Person attends interviews just to turn them down, sparking debate

Editor's note: This article was originally published on March 30, 2022. It has since been updated.

The pandemic has seen a shift in the job market as workers are increasingly refusing to work for poverty wages and in unhealthy working conditions. This has resulted in a shortage of workers and businesses becoming more desperate to hire. Workers are feeling more empowered to negotiate better terms, salaries and more. One Reddit user opened up about attending job interviews with no intention of taking up the job and it has sparked a fierce debate on the subject. "I've been turning down interviews just to turn them down," read the post. 

Some argued it was unfair on companies to waste their time on an individual who wasn't going to be a potential recruit, while some argued that businesses have never respected the time and cost of employees turning up for an interview and they deserved a taste of their own medicine. The post read, "So I kind of have a new hobby. I apply for jobs and attend interviews with no intention of taking the jobs," they wrote. 

They went on to explain they had been at it for a while. "For the past 4 months I've been applying for jobs on indeed I make up the qualifications they ask for and on paper, I'm the perfect candidate but in reality, I don't really exist. Why do I do this? Well, I like to dress up, and it feels like a real sense of occasion. I get to haw a nice day out and visit new places," they added. They said it give them a really good feeling to prepare for the interview. "I go to the barbers get a clean shave, grab breakfast and coffee I feel great and look great."

They went on to explain that it enabled them to ask questions that companies don't get asked but should be asked. "I walk into the interview room perfectly calm because I'm not worried about getting the job and I completely flip the script what benefits does the company provide? Why should I work there? How are you competitive with other businesses in the area?" Businesses are used to holding the upper hand and were confused by a confident employee with the luxury of bargaining and flipping questions on them. "The reactions I get range from confusion to interviewers convincing me that I should work there," they wrote. 

Other Reddit users weighed in on the person's new hobby. "It's totally wild but this worked for me when I went back to work and I got my foot in the door where I've wanted to be for years. Once you start acting like you know what you're worth, employers will fall over themselves to hire you," wrote one person. One person questioned the motive of the people doing this. "I work with a woman who's a bit of a stick in the mud. In hysterics, she told me that she and her friends "used to go on job interviews for a laugh using fake names." She'd do the job interviews well, then just move on to the next one for a laugh. I'm not sure what she got out of it but she found it hilarious," they wrote.

Another person who attended job interviews they never intended to take upon wrote, "I’ve taken a few interviews recently at places I would never work. The one company wanted me in the office every day in a suit and tie. I work in IT. They followed it up by bragging about free lunches for employees. I turned down their offer in the end by telling them I’d have considered buying suits to wear every day and commuting if they offered 30% over market value, not 30% under market value," they commented. "It would be kinda fun to waste a company's time as they waste ours with the ridiculous interview process most places have. Too bad I'm too busy working myself into an early grave," added another.