Job seeker gets stunned as interview turns into a two-hour 'therapy session': 'Questions got too personal'

A job seeker recently shared an unusual experience online after an interview took an unexpectedly personal route. Posting on the subreddit Indian Workplace, they described how the selection process left him confused and uncomfortable.

A Rough Beginning

The candidate explained that his first interaction with the company was already off to a rocky start, as the HR representative arrived 45 minutes late. Typically, initial HR rounds are brief and straightforward, usually lasting no more than 15 minutes based on the applicant’s past experiences. However, this one felt unusually demanding and intense. Despite the challenges, they managed to clear the round successfully.

A Shocking Second Round

What followed surprised them even more. The HR informed the applicant that the next round would stretch over two hours and would focus heavily on personal aspects of their life rather than professional achievements. The HR mentioned that the questions would dig deep into their family background, childhood experiences, and even emotional setbacks. Among the topics listed were

Occupation of parents and its influence on the candidate
Memorable childhood events
Difficult phases in life and coping mechanisms
Accomplishments and the role of teachers and parents in them
Experiences from school years
Major turning points in personal life

Only after covering all these areas would the conversation shift to their professional history. This left the candidate wondering if such invasive questioning was standard practice or if it signaled a concerning red flag. He also clarified in the post that he was not a fresher but had over four years of relevant work experience.

Community Reactions

The story quickly caught attention, and many Redditors weighed in with their opinions. One commenter joked that it almost seemed as though the HR wanted to hire the applicant’s entire family. Another user shared their own experience, saying that they were once asked about family background but never pressed beyond basic details.

Another commenter quipped, "Sounds more like a therapy session than an HR round. It looks like HR wanted to be a therapist and was experimenting with their skills in your interview.
Nonetheless, very personal and unnecessary."

A more critical perspective suggested that personal questions of this nature might be used by employers to gauge vulnerabilities, dependencies, and emotional pressure points, potentially to exploit or control employees. This viewpoint struck a chord with many readers, sparking a wider debate about boundaries in professional interviews.