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In this episode we talk about the wildest interview fails and the hard truths behind hiring manager missteps. William Tincup and Ryan Leary sit down with Lorna Erickson and Victoria Gates from Expert Interviewers at the FAMA booth during HR Tech. From blood on the interview table to creepy questions about soulmates, it’s painfully clear — most managers aren’t trained to interview, and it shows.

Key Takeaways

  • One candidate face-planted during an interview after pushing her portfolio too many times

  • The interviewer froze and started flipping through her portfolio while she bled from the nose

  • 7,000+ interview case studies revealed a shocking number of illegal and inappropriate questions

  • One interview turned into flirting, then marriage, then a cringey engagement video reenactment

  • Another manager asked, “Is your boyfriend your soulmate?” mid-interview

  • Untrained managers ask about religion, politics, plastic surgery, and more — on record

  • Structured interviews reduce bias and keep things professional, even if you stay human

  • Candidates want to be evaluated. Proper structure builds trust in the process

  • The interview is not the place for “what kind of tree are you” unless you're hiring a gardener

  • Real training means simulations, quizzes, feedback, and accountability

  • Expert Interviewers splits training and social storytelling with their “That Interviewer” series

  • If you start off casual, you’re setting the tone — and often it’s the wrong one

This limited series is brought to you by FAMA, Modern Candidate Screening. Talent teams use FAMA to improve candidate quality, create safe and inclusive workplaces and place the right leadership for their organizations.

You can subscribe and listen to the #9to5Nightmares podcast here https://fama.io/podcasts or here

Chapters

00:00 Live at HR Tech with Expert Interviewers

01:00 William’s worst interview story of all time

02:45 The faceplant, the blood, and the frozen response

04:15 Interviewing without training leads to chaos

05:00 Inappropriate flirting turns into a wedding

06:30 The soulmate question and other terrible tactics

08:00 The case for structure and professionalism

09:30 What to do when candidates overshare

11:00 Training methods that actually work

13:00 Building the recruiter and hiring manager partnership

14:30 Meet “That Interviewer” on TikTok

15:30 What Expert Interviewers hopes to take from HR Tech

Guest Info

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