Why do they think what is a good idea? Interviewing people in private members clubs.
We see it happen all the time.
We can think of nothing more unnatural than being interviewed for a job in front of a room full of people, many of whom by the nature of the venue are going to be your peers. How can headhunters think they're going to get the real person in that situation?
We had the excruciating misfortune of overhearing someone we know being interviewed recently. She was waxing lyrical about one of her strengths being her advertising judgement. She wouldn't recognise a good ad if it walked into the room with a sign on it's head saying "I'm a good ad, and what's more David Ogilvy thinks so too."
We don't like the phrase "get a room" but in this instance it seems appropriate.