Job interviews are an essential part of any job hunt. Experts estimate that the average number of interviews a person goes through to get a job is somewhere between 10 and 20. They undoubtedly hear and see some things during those interviews. Sometimes those things can make you laugh, and sometimes they can put you off job hunting forever.

This person couldn’t contain their laughter during a job interview when they heard what the conditions would be. The interviewee later shared their story online, highlighting what absurd expectations some companies have for their employees.

A job interview is both for the employer and the potential employee to see if they’re the right fit

Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio / pexels (not the actual phoro)

One person got such a terrible job offer it made them laugh during the job interview

Image credits: Anna Shvets / pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: hamsterdandy

Asking coworkers to share a hotel room is undoubtedly a bad idea

The OP is not the only one finding job hunting hard. Their story is one of many where job seekers stumbled upon some ridiculous job offers. Aside from the no guaranteed work hours and not compensating workers for the commute, the most problematic thing in this story is asking two coworkers to share a hotel room.

Primarily, this is, of course, a privacy concern. Just like the OP notes, why would someone want to share a room with a stranger? Manager consultant Allison Green wrote about a similar story on her blog. “It doesn’t matter if you’re willing to do it. It doesn’t matter if they’re trying to save money. Assigning people to share beds with colleagues is beyond the pale,” she wrote.

Such a policy can easily backfire on the company or cost employees their jobs. Sometimes, coworkers don’t need to be sleeping in the same room for lawsuits to happen. One employee for NextGen Healthcare walked into her colleague’s hotel room at night while they were at a sales conference.

The company chose to terminate the woman. But, it turns out, the woman was sleepwalking; a week later doctors diagnosed her with somnambulism. She then sued NextGen for wrongful termination, but the court ruled in favor of the company.

Jeff Havens, a corporate trainer and keynote speaker on leadership, explained to HR Dive that asking two employees to share a room is simply a bad idea. “You are just walking into any number of harassment accusations that may or may not be valid,” he explained.

“It’s a minefield of problems that’s not worth the $130 you’re saving on a hotel room. The lawsuit will be way more expensive. Just don’t do it.”

Many recruiters and companies still believe that employees need to “pay their dues”: work long hours for minimal pay

Image credits: Alexander Dummer / pexels (not the actual photo)

When we read stories like these, it’s hard not to wonder: “Why is job hunting so hard right now?” Ridiculous job ads, never-ending interview gauntlets, and over-the-top requirements with laughable pay: why do recruiters demand so much from potential employees?

In 2022, hiring software company Greenhouse found in a survey that 60% of job seekers were tired of the time and energy-consuming hiring process. The reality is that recruiters are extremely cautious and diligent when looking for new employees.

LinkedIn Career Expert Catherine Fisher explains that companies now focus more on retaining talent rather than hiring new people. Apparently, that’s because of the Great Resignation of 2021 and what followed after – the Great Reshuffle.

In a previous interview for Bored Panda, the founder of Manager Method Ashley Herd explained that many employers and recruiters still believe that workers need to “pay their dues,” which usually includes working long hours for minimal pay.

“They also don’t have a concept of how expensive life has gotten – and those that do think that means they can take advantage of people who need income. That lack of ‘real life’ awareness makes some employers think they’re in a vacuum where no one will question what they’re doing – when that’s just not reality, especially with social media.”

A good rule of thumb, according to Herd, is for the recruiters to ask themselves whether the job description and requirements could be posted on social media and not go viral for the wrong reasons.

The company’s offer left many netizens puzzled, as they sided with the author

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