A librarian who did absolutely nothing for 90 days. A bank robber who forgot to remove her work ID before committing the crime. A coder who lied about knowing code… then refused to let women review it.

In this episode of The Bad Hire, Ken, Emma, and Morgan dive into the most jaw-dropping hiring horror stories yet. From boxcutter threats to Reddit confessions, workplace meltdowns to police chases, each story will leave you stunned—and maybe even a little nervous about your next hire.

You’ll hear:
– A full breakdown of the most unbelievable Reddit submissions
– A real-life intern horror story that ended in HR-fueled chaos
– Why a bar called “Minnie’s” became the scene of a tased ex-employee
These stories are more than wild—they’re cautionary tales every hiring manager needs to hear.

💸 Want to win $10,000? Submit your bad hire story now at TheBadHire.com.

Key Takeaways
• Interviews are not background checks.
• Social media screenings can reveal red flags no résumé will.
• Sometimes the biggest risk to your business is the person you just hired.

Follow, rate, and share The Bad Hire — your first line of defense against disaster.

Did you know some hires don’t even make it to lunch on their first day? One threatened a coworker with a box cutter on a smoke break. Another proudly claimed the “Employee of the Month” parking spot, only to end up in a fistfight. And then there was Tom, the retail worker who built a secret “cubby cave” with stolen merchandise and was caught napping instead of stocking shelves.

In this episode of The Bad Hire, Ken, Emma, Nathan, and Morgan unpack some of the wildest, weirdest, and downright unbelievable hiring fails yet. You’ll hear about a librarian who spent 90 days doing absolutely nothing, a security guard who quit because he was afraid of the dark, and a bank robber who signed his real name before pulling the job. And just when you think it couldn’t get worse, we meet a line cook whose collapse on the grill led to one of the most surprising redemption stories ever shared on the podcast.

These stories will make you laugh, cringe, and wonder how some people even made it past the interview. More than anything, they’re proof that background checks, culture fit, and gut instinct can save you from your next bad hire.

And don’t forget: submitting your own bad hire story could win you $10,000 in The Bad Hire contest.

Key Takeaways

• Background checks that take six months are basically useless.

• Sometimes coworkers notice the “bad hire” long before management does.

• Red flags can be obvious like clipping nails with scissors at your desk.

• Even the worst bad hire stories can have a redemption arc.

• Share your bad hire story for a chance to win $10,000.

In This Episode

• [00:00] Introduction

• [01:15] Reddit stories & call for submissions

• [03:52] First day disaster: special needs job

• [05:29] The 90-day do-nothing librarian

• [07:54] Parking lot fistfight: interview gone wrong

• [09:49] Manager fired for job hunting on LinkedIn

• [11:22] Apartment complex employee punches resident

• [12:08] Temp employee clips nails with scissors

• [14:55] Security guard afraid of the dark

• [15:50] Tom and the secret cubby

• [18:08] Line cook’s drug use and redemption

• [22:19] Six-month background check delay

• [24:34] Employee adds urine to ramen

• [26:11] Interviewing for a girlfriend

• [28:43] Podcast wrap-up and sponsor message

Notable Quotes

• [02:05] "Think about the teammate you hired that looked perfect on paper but turned out to be a walking disaster." – Ken Monroe

• [07:47] "I had a candidate running late for an interview, parked in the employee of the month parking space. As the employee was returning to lunch, she ended up in a fist fight in the parking lot." – Ken Monroe

• [08:51] "I watched someone get hired for back room, come to orientation, go outside on a smoke break, and immediately threaten someone with their new box cutter." – Ken Monroe

• [14:59] "I had an employee quit because he was afraid of the dark. But what's funny is that his job was… He was a security guard on the night shift." – Emma

• [24:39] "A current employee added urine to their ramen in the break room at lunch." – Morgan

Our Host

Ken Monroe is the founder of The Bad Hire, a show built from the trenches of business leadership and team building. After making a disastrous hire that cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars, Ken shifted his focus to helping businesses avoid similar mistakes. Today, he runs companies that have screened over 40 million candidates, helping organizations make smarter, safer hiring decisions.

Resources and Links

• Submit your story – thebadhire.com

• Website – thebadhire.com

• Email – ken@thebadhire.com

• LinkedIn – Ken Monroe

• Podcast Platforms – Available on Apple, Spotify, and all major podcast apps

What do you do when a new hire orders room service for a week, then vanishes back to their old job? Or when a candidate casually admits to making date-rape drugs “as a hobby” during an interview? In this episode of The Bad Hire, Ken Monroe, Emma, and Nathan return with another round of jaw-dropping stories that show just how unpredictable hiring can get.

From bizarre excuses like a “squirrel attack,” to a head of IT who got fired before finishing his first morning, to a dental office manager whose past on escort sites came to light within days, these tales prove that bad hires don’t just waste money, they become office legends.

Some stories will make you laugh, others will make you cringe, but all of them highlight why cultural fit, background checks, and gut instincts matter more than ever.

And remember: sharing your own story could win you $10,000 in The Bad Hire contest.

Key Takeaways

• A candidate who seems perfect can still be the wrong hire.

• Background checks exist for a reason, don’t skip them.

• Red flags in interviews are often more obvious than we admit.

• Culture fit matters as much as technical skills.

• Submitting your bad hire story could win you $10,000.

In This Episode

• [00:00] Introduction & podcast overview

• [00:44] Co-host introductions & contest announcement

• [02:02] First story: The hotel moocher

• [03:07] Second story: Date rape drug confession

• [04:07] Third story: Beer and cigarette interview

• [05:04] Fourth story: Court-ordered monitoring

• [05:58] Discussion: Lying on resumes & Reddit thread

• [06:49] Fifth story: The toxic developer

• [08:45] Sixth story: The barista with a warrant

• [09:42] Seventh story: Catcalling the head of R&D

• [10:13] Eighth story: The car thief sales rep

• [10:56] Ninth story: The squirrel attack excuse

• [13:13] Tenth story: Misreading the employee manual

• [14:37] Eleventh story: The anesthetic thief

• [16:08] Twelfth story: The 911 caller EMT

• [17:18] Thirteenth story: The escort office manager

• [21:55] Fourteenth story: The bar fight confession

• [23:27] Wrap-up & call for submissions

Notable Quotes

• [03:08] "Back in 2012, I had a client ask my candidate, 'Tell them something interesting about themselves that's not work related.' Oh, my gosh. To which the candidate replied, 'I like to make date rape drugs in my bathtub on the weekends..” – Ken Monroe

• [09:44] "Our new head of IT catcalled a woman in the parking lot on his way into his first day of work. And that woman turned out to be the head of research and development. He was fired before lunch." – Nathan

• [11:32] “He walked in covered in scratches and said a squirrel attacked him in bed. What do you even do with that?” – Emma

• [17:55] “We found her phone number on two escort sites. By day four, she was gone.” – Morgan

Our Host

Ken Monroe is the founder of The Bad Hire, a show built from the trenches of business leadership and team building. After making a disastrous hire that cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars, Ken shifted his focus to helping businesses avoid similar mistakes. Today, he runs companies that have screened over 40 million candidates, helping organizations make smarter, safer hiring decisions.

• Submit your story – thebadhire.com

• Website – thebadhire.com

• Email – ken@thebadhire.com

• LinkedIn – Ken Monroe

• Podcast Platforms – Available on Apple, Spotify, and all major podcast apps