Power Play at a Job Interview

While I usually write about cases I work on, I felt compelled to share my personal experience of being the victim of a power play within the workplace. Despite this happening many years ago, I have never forgotten it. Which I think gives some insight into the effect these types of workplace interactions can have.

I was 23 years old and a recent graduate of law school. I felt on top of the world, excited with all that my new career had to offer. I was going for interviews with law firms and feeling confident I would find the perfect role.

One of the interviews I attended was with a mid-sized law firm. I met with the senior partner and two junior partners, who were all male. The interview started well with the usual questions; “tell us a little about yourself, why do you want to work here?” It was all going well when out of the blue, the senior partner asked me a very personal question about my love life.

All the men started snickering, and initially, I thought I had misheard. He then repeated the question. I remember feeling shocked and didn’t know what to do other than try and laugh it off. I don’t remember how the interview ended, but I do remember being called back for a second interview, which I declined. There was no way in the world I was going to work for such a firm.

I remember later feeling anger and regret. Anger that I hadn’t stood up for myself and walked out of the interview. Even now, after decades have passed, I regret not reporting them to the Law Society.

What I realise now, of course, is that they took full advantage of the fact I was a naive, inexperienced candidate and exploited the imbalance of power. After all, interviewees are generally reluctant to offend their potential new boss, the person holding their dream job and career direction firmly in their grasp. The interviewer holds all the control. However, I believe organisations that permit this kind of behaviour will also lose out because what quality candidate would choose to work there?

Thankfully, we live in more socially conscious times, and I’m sure it would be accurate to say that inappropriate questions are asked less often nowadays. Sometimes, a person may try to develop a rapport with the interviewee and ask personal questions around marriage or family with no malice or ill-intent. However, organisations and their managers who do this are failing to understand the intrusiveness and pressure these types of questions put on candidates. They can have serious consequences for the individual and employers diversity and representation in the workplace as a whole.