This is a story from last year. I have been a freelance graphic designer for over 6 years now and completed almost 1000 projects. For a couple of years, my business was going slow and I was barely getting any work. So I decided to work in an office instead.
This is the interview experience I had that made me not go on an office job path.
I submitted my CV and my portfolio. I got selected and they called me for an interview. There were around 12-15 candidates. First, they gave each of us a laptop and some design instructions. Each candidate was given a piece of paper to make the design. The requirements clearly looked like they were someone's project and they were giving us to work on. I didn't think of much and did my best.
After it was done, they told us that was it and they will call us for an interview. All this was not mentioned in the job listing and no one told me that we will be designing something on a call.
2 days later, they called me again and told me I was selected for an interview. When I went there I was told to wait for my turn. When it was my turn, I went inside and there was only one senior designer interviewing me. Since my experience was only freelancing and not an office job, he didn't take me seriously. He started pointing out pointless things in the design that don't make any sense just to show how better he was than me. Then he asked me about my freelance routine and was focused on the time. I was praising freelancing a lot and he didn't like it. I noticed a lot of red flags at that point but ignored them.
Then he asked if I would continue my freelance work while working for them and I said yes. Then he asked me how and I told him not to worry and I will manage. It wasn't good enough and he wanted details. So I told him that I would focus on their company first and after the office hours, I'll work on my freelance projects, that way, I will be able to give them my entire time. Then he asked me what if I have to work overtime. I told him that if I get compensated for extra work, I won't have any problem with that. He literally started laughing at me like I was telling a joke but I thought it was a good enough answer. (If it matters, it was a salaried job, not hourly.)
Then he told me that their company doesn't work that way, if I want to do another job, even freelancing, I will have to take permission from their HR department first. If they approve then I can continue freelancing (or any job) I want. Otherwise, if they find out, I can get fired. I told him I'll continue that even if I have to take permission.
Then he asked me some more questions about salary and every. Once the interview was over, I went home. 1 week later they called me and told me I got hired. But at that point, I decided not to work there. If he's like that with the new candidates, then he's probably worst with the actual employees. And if I can't work to have an extra income besides them then what's the point? Other interviews I gave didn't have any problem with it besides that company.
(Sorry for the bad English. It's not my first language.)