A Gen Z Interviewee Told Me He Deserves ‘A Higher Pay’. My HR Director Nearly Died.

I was unbelievably entertained

It’s 11 in the morning.

And I am already done.

James, my HR director, had been beside me the entire morning. We interviewed candidate after candidate for the sales team. By 11, we have done 4 interviews.

I was in desperate need of a break.

It was at this critical soul-sapping juncture that Paul made his entry.

I remember James telling me that Paul’s the last one for the day and we ought to go for a decent lunch after 60 minutes.

We did.

And we needed it.

“Tell Me About Yourself”

I love to ask this question.

It tells me a lot about the person across the table. I love it when they fill the air with 10 minutes worth of words.

This is because,

• The 1st 2 minutes are rehearsed. I pay no attention to them.
• The next 2 minutes are logical extensions. I nod and urge them to continue.
• The final 6 minutes is when they hit the end of their script. I will start listening.

Things are slightly different for Paul.

He did not utilize the unspoken 10 minutes. His articulation ended in 60 seconds.

“I’m Paul. I presume you reviewed my CV before this interview. Do you have any questions for me? And oh, I forgot to mention 1 thing in my CV. I graduated Summa Cum Laude without much effort.”

That was a synthesized version of what he said.

I was unimpressed.

And that was a gross understatement. The way he articulated his thoughts felt unnecessarily offensive.

I wonder why?

Then, I turned to James.

He was already offended.

His arms were folded, legs crossed, eyes struggling to return to the front after rolling to the back, breathing deeply, and tapping the table with his fingers.

Wow. I have never seen this. James has always been chill.

And he is about to lose his marbles.

“What Makes You Think You Qualify for this Role? You Have No Experience.”

James was visibly annoyed by Paul.

I guess that’s why [even] standard questions sounded off.

I felt so.

The standard question, in its proper form, should be along the lines of,

“I can see that you are applying for this role with little to no relevant experience. Why did you choose this role to start your career?”

The earlier candidates got this version. Haha. Well.

Paul, sensing an attack on his unspoken competence, started going into proactive defense mode. What he said next surprised me.

“I am obviously highly intelligent, and I know what it takes to excel in this role and company. I have 25 years of track record as a human being to prove it.”

I was bewildered.

Paul is 25 years old and comes with 25 years of track record?

What kind of track record?

By now, the meeting room is shrouded in volcano-emitted lava smoke. James has been emitting them for the past 20 minutes. It got hard to breathe.

I decided to give James a break.

So, I got Paul to elaborate.

“Can you tell me more about your track record? What kind of track record are you referring to? We are looking for sales professional. Do you have any stellar sales experience?”

I swear my tonality was calm, and my delivery was composed.

Paul, however, took it negatively.

“How can you doubt my track record? I know what I am doing!”

A long pause followed.

By now, I am 90% certain that I will strike off his name for the next round. I cannot imagine him attending to existing clients and wooing new prospects.

He might help me lose all my clients.

James was about to explode. He delivered his words with suppressed calmness and forced neutrality.

“Dear candidate, you are here for an interview, and we must assess you. Please answer Aldric’s question.”

Gosh.

The whole interview is just off-this-world.

Paul retaliated.

“Did you not do your homework before the interview? What you want to know is all documented in my CV. I see no need for further explanation.”

I give up.

And so, I decided to end this interview 20 minutes earlier than usual. I am sure James would not object. He is an active volcano by now.

I usually ask the candidates what questions they have for me at the end of the session. With Paul, probably not. Lunch is more exciting at this point.

“Thanks for your time, Paul. HR will contact you if you are selected. All the best.”

He looked genuinely surprised when I extended my hand to want to shake his. He ignored me and asked this question.

“Aren’t you going to ask me for my salary expectation? I am ready to explain why I deserve a higher pay than the range quoted in the advertisement. It is rude not to ask me.”

My extended arm is still halfway across the table. Paul’s arms are folded. I retracted my hand, wondering if there were stains on it.

James answered on my behalf.

“We will discuss compensation if you are selected for the next round. For now, thank you. Have a nice day.”

I broke into laughter.

It was the most polite version of f**k you and get lost I have ever heard. I figured that was the best James could do.

Paul, on the other hand, took offense.

He grabbed his haversack, stormed off, and slammed the door behind him.

Wow.

The Close

Paul is an extreme case.

And he cannot represent all Gen Z’s.

That, I know.

But it bugs me. Like… why would any interviewee behave as if they are bosses making demands when interviewing for a job? I have no freaking clue.

He left a bad taste in my mouth.

I took offense when he refused to shake my hand. Paul should have known better.

Maybe I am just a clueless 40.

But here’s what I do know. James and I decided not to endorse this candidate.

And I am afraid that’s that.

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