One of the most disappointing interview experiences I've had.
I was initially contacted by recruiter **Gurveen Kaur** for a **Lead Customer Success** role. Based on the job description, my **7 years of experience in Customer Success, Account Management, and Client Success** aligned perfectly with the role, so I was excited to move forward.
However, the actual interview with the hiring manager, **Pragati**, was a completely different story. Instead of evaluating customer success capabilities, stakeholder management, account growth, or customer retention, the discussion revolved almost entirely around **WhatsApp Business API automation** for their **QuickEngage** product.
The biggest issue? **Nowhere in the job description was it mentioned that this role was specifically for QuickEngage or that hands-on WhatsApp Business API automation experience was a mandatory requirement.** The recruiter never highlighted this during the screening call either.
Candidates prepare based on the information provided. Changing the evaluation criteria during the interview is misleading and wastes everyone's time.
It felt like the interviewer had already made up her mind based on one missing technical skill instead of evaluating the overall experience, leadership ability, customer success expertise, and transferable skills. There was hardly any opportunity to showcase my achievements or discuss how I could contribute to the role.
If you're hiring for a niche product specialist, be transparent in the job description and recruiter conversations instead of advertising it as a generic Lead Customer Success position. It will save candidates hours of preparation and prevent unnecessary interviews.
Overall, the process lacked clarity, alignment, and fairness. I left the interview feeling that the role being advertised and the role actually being hired for were two completely different positions.