In the HR world, workplace misconduct is considered especially heinous. At HR Tech, William Tincup and Ryan Leary of WRKdefined take over "9 to 5 HR Nightmares" to expose shocking stories from top industry leaders. Their mission: to reveal how weak candidate screening and compliance failures can devastate company culture. These are their stories—raw, real, and a reminder that modern HR practices are your first line of defense. Misconduct isn’t just a nightmare—it’s a ticking time bomb.
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In the HR world, workplace misconduct is considered especially heinous. At HR Tech, William Tincup and Ryan Leary of WRKdefined take over "9 to 5 HR Nightmares" to expose shocking stories from top industry leaders. Their mission: to reveal how weak candidate screening and compliance failures can devastate company culture. These are their stories—raw, real, and a reminder that modern HR practices are your first line of defense. Misconduct isn’t just a nightmare—it’s a ticking time bomb.
Ep. 15 Faceplants, Soulmates, and Tampons: Tales of Bad Interviews and Worse Interviewers
Workplace Misconduct: A Mandatory Meeting
16 minutes
9 months ago
Ep. 15 Faceplants, Soulmates, and Tampons: Tales of Bad Interviews and Worse Interviewers
In this episode we talk about the wildest interview fails and the hard truths behind hiring manager missteps. William Tincup and Ryan Leary sit down with Lorna Erickson and Victoria Gates from Expert Interviewers at the FAMA booth during HR Tech. From blood on the interview table to creepy questions about soulmates, it’s painfully clear — most managers aren’t trained to interview, and it shows.
Key Takeaways
➡ One candidate face-planted during an interview after pushing her portfolio too many times
➡ The interviewer froze and started flipping through her portfolio while she bled from the nose
➡ 7,000+ interview case studies revealed a shocking number of illegal and inappropriate questions
➡ One interview turned into flirting, then marriage, then a cringey engagement video reenactment
➡ Another manager asked, “Is your boyfriend your soulmate?” mid-interview
➡ Untrained managers ask about religion, politics, plastic surgery, and more — on record
➡ Structured interviews reduce bias and keep things professional, even if you stay human
➡ Candidates want to be evaluated. Proper structure builds trust in the process
➡ The interview is not the place for “what kind of tree are you” unless you're hiring a gardener
➡ Real training means simulations, quizzes, feedback, and accountability
➡ Expert Interviewers splits training and social storytelling with their “That Interviewer” series
➡ If you start off casual, you’re setting the tone — and often it’s the wrong one
This limited series is brought to you by FAMA, Modern Candidate Screening. Talent teams use FAMA to improve candidate quality, create safe and inclusive workplaces and place the right leadership for their organizations.
You can subscribe and listen to the #9to5Nightmares podcast here https://fama.io/podcasts or here
Chapters
00:00 Live at HR Tech with Expert Interviewers
01:00 William’s worst interview story of all time
02:45 The faceplant, the blood, and the frozen response
04:15 Interviewing without training leads to chaos
05:00 Inappropriate flirting turns into a wedding
06:30 The soulmate question and other terrible tactics
08:00 The case for structure and professionalism
09:30 What to do when candidates overshare
11:00 Training methods that actually work
13:00 Building the recruiter and hiring manager partnership
14:30 Meet “That Interviewer” on TikTok
15:30 What Expert Interviewers hopes to take from HR Tech
Guest Info
Lorna Erickson, Co-Founder, Expert Interviewers
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lornaerickson/
Website: https://www.expertinterviewers.com
Victoria Gates, Co-Founder, Expert Interviewers
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vpreston/
Website: https://www.expertinterviewers.com
Connect with us
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup
Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary
Connect with WRKdefined on your favorite social network
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WRKdefined
Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com
Workplace Misconduct: A Mandatory Meeting
In the HR world, workplace misconduct is considered especially heinous. At HR Tech, William Tincup and Ryan Leary of WRKdefined take over "9 to 5 HR Nightmares" to expose shocking stories from top industry leaders. Their mission: to reveal how weak candidate screening and compliance failures can devastate company culture. These are their stories—raw, real, and a reminder that modern HR practices are your first line of defense. Misconduct isn’t just a nightmare—it’s a ticking time bomb.
