Job seeker rejected for not answering THIS personal question about his father– netizens furious at HR’s behaviour

We've all heard about the pressures of job interviews, but sometimes, it’s not the nerves that get to us– it’s the unexpected, uncomfortable situations. One job seeker’s recent experience, shared on Reddit, has quickly gone viral after he was rejected for refusing to answer a question about his father’s workplace. What started as a regular interview took a tense turn, leaving the candidate with no choice but to walk out. Here's what happened, and why it has people questioning the professionalism of the hiring process.
An unfortunate beginning

Mick, a job seeker, had passed the initial screening and was invited to an in-person interview with a manufacturing company. He arrived 30 minutes early, eager to make a great impression. However, things quickly went south when he was kept waiting for over an hour. No explanation or apology came for the delay, which left Mick feeling frustrated. As he put it, “No explanation, no apology. Just waiting.”
Finally, when the interview began, things didn’t improve. The HR representative greeted him with little warmth and even took two phone calls during the interview, completely ignoring Mick. He also noted that the HR rep's tone felt disrespectful, especially when she questioned him about his nickname.
The personal question that crossed the line

The interview’s awkwardness continued to escalate when Mick was asked a very personal question: “What does your father do for a living?” Mick responded that his father worked at a private electronics company. But instead of leaving it at that, the HR representative pushed further, asking, “Where exactly does he work?”
Mick, feeling uncomfortable with the probing, politely declined to answer, stating, “I’m sorry ma’am, but I’d rather not answer that. It’s a private matter.”
Unexpectedly, the interview ends

Instead of respecting his boundaries, the HR representative shut down the conversation with a blunt response: “Then we can’t continue this interview.” Mick was caught off guard by how quickly things ended, but he didn’t push back. With a simple “Alright then,” he got up and walked out of the room.
Public reaction to the disrespectful behaviour
Mick’s Reddit post sharing his experience quickly gained traction, with many users expressing outrage over how the interview was handled. It wasn’t just the long wait or the interviewer’s rudeness– many were shocked that the HR rep ended the interview over such a personal question.
One Reddit user summed it up, saying, “This is beyond unprofessional. Wasting your time, playing on her phone, and then acting like your father’s job is a dealbreaker? You dodged a bullet.” Another user suggested Mick should take the matter higher up in the company, commenting, “I would find and call the owner of the company directly and level with him about how bad the interview was compared to every other company you’ve interviewed at.”
Others focused on the long wait, pointing out, “I'd say 15 minutes, honestly. Especially when a lot of people get an attitude if you're not 10 minutes early.”
A bigger lesson about professionalism

Mick’s story is a lesson for both job seekers and employers. For job seekers, it’s a reminder that interviews should be professional and respectful. Feeling nervous or running late is one thing, but being treated poorly or asked personal questions is another.
For employers, this should be a wake-up call. How a company treats candidates in an interview speaks volumes about its work culture. For Mick, the experience was a major red flag– and judging by the online reactions, many agree he was right to walk away.