Personal Distance Meets Cultural Difference

Not every submission we received was about an applicant dressing oddly, confessing to crimes, or stumbling in drunk. Some stories showed that hiring managers should take an applicant’s background into consideration before making judgments about their actions.

Here is the reader’s story:

“After interviewing, a prospective employee was given a tour of the facility. At the end of the tour I went to shake her hand, and she grabbed me by the shoulders, told me I was beautiful, and kissed me on both cheeks.”

Most HR professionals would agree that a handshake is a more appropriate way to end an interview than a kiss on the cheek. However, the reader went on to explain that the applicant was from outside the United States and this was their custom, evidently!

Thank you SBT reader for sharing your story with us.

Want more? Read the previous columns featuring readers’ odd interview stories:

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