Another stress-inducing trick was the silent treatment. You’d walk into the interview chamber. The man in the chair would say nothing. You’d say hello. He’d stare. You’d say that you’d come for a job interview. He’d stare some more. You’d make a stupid joke. He’d stare and shake his head. You were on tenterhooks. Then he’d pick up a newspaper (or, worse, your résumé) and begin to read. He was testing your ability to take control of a meeting. In this case, presumably, it was acceptable to throw a chair through a window.
