Work at an interview?

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Yesterday, I got an interview at an Italian restaurant, the same day that I applied. They seemed pretty desperate for workers, so I thought it would be a good opportunity, even if I find the idea of manning a register troubling (I've worked customer service, but only through a phone, not face to face). The interview went well, as far as I can see, until the end.

Before I left, the interviewer asked if I could come back later that day, during the dinner rush, and work to "gauge whether I was a good fit". They did not indicate that I had been hired, and did not indicate that I would be paid for this work. Rather, they implied it was part of the hiring process. Looking online, it looks like tests during interview processes aren't uncommon, but this raised some red flags.

At the time, I declined, as I hadn't slept yet that day and was awake purely through energy drinks (I have occasional bouts of insomnia). When I explained that, they got seemingly annoyed, and demanded to know what I would do if I was tired before a scheduled shift. I explained that I would certainly work if I needed to (after all, I would theoretically be paid for that work), and indicated that I would consider it and call them back today to schedule a time to come in.

This doesn't sit well with me. I'm not doing a test; they want to me work the register, bus tables, cook the food, all the responsibilities of the position during the hiring process, and indicated that they wanted me to work at least 3 hours. Is this a normal thing, or should I give this job a miss and check out the other 3 interviews that I have scheduled this week?

Personally, I'd do it if I really wanted the job.
It may as well be a chance to see if the job is what you expect. Perhaps better, perhaps worse than what you immagine.
Either way, 3 h of your life isn't much.
As for normal I don't know. It is different with cultures and countries, for example unpaid overtime is normal in America but almost non existant here in Sweden.

/Mats

My parents and friends all say that it's suspicious. It's unlikely that it's a scam, but I don't want to work for free, especially if I haven't been hired yet and there's a chance that I won't get the job. I don't mind doing practice tests, such as, for example, listening to pre-recorded messages and choosing the correct response (I've primarily worked in call centers) or even having mock-calls with the interviewer. But I wouldn't log into the phone and interact with the customers directly, especially without training or even knowledge on the full extent of the responsibilities expected of me.

The interview was unfortunately unprofessional, they were not ready for me at the expected time, and neglected to tell me that I was not supposed to enter the restaurant but was supposed to go to a nearby unmarked building where the staff worked. They asked me how many hours I wanted to work instead of having shifts that needed to be filled, and seemed unhappy when I told them that I was looking for preferably part time shifts. Generally, this is all filled out in advance on the application form.

I've decided to focus on the other three interviews I have scheduled, since the work itself is also not a good fit for me at all (I have an undiagnosed seizure disorder, working on getting it diagnosed but no one accepts my insurance. The disorder strikes whenever I move quickly, so I'm best in a sedentary, seated position). I just wanted to see if this was a normal thing that I should expect from now on, or a one-off.

Well, you could have just said - "Oh! Hm, maybe. Is that on the payroll?"

I'm pretty sure it's not legal to have you work a few hours as a prerequisite to getting a job, unless it's compensated.