Quite a few years ago, I was interviewing a candidate in my office. I was pretty impressed with his overall demeanor, presentation, and energy levels. He was narrating his career to me, including the reasons for change for each of the moves. And suddenly came that ‘awkward moment.’ As he was towards the end of his third experience, there was an ironic pause for half a second. “I was fired!” he said, with an unapologetic smile on his face. For a moment, I was taken aback and wondered how to react. There was an eerie silence in the room, not so long but quite meaningful.

While the discussion went on, and I enquired into the details of the same, I was left with some experiences which were food for thought over the next few days. I could, in the first place, feel that this interview stood apart from several others that would have happened during those days. I was unable to take it out of my mind, and the imagery was quite sharp and clear.

Several years down now, I have not experienced interviews of this nature quite often. But that makes me reflect on the differentiators of this one, as key takeaways for such situations during interviews.

Space in the Room

Getting fired, terminations, layoffs, are all a formal part of the organizational employment, stigmatized enough, though, that it’s tough to be direct about. But, in this case, the candidate, having conquered that awkward moment, created so much space in the room for the rest of the discussion to be powerful, and impactful. We were connected much better, and in deep conversation.

Initiative Matters

Well, many of us may guess, and ask the discomforting question in a nicer way. The response may me absolute truth. But the impact of initiating is altogether different. A big plus. Respect earned. Negative implication minimized. A truth in response may be tantamount to the same thing, but the impact of taking the first step, by design, is certainly different.

Eliminates Passive Incoherence

This was an after-effect I lived with and then realized. My mind was equally free as his after his disclosure. I could reminisce that I had not gotten disconnected from the conversation, which happens, more often than not, in cases when the mind is unable to logically accept a point, or the dots don’t seem to be connecting. As a result, the discussion may start losing the track it was on thus far. A passive loop of incoherence starts gyrating in the mind of the interviewer. This affects the active part of the mind involved in the conversation, as it is constantly looking for something. But confused, as it is unable to discover. The grip in the interview is not the same anymore, in most of the cases I have experienced.

Positive Energy

Although at some places during the chat, the content wasn’t all rosy, yet the residual feeling was good. There was a lot of positive energy left in the room, and both us left the room with smiles on our faces, I remember, and we were definitely connected. The resultant positive energy is an absolute confirmatory litmus test of the success of an interview, come what may!

During an interview, speaking upfront about the tough situations faced in our careers is helpful. Whereas, it has almost become an accepted norm to either conceal, convey indirectly or mildly, or beat around the bush in such cases during the interview.

Contrary to benefiting, such an act dilutes the power of the interview and weakens conviction in the content that follows. It is usually not an intended action on the part of the interviewer but a subconscious reaction of his or her brain. The so-far coherent conversation gets partially or completely disarrayed. This, in turn, affects the absorption capacity of the interviewer at that moment and makes him or her stressed about being attentive and being ‘in the discussion.’ The outcomes of such interviews are sometimes unexplainable, and what went wrong remains a mystery.

Real Conversations Build Real Connections

In the world of interviews, it’s easy to fall into the trap of rehearsed answers and polished stories. But sometimes, it’s the raw, unfiltered moments, the ones where someone chooses honesty over perfection, that truly stand out. That one candid admission, “I was fired,” wasn’t just a confession; it was a powerful act of self-awareness and trust. It reminded me that interviews are not just assessments; they’re human interactions.

Being upfront about difficult experiences doesn’t weaken a candidate’s story; it can, in fact, strengthen it. It clears the air, invites genuine dialogue, and fosters connection. As interviewers and even as professionals navigating our careers, we must recognize the value of owning our journeys, especially the tough parts. Because when we allow space for realness, we make space for trust, clarity, and ultimately, meaningful decisions.