I was scouted on LinkedIn for an upcoming position and waited multiple weeks for my contact to reach out to me with a job description. Everything that followed struck a series of red flags that filled me with a complete lack of confidence that, if offered the job, my work, time, and expertise would be valued.
1. My contact sent me an incorrect job description and didn't really offer apologies when I expressed that I was unsure why I was being considered for the position shared with me; instead, it was expected that I would understand that they had sent me the wrong file.
2. When my contact and I arranged a recruiter screening call, no phone call came. When I reached out to my contact, it was expected that I would understand that an incorrect time slot in their calendar had been filled out.
3. The next level of interview was to happen with a C-suite executive for the company. Due to their travel schedule, a really big ask was made of me--might I be available for a video call on a weekend day? I gave the benefit of the doubt, because I understand that travel schedules are tough. Zero acknowledgement that I was really going above and beyond in giving up some time on my weekend to connect and engage in this interview process.
4. My interviewer was a no-show for our scheduled Sunday afternoon video conversation. I was left waiting for 15 minutes, and when I reached out to diplomatically see if we should reschedule, my contact who had scouted me on LinkedIn did not respond to my message in the e-mail chain, but communicated with me through different messages. I was told that they're trying to get in touch with my interviewer and reschedule for later that day. No request to begin with if my weekend schedule allowed for another time to connect. No acknowledgement that waiting is just really tough. No apology from the jump for my experience. But I was given a full-on sense of expectation that my interviewer, between their multiple work trips, must have gotten derailed (...so I should be understanding of this situation).
No empathy. No respect. No acknowledgement or understanding of the interviewee's experience. And no apologies or accountability for fumbles--both small and big--along the way. If this is how I am treated as an interviewee who had been scouted on LinkedIn and encouraged to apply for the job, and as an external stakeholder who has no obligation to the hiring organization whatsoever, I can only imagine how I would be treated as an employee, how my efforts in executing my work projects would be respected or acknowledged (or not), and how empathy and understanding would be asked of me and not given to me if anything were to go wrong.
I had red flags. The job description that ultimately came my way was amazing--actually, a great next step for my career--but no great-sounding job is worth putting yourself in a situation where you would be so greatly disrespected before even becoming an employee.