I went to a job interview hoping for the best, but was left absolutely shocked by the hiring manager’s incredibly ‘woke’ act before we had even started

An Australian who applied for a customer service role at an insurance company was shocked after the hiring manager opened the interview with a Welcome to Country.

The applicant shared the “weird” experience on Reddit, saying the Brisbane-based company’s hiring manager “took it upon himself” to conduct a Welcome to Country at the start of a “very small” group interview with less than five candidates.

“I wanted to hear others’ opinions on this as I thought this was the best Australian business culture,” the candidate wrote on Friday.

‘I didn’t think about it for a second at the time, but in retrospect it’s quite strange and unnecessary.

“I understand companies do this for big/important meetings with senior executives, but during a job interview it just felt pointless.”

A Welcome to Country can only be delivered by Traditional Owners or Custodians of the land on which the event takes place.

It is usually conducted by a local Aboriginal Elder to acknowledge and consent to the events taking place on their traditional land.

If a Traditional Owner is not available to make a Welcome to Country, an Acknowledgment of Country can be delivered instead.

Aussies were quick to share their thoughts, with many agreeing that the Welcome to Country had not been necessary during the job interview.

“I would say I’m a pretty progressive guy when it comes to Aboriginal rights. I don’t mind receiving a Welcome to Country at a formal or sporting event,” one man wrote.

“However, I think recognizing the country in the workplace for everyone below the CEO (and even then) is the creepiest nonsense of all time.”

‘Shrink. Did he also stand up and sing the national anthem? It stinks of virtue signaling,” a second commented.

“Do that and I’ll be right out the door,” said a third.

“Interview be damned. I’m not going to work somewhere full of virtue-signaling left-wing bobbleheads.”

A fourth said: ‘It feels pointless to me at every meeting.’

Auntie Joy Murphy Wandin is seen performing a Welcome to Country during the A-League Women Grand Final match between Melbourne and Sydney on May 4

Others shared their own experiences with the Aboriginal ceremony.

“I went to a meeting that the Labor Party was organizing for small businesses to meet some federal MPs,” one person wrote.

‘Not only was there a 20 minute Welcome to Country, literally every speaker spent a few minutes doing an Acknowledgment of Country before speaking.

‘It reaches a bizarre level of performative quasi-religious theatre.’

‘I had a photography awards evening with my congregation. EVERY person who spoke was acknowledged and welcomed… made me not want to participate again, just say it once and move on,” said a second.

A third said: ‘In my experience, every meeting I’ve had involving HR or the like will almost always include an acknowledgment to the country. They seem to take it very seriously, often more seriously than the ‘purpose’ of the meeting.’

An acknowledgment of land is a way of showing awareness and respect for the traditional custodians of the land where a meeting or event is taking place.

Its purpose is to recognize Aboriginal people’s ongoing connection to the land, and can be delivered by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.