The Process: The recruitment process for the Software Product Owner role was highly uncoordinated and showed a significant lack of respect for the candidate’s time. It began with a "full-fledged" assignment requiring a complete review of their donor platform. However, the team failed to provide the link to the actual platform they wanted reviewed. After I spent roughly 12 hours completing the work based on the information available, they admitted their mistake but expected me to redo the entire assignment from scratch which upon my my ask was taken back.
The Interview: The interview phase was equally disappointing. Despite my history as a donor and supporter of their programs, the Hiring Manager informed me that they "only hire needy people a criterion that was never mentioned in the job description and is a highly questionable hiring practice. Furthermore:
One member of the panel clearly had not read my full resume.
The manager claimed they wanted "beneficiary input" rather than "donor experience," yet the 12-hour assignment they provided was focused entirely on the donor side with zero mention of beneficery.
The Cons:
Disrespect for Time: Expecting 12+ hours of free labor, then asking for a redo due to their own administrative error, is unacceptable.
Lack of Transparency: Hiring criteria (the "needy" requirement) were hidden until the interview stage.
Disorganization: The team was unprepared, and the assignment instructions contradicted the Hiring Manager’s stated goals.
Bad Faith: The overall experience gave the impression that the team had no real intent to hire based on the advertised professional qualifications. I also felt they have no idea about product mangement and the definitions around it.
Advice to Management: Respect your candidates' time. If you require a 12-hour technical assignment, ensure your instructions are accurate. Additionally, align your job descriptions with your actual hiring preferences so candidates don't waste hours applying for roles they are "overqualified" for based on internal, unwritten social criteria.
I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Islamic Relief Canada (Burlington, ON) in Dec 2023
Interview
First was a HR phone screening interview, it went excellent, very friendly and standard screening questions. Not difficult at all. Then the second was a video interview. They made up the questions as they were doing the interview and would ask the same question twice worded slightly different and asked me to say something other than what I previously mentioned??? They then said my background seemed more health based rather than humanitarian. I explained I had a job in healthcare years prior but went back to school to study global health and humanitarian issues and I had worked in non-profit ever since. It was minimum wage and would have a third round of interviews. I never heard anything back! Not even a standard rejection email!
I interviewed at Islamic Relief Canada (Ottawa, ON)
Interview
You've already completed the initial screening with the HR team, where they reviewed your background, qualifications, and initial fit for the role. This step likely involved basic questions about your experience and motivations.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
When managing multiple partnerships, how do you measure and report on their success? Can you share a time you had to adjust your strategy with a partner due to unexpected challenges?