Unprofessional Hiring Practices Preying On Vulnerable Job Seekers: They reached out asking me for my resume, claiming they could help with a job referral. They submitted me to a job and were extremely vague about the process, but I went along, trying to give them a chance. I was scheduled for the "first interview" and never told that it would be a 3-panel person interview.
Overly Serious Disposition: The atmosphere was all off. At first, before the interview began, everyone seemed really friendly because I was making casual conversation and light jokes about motherhood that seemed to cheer everyone up. But then, the moment the interview proceeded - just like that - everyone grew stone serious. It became much worse when I shared my extensive experience.
Intimidated By A Woman of Color With Experience: The panel was 100% all non-POC and they appeared intimidated by me, a WOC with a master's degree and experience. They did not appear to be excited about my experience. On the contrary, the more they found out just how much I was capable of, the mood increasingly worsened. You could visibly see their expressions transform into joyless, disgruntled, and potentially even intimidated. I could do the job very successfully and do it quite well. Instead of being happy to want someone like me on their team, their negative body language completely sucked all of the positivity out of the virtual meeting.
Unclear Communication & Discombobulated Hiring Goals: They claimed they needed someone immediately and were desperate to have me interview within a day's notice. Being a go-getter, I agreed to the last-minute interview. Never did they once tell me that it would be a panel interview. I did very well during the interview despite the awkward mood shifting things into an oddly negative vibe. None of them could handle the fact that I achieved so much success at my last company and within my career. I've never seen anything quite like it. But worse, after the 45-minute interview came to a close, their rush to hire someone immediately and within the same week changed. They then claimed they had "two other people they had to interview."
Surprise Unethical Project & Assignment To Be Done Just To Get The Job: This isn't my first rodeo. I'm a seasoned digital marketing professional, and I know the tricks of the trade. I've had terrible experiences in the past with unethical company practices asking a bunch of candidates to do projects, spec assignments, and essentially free work with no guarantee of a position. I didn't know this was a part of the position until after I reached out to the main recruiter hiring for this role.
I Retracted My Candidacy: Once I found out (unfortunately after the interview) that I would most likely need to do a marketing project or assignment, I immediately emailed them the same day of the interview. I emailed them with a full assessment as to why I was retracting my candidacy. The above reasons were some, but the unethical free labor required of candidates was the other. I told them I have an online portfolio, a graduate education, and many certifications. There is absolutely NO reason for me or any candidate to do free work and give them free marketing ideas in the hopes that *maybe* they select me for the job. I informed them that if they wanted my marketing ideas so badly, they would have to hire me. Period.
100% Negative Interview Glassdoor Reviews Is Telling: I regret not checking out the company's interview Glassdoor reviews until it was too late. But, I can now see that my negative experience matches many other similar experiences here. Many professionals rely on Glassdoor to make informed decisions. As a professional looking for new opportunities, I am equally interviewing the company. Having 100% negative Glassdoor reviews in terms of *interviews* is very, very telling, and it's a terrible reflection upon the company. A serious restructuring is in order, one that would require a team of professionals to improve this company's outlook.
Had To Block Unwanted Communication: Due to them targeting vulnerable candidates, looking for opportunities, and scheming to get candidates to perform free marketing projects, I had to block their unread emails and blocked them on LinkedIn from attempting further communication.
