I had an interview with a potential employee that applied in the company where I work.
The interview didn't go badly, but the point is that the candidate came with her mother who waited inside our waiting room during the interview.
I didn't know how to handle this situation and I tried to prete...
You say the mother sat in the waiting room the entire time. Did you ask the candidate why she brought her mother? Is it possible that she just gave her a ride?
I can think of all manner of reasons why...maybe they were going to lunch or shopping later and Mom didn't know what to do with herself. Not really an issue.
@Phillip I've had job candidates bring a parent along, fully expecting them to be active participants in the interview. I've fielded phone calls from parents of candidates demanding to know why their precious spawn didn't get the position. The best was one candidate's type-A executive mom calling in an attempt to negotiate a better offer for their child. The offer was almost rescinded, but the candidate called later and apologized profusely for her mother.
It happened to me once, when I interviewed at a startup located in a dangerous part of town. However, said parent waited at a nearby café. I was really glad I wasn't called again.
General rule for social interaction: always assume the best from others. It works better than assuming the worst and starting getting condescending, irritated, ... and of course it does not prevent you from clarifying.
Are you sure this was her mother? You said you tried to pretend she didn't exist, which I presume means you didn't talk to her or ask the candidate about her. She could also be an aunt, or a friend of the family.
Recommended off-site reading: my aunt and uncle are extreme helicopter parents — and I work with their son: "They drove him to interviews and insisted on sitting in the lobby while he was interviewing. // I know that my aunt and uncle have called his boss as well as upper management when they feel he is being 'unfairly treated.' My aunt once came in and demanded to speak to the executive management about my cousin being denied vacation time before he had accrued any."
Another interpretation - the candidate has a parent who suffers a mental illness and needed to be "cared for" around the specific moment of the interview.
If you going to not hire this person for having mom along then shame on you. There are many valid reasons for mom waiting in the waiting room. The best way to tell her that bringing mom to an interview was not a good choice is to not tell her that.
If the mom sat in the waiting room, I don't see why you should have a problem. If the mom sat in a park outside the office, would you bother? We have enough problems in the world already because people don't care about others (yeah, I am talking about all the "mah lyf mah rulzzz" types), don't add artificial problems because you came across a parent and a child who care for each other.
In Germany, this used to be still typical about 20 years ago for apprenticeship positions, where the applicant is not 18 years old yet. Your parents came along, you didn't have much say. Today it's not the case any more, but still an apprenticeship-work contract needs to be signed by the legal guardian (i.e. parents) if the apprentice is not 18 years old yet. That's just basic German law about when you can make binding contracts.
I don't mean to pile on here, but the idea that you wouldn't give a qualified applicant the job because their mother waited in your waiting room during the interview is pretty ridiculous. There are dozens of perfectly normal reasons the mother may have been there. The most obvious and likely one is that the mother gave the applicant a ride and just didn't want to wait in the car. Some people prefer not to rely on public transit when going to an important appointment like a job interview.
@zabeus no, I was just adding trivia about how in some part of the world in some situations the parents are actually required. It's not directly related to the situation in the question, it just gives some context.
I agree with others - having a candidate show up with another person, whoever that may be, is not an indication of anything with regards to the candidate. I remember going with my brother to an interview, I sat in the waiting room simply because I did not want to sit outside in the heat wasting gas to run the airconditioner. We were together because we were going to dinner afterwards.
I interviewed a young man (19 or 20) who brought his grandmother to the interview. AND she sat in on the interview! I hired him anyway, because he passed a simple mechanical aptitude test with flying colors. He turned out to be one of the best employees that we ever hired. His family were all very close, and Grandma probably was there to give him emotional support. He was very mature and hard-working, and we had to remind him to take breaks! :-)
Discussion on question by Rudi: Candi…
Discussion on question by Rudi: Candi…