Option to Shower

I've had my share of interviews gone haywire in my years as a recruiter. On a bad day, you can meet 9 out of 10 really bad ones. And the 10th one, just when you are losing your patience turns out to be either 1) painfully so-so or 2) unexpectedly weird. If you ask me, I prefer the weird to the so-so, at least it provides for entertainment.

Anyway. My client, Julie told me this story one day when she interviewed a candidate for her company. Considering how hard it was to hire really good people here in Vietnam, this guy did pretty good at the start of the interview. He seemed to really know what he was talking about and Julie was happy for such breath of fresh air - relieved too that she would finally be able to hire someone for a position that's been open for months. Until towards the end of the interview that went like this:


Julie: So, it looks good, I think we can work out something here. Before we end, do you have any questions you want to know about our company, the job? Feel free to ask...

Candidate: Yes I actually have one question...

Julie: Shoot!

Candidate: Do you have washroom in the office?

Julie: Oh, yes of course we do. It's on the third floor and actually I can give you a tour now...

Candidate: Um, does it have a shower?

Julie (now really finding this weird): Um, sorry no we don't. Can I ask why?

Candidate (looking sinccerly disappointed): Oh. Then I can't accept the job. I'm sorry.

Julie (a little bit speechless, but damn this was too weird so she can't just let it go): I'm sorry, but did you just say that you can't accept the job because we don't have a shower???

Candidate: Yes. I need to shower a few times a day at work. It's really important.

Julie was stumped, bewildered, and in the end just felt like cracking up. She managed to thank him for his time and say sorry that they couldn't reach "to an agreement". Because, really what do you say to THAT?