Interviewer asks job seeker to pay for coffee after he declines the job

SINGAPORE: A Singapore resident’s unsettling account of being asked to pay for the coffee he consumed during a job interview at a local coffee shop has gone viral online, with many condemning the unprofessional conduct of the interviewer.

Facebook user Sriram Suresh said that he was asked to meet at a coffee shop for an interview for a position at a local company. However, after he decided to pass on the opportunity for a more stable position, the situation took an unexpected turn.

Upon texting his decision to the interviewer, Sriram was unexpectedly asked to reimburse the cost of the coffee he had consumed, which amounted to $6.50. Taken aback by the unusual request, Sriram obliged and promptly paid the amount.

He then sent a screenshot of the payment to the interviewer, expressing his astonishment at being asked to pay for a cup of coffee after an interview. Sriram messaged the interviewer:

“I’ve been to quite a number of interviews, but nobody has asked me to pay them back for a cup of coffee. Had I known, I would have paid on the day itself. Now it just seems unprofessional.”

He added, “Please do tell your next potential hires that they’re required to compensate for the coffee if they decide not to proceed further. Leaves a bad taste done like this. Guess I dodged a bullet here, thanks for your time.”

Sriram’s response struck a chord with many social media users. His post quickly gained traction and went viral, as netizens chimed in with their opinions on the matter.

The overwhelming sentiment expressed online was that the interviewer’s conduct was highly unprofessional, with many agreeing that Sriram had dodged a bullet by not pursuing the opportunity further.

Sriram later updated his post to say that he did not intend to let the matter escalate and that he had received an apology from the company’s manager. The manager had reached out to Sriram personally to express regret for the actions of the subordinate.

Sriram added that the manager refunded the $6.50 he paid to the interviewer, back to him. Netizens responding to the post after Sriram edited it appreciated the way the manager handled the situation.