I applied online. I interviewed at Teneo (New York, NY)
Interview
I was completely ghosted after an initial phone screen when the interviewer clearly indicated I would be advised specifically of next steps by the end of the week in which I had the initial phone screen. I made several attempts to contact the talent acquisition person in the following weeks. No response from email, phone calls, or text messages. Highly unprofessional.
I applied through a staffing agency. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at Teneo (London, England) in July 2024
Interview
Stilted video interviews with people who don't seem to understand that their attitude is actively off-putting. If you don't seem enthusiastic about recruiting a role, your candidates won't either.
There was also a task to be completed which seems common in the region - do a comms strategy for a junior minister, plus a press release, in 48 hours based on very little information. Firstly, building a useful strategy could never happen without proper access to information. Secondly, producing a strategy is either a waste of candidates' time or a way to steal free ideas. Either way, the incentives do not line up.
They were then slow in reviewing the finished task, before pulling the process. They did not offer written feedback.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
How would you cope with the cultural differences between advising senior people in the Middle East and the UK?