The wobbly chair in your job interview isn't an accident. It's the real test
'One leg of the chair was cut shorter so the person sitting in the chair would wobble during the interview'
Sometimes the best jobs have the most unconventional interviewing processes. A man who had a brother in ROTC during his college days revealed a strange setup arranged by the interviewing officers at the ROTC Nuclear Power School. Anyone who failed the "wobbly chair" test was not allowed to join, the man told Mirror US on August 13, 2023. The test was designed to see if the applicant has the right attitude and the "boldness" to join the Corps.
Fate in the hands of a wobbly chair
While some may think the 'wobbly chair' method is harsh, the interviewing officers say it reveals a person's true nature. The man told the news outlet his brother in the ROTC said every applicant had to sit in the chair placed in front of the interviewing officer. On the side, there is another chair.
He explained how the test went and what it was meant to prove: "The chair in front of the desk for the applicant had one leg of the chair cut shorter so the person sitting in the chair would wobble during the interview. The successful test was to see if the applicant would be bold enough to stop the interview for a moment to request to exchange his chair for a second/other chair so they did not wobble." The test was meant to determine how the applicant would react in an uncomfortable or difficult situation. If he had the guts to ask for a different chair, it showed he had the right kind of attitude to proceed and move on to the next part of the interview.
Duolingo's 'taxi driver test'
Having the knowledge or the experience for a certain role does not always determine whether the individual is a good fit. Another good example of an unconventional interviewing process is the "taxi driver test" conducted by Duolingo's CEO, Luis von Ahn. During an episode of The Burnouts podcast, Ahn told Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni about a candidate who applied for the CFO role. They looked great on paper and did exceptionally well during the interview.
However, they did not get the job because their taxi driver reported they were mean to them. Ahn explained, "It turned out that they were pretty mean to their driver from the airport to the office, and that made us not hire them. Our belief is if they’re going to be mean to the driver, they’re probably going to be mean to other people, particularly people under them."
Are applicants always honest?
People are not always 100% honest during interviews, and a 2023 Associated Press-CNBC poll has evidence. The survey revealed that 28% of Americans have lied or exaggerated during their job interviews. 13% have exaggerated their skills, 12% lied about their previous salary, 11% may have embellished their prior work experience. and 10% may have hidden their illegal drug use. The poll also revealed that 34% of men are more likely to have lied or exaggerated about one thing, compared to 23% of women.
First impressions are everything
Certain companies may use different strategies to test whether you are a good fit for the job. However, Rosemary Haefner, the Chief HR at CareerBuilder, said that an applicant's first impression is everything. In her words, "Candidates have to make a great first impression appearance-wise, have a solid understanding of the target company, know exactly how to convey that they're the perfect fit for the job, and control their body language."
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