Gen Z engineering alumnus gives wacky excuse to reject job interview: 'I am 1000 times better…'

Gen Z employees in today's workplace have earned the reputation of being straightforward and boisterous when it comes to setting clearly demarcated boundaries between professional and personal life. The post was made by the lead developer at a remote-based company. In group discussion, the developer had asked the HR department to conduct an interview with the candidate, who stated he was recovering from an accident. With appreciation and professionalism, the applicant replied in brief manner, stating himself to be "a thousand times better" than the lead developer. For added credibility to the assertion, he claimed alumnus status in a high-profile institution. He then concluded by bluntly stating that he would not anymore be interested in working with the company. 

Reactions of the Community

The exchange elicited a variety of responses from Redditors, most of whom were shocked at the candidate's arrogance. One of the commenters wrote stating that a candidate who hadn't yet worked on live projects was claiming superiority just because he went to college with a firm cutoff for admissions. Another commenter jokingly observed that individuals like these learn humility only after they have experienced failure.

Others soon seconded the call to terminate the first-time candidate immediately. They argued that it's not technical ability but likability, humility, and charm which would many times be every bit as crucial in the workplace. Arrogance when starting out is a turn-off to any employer as much as they care.

The original poster also came back with more background. He stated that upon noticing the candidate's attitude, he had written to himself to recommend reasons for rejection. The candidate was from MNNIT Allahabad and held very good academic grades, even better than those of the OP. However, the OP contended that showing grades or birth cannot make up for a bad attitude. He emphasized in his email that this pride would not provide scope even with top-end companies commonly known as MAANG, FAANG, or WITCH. Divided Opinions

Though the majority of users faulted the tone of the candidate, there were some who didn't agree. They thought that maybe the anger is due to a late reply from the HR department. They thought that there had to be professionalism exercised from both ends—whether engineers or housekeeping. Not showing respect, they explained, could result in such negative reactions.

But all agreed that the candidate's message went too far, describing it as rude and immature. They concluded that the candidate had probably not yet encountered the type of rejection that leads to humility. Some also noted another blatant reality: the interview had taken place on a Sunday, which they perceived as an unwelcome imposition.

Ultimately, the incident pointed out two vital lessons—candidates must communicate respectfully even without a certificate, and hiring managers must offer timely and professional processing of the recruitment process in order to avoid unnecessary conflicts.