Ritual humiliation

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Watching the Apprentice last week (can't believe it's finished - have 3 months passed already!) I, like most people, was squirming during a number of the interviews. Not least when, winner Lee was asked to perform his impression of a reverse terradactyl (not sure really what that is). I mean why would you put that this was something you did on an application? Why?

Worse than doing it though was the interviewer asking him to perform it just to see whether he would or not - the explanation being if he refused it would show some sort of strength of character. But I suspect, actually, the motivation was purely for the interviewer's enjoyment at being possibly able to humiliate and exert power over the interviewee.

Talking to a couple of people after the programme I was astonished to hear that many people have been subjected to higher levels of humiliation on a daily basis in their workplace and it seems that recruitment consultancies particularly are horrid places to work.

Stories of workers having telephones cellotaped to their heads for not making enough calls during the day and being made to go home like that or workers being made to stand on tables for not reaching targets. I mean really! What the hell is going on! I thought these were things of urban myth - made up scenarios from shows like the Office, not in real life.

I must have led a very sheltered life. I thankfully have never come across this kind of thing. Have you?