I had an extremely unpleasant experience during an interview for a sales role. The HR representative appeared inattentive and disengaged throughout the conversation, asking me multiple times to repeat the same answers. In addition, I was asked personal questions about my romantic life, phrased in a veiled manner and entirely unrelated to the position I was applying for.
The feedback I received was delivered in an inappropriate manner, containing remarks that made me feel judged and uncomfortable. At one point, I was told that I was “all over the place” because I was applying for a role unrelated to my previous experience, even though it was a junior position. I explained that I had taken this step after being affected by massive restructuring at my previous company.
I had the impression that the HR representative’s real intention was to find out whether I planned to have children in the near future. She asked if I had managed to maintain my relationship after returning from abroad and whether I had legalized it in the meantime, seemingly trying, in an indirect way, to determine what stage of life I am in. She likely assumed this based on the fact that I am 29 years old and in a long-term relationship.
The entire process conveyed a lack of professionalism, organization, and respect toward the candidate. This experience made me feel that there is no concern for adhering to even basic professional standards and that employers might discriminate based on questions intended to find out what stage of life a candidate is in. Nineteen days have passed, and I have not received any response from them. I have lost trust in the company, including as a client.
