddit user noted that if it had been the other way around, any candidate would be under fire for showing up late for a job interview. In addition, other than a "sorry for the wait" in the interview room, there were no justifications from the hiring staff for the late interviews. They added that valuing yourself and honesty is more important than pleasing the interviewer.

In a new update, the Reddit user mentioned the company had sent them an email saying their application was withdrawn because they did not come for the interview. Many people in the comments applauded the Reddit user for schooling the company about the basics of time management and putting themselves first before everything else. "That is so disrespectful, I'm sure you dodged a bullet not working for them. I'm sure they'd throw an absolute fit if you were so much as five seconds late and docked your pay for the tiniest things at every turn," said u/Dark_Moonstruck. "I do not blame you dude companies need to understand if they say a specific time and you are there at that time and they do not get to you as said then yes you have a good reason to leave. Power on dude," added u/Acceptable_Sleep_674. 

Some also shared personal experiences with similar managers and companies. "I once showed up for a job interview. After waiting half an hour, I let the receptionist know that if the person interviewing me wanted me to take them seriously, then they should have not expected me to wait indefinitely for them as they would not tolerate it from an employee," shared u/[deleted]. "I had a company do this once. I accepted the position, did the two days of training/orientation, and then quit. Made them do the paperwork to hire me, generate a paycheck for like 13 hours, and the end of employment paperwork," wrote u/zapdoszaperson.