Most people try to make a great first impression at an interview. The goal is to convince the hiring manager that you’re the person for the job.
However, many don’t consider that interviews are a two-way street.
During an interview, potential employees should scope out the joint to decide if they want to work there. Sometimes, the red flags waving during the interview highlight that we shouldn’t.
One of those red flags is when a hiring manager forces you to wait for an interview.
Waiting for an Interview
One person shared their frustrating story online, hoping to gain insight into how long you should wait for an interview. The Original Poster (OP) set up the interview a week in advance and arrived 10 minutes early, but the hiring manager was nowhere to be found.
“I arrive at 12:20 and check in at customer service,” the OP began. “The team member there said she notified them, and they said they would be “right down.” 20 minutes later, nobody has come down, that team member walks past me again and said she notified them a second time, but they must be in a meeting.”
OP waited for an additional 25 minutes before deciding to leave.
Hiring Manager Magically Shows Up
The hiring manager appeared just as OP was heading for the door. Although she apologized for the delay, OP declined the interview.
“I said that’s fine, but I have other things I have to do, and it was extremely unprofessional to leave me waiting for 45 minutes and continued to walk out,” shared OP.
What’s the Proper Etiquette?
The poster came to Reddit to vent about the situation. Although this was the job they really wanted, they had other offers on the table, so they weren’t desperate.
The vent led to a lively discussion about interview etiquette in the popular Antiwork Reddit community, including viewpoints on how long you should wait for an interview and whether extenuating circumstances play a role.
How Long Should You Wait for an Interview
Most users give grace for a five to ten-minute delay. We get that companies are busy, and things pop up.
A fifteen-minute delay pushes it; anything over twenty minutes is a red flag.
“20+ and they’re either incompetent or testing you, and either one isn’t worth it,” said one user.
The consensus is that you should only wait 20 minutes for an interview before walking out.
Longer Waits = Red Flags
The community stressed that longer wait times could be potential red flags. Being forced to wait longer than 20 minutes could be a sign of poor management, inflated egos, or a weird test that screams toxic workplace.
Poor Management
Time management is a vital skill for managers, so when one is late to an interview, it makes the potential employee wonder what other managerial skills their potential boss is lacking.
“I believe in leading by example, that’s why the manager should always be held to a higher standard. Don’t have to run a tight ship, but a healthy one,” said one user.
Inflated Ego
Some users said being late might highlight a manager’s inflated sense of self-import.
“I honestly believe that people have subconsciously come to feel like being late (in a professional setting) makes them seem important or busy,” said one user.
A manager who thinks their time is more valuable than anyone else’s might not be someone you want to work for.
Could Be a Test
Many suggested that it could be a test. Bad managers want to see how badly you want a job, so they know how badly they can treat you. If someone’s willing to wait on them for 45 minutes, they’ll also be willing to deal with a toxic work environment.
You don’t want to work for a company that designs weird tests to prove loyalty and commitment.
Your Time is Valuable
Hiring managers seem to forget that potential employees (and employees in general) are real people with robust lives.
If a hiring manager doesn’t respect your time during an interview, you can rest assured that they won’t appreciate it once you’re employed. If OP continued the interview and accepted the job, they’d likely find themselves staying late, coming in early, and working extra shifts on a whim.
When Should You Give the Company Grace?
There are instances where a late or cancelled interview might be a one-off, and not a sign of a bigger problem.
How would the potential employee know?
First, consider the industry. Is it something like healthcare, where an emergency could be the difference between life and death? Is the hiring manager out working on the floor to fix an emergency?
Next, think about how they’re treating you. Is the receptionist apologetic, and do they tell you what’s going on? Do they offer to reschedule and treat you like your time is valuable?
You must consider the totality of the situation when deciding how long to wait for an interview.
OP Did the Right Thing
In OP’s case, it sounds like there was no good reason for the delayed interview, and the workers didn’t seem to care about wasting OP’s time.
They did the right thing by walking away.
When you’re desperate for work, walking out of an interview may sound crazy. However, the only way to change the toxic work culture where managers demand that employees bend to their every whim is to do precisely what OP did.
The more people stand up to say they won’t allow toxic treatment, the less companies will try to get away with it. They treat people poorly because they get away with it, and we must collectively stand up to say we’ve had enough.