A social media user recently wrote in a Reddit post that she was left puzzled during an interview for a marketing specialist role. The user said that the first two rounds went great and all the expected questions were asked.
The twist in the tale, however, came when the creative director at the agency reportedly asked the user questions related to their political leanings.
The user wrote on Reddit: “But then in the final interview with the creative director, things got weird. We were talking about social media campaigns, and he suddenly goes: ‘So what’s your stance on all the political stuff happening lately? We need to make sure our team is aligned on messaging.”
The user further said that she tried to redirect the conversation to something less awkward by trying to highlight points specific to the role. The Redditor commented that despite her efforts, the creative director insisted and started asking about specific political figures instead.
“I’ve been in marketing for 6 years, and this was definitely a new one. I kept it professional and said I believed in following campaign briefs and client guidelines, but the whole vibe shifted after that. He seemed disappointed I wouldn’t give him a straight political answer.”
The user further said that they sent a thank you email but haven’t heard back yet from the company. The post left fellow Redditors divided as some empathised with the original poster’s experience.
Other users, however, said that these questions are meant to assess whether the candidate will fit into the company’s culture or not.
A user commented: “Depends on the company and it would probably be a concern, but phrasing that question this way is pretty weird. If they’re not explicitly one side then that would be an issue. If you’re working for Black Rifle Coffee vs. Ben & Jerry’s or something it would probably matter. But im not applying to a company that strongly and explicitly aligns themselves with something I don’t support to begin with. If it wasn’t explicitly obvious by the company my question would be ‘what is the team’s messaging?’ “
A second user wrote: “I once applied for an office manager job at a construction company and the interviewer asked me what my views were on abortion. I ended the interview right there.”
A third user weighed in: “It’s completely legal, but a terrible idea. You dodged a massive bullet here, and frankly gave the perfect answer to that question. They don’t deserve you.”
Had a recent indeed application process straight up ask my sexual orientation, we’ve entered the era of tribalistic vibe hiring,” a fourth user commented.
