I worked in various Human Resources roles as a younger man. One of those positions was as a Recruiter for a semiconductor manufacturer in Silicon Valley. At one point I worked in a building that had some offices but was mostly a semiconductor fabrication facility (also known as an “Integrated Circuit” or ”Fab”).

In those days IC fabs used many very toxic chemicals and gasses to produce the little parts that went into nearly all electronic devices. Consequently, there were many sensors and alarms to help ensure the safety of people who work in them.

I worked in an old building with an old fab. It was a far-too-common occurrence to have alarms going off that necessitated the rapid evacuation of the building until the source of the alarm had been identified and corrected.

One very rainy day as I had just sat down to interview a job applicant, alarms went off. I explained what was happening to the candidate and escorted him to the staging area out in the rainy parking lot. I could tell from prior experience that it was going to take quite awhile to remedy the cause of the alarm, and since we were getting soaked, I suggested that we continue the interview in the nearest building, which happened to be a fairly nice bar and lounge. I asked if that would be acceptable to the candidate and he said he thought that was a good idea.

It wasn’t.

Shortly after we seated ourselves, several beautiful female models walked into the lounge from a back room only wearing very revealing negligees!

In those days in the San Francisco Bay Area is area it wasn’t uncommon to be in a lounge and have this occur. Bar owners loved it because it entertained their primarily male customers, most male customers loved it (I doubt that I have to explain why), the models had employment, and the seller of the negligees loved it because they sold merchandise to an enthusiastic audience (presumably for their sweethearts—-though I suspect that some of their sweethearts might have viewed things a bit differently).

At that moment, neither the candidate nor I loved it. I had a job to do, and he needed a job. I asked him if he’d prefer to go back out into the rain. He opted for continuing the interview where we were.

We both did our best to stay focused on the interview, but were fighting evolution and nature up-close and very personal as each model walked up to our table and lingered while describing in excruciating detail what they were wearing and then turned slowly as models are wont to do.

Despite our best efforts, we were simply out-gunned. Besides, it would have been rude to interrupt their sales spiels.

It was a most revealing interview.