SINGAPORE: A jobseeker took to social media to complain that the quality of job interviews nowadays has become much “lousier.”
On Thursday (Mar 5), he posted on the r/askSingapore forum, saying that many interviewers seem to show little respect for the job candidates’ time and effort and behave in an “unprofessional way.”
The man then shared several recent interview experiences that left him disappointed.
In one instance, he said an interviewer scheduled a virtual interview a week in advance but cancelled just 15 minutes before the meeting was due to start. The interview was later rescheduled three different times, which the jobseeker said already felt like a “red flag.” In the end, the company simply informed him that they would not be proceeding with the interview after all.
In another case, he said the interviewer kept their AirPods in throughout the entire in-person interview, which he found off-putting.
“Maybe it was transparency mode or whatever but it just felt rude,” he said. “If candidates are expected to dress properly and prepare, the least they could do is be present during the interview.”
He also shared an interview where the managing director “literally laughed” when he mentioned his expected salary. “It wasn’t even above their budget range, just around the median. I asked him what was funny and after that I thanked them for their time and left.”
In yet another experience, he said a company asked him to complete an aptitude or demo test but then gave him the worst computer to use. “It had a dirty mouse, a dirty keyboard, and the colleagues beside me were playing the radio and talking about non-related work stuff,” he wrote. “Atleast put me in the meeting room.”
The jobseeker also noted that several small and medium-sized enterprises attempted to present a contract or give a verbal job offer during the very first interview, which he found unusual.
“All of them, I would instantly reject straight away,” he said. “I know interviews are meant to evaluate candidates, but companies should also realise that candidates are evaluating them too.
Anyone else experiencing this recently or am I just having really bad luck with interviews?”
“You’re applying to a string of ungrateful employers.”
In the comments section, many people said they could relate to his frustrations and felt that some interviewers have indeed become more unprofessional in recent years.
One commenter wrote, “Yes. In just a few months I’ve met rude recruiters, arrogant managers, and HR managers too.”
Another commented, “Companies know the job market is bad so acting like every applicant is desperate for them. In doing so, they also lose out on good candidates without even realising it.”
A third shared, “I interviewed for an SME recently and honestly had high expectations because they have a Glassdoor rating above 4.0 and their business looks solid. Five seconds into the interview, the hiring manager laughed at my accent. Mind you, he said I had a ‘strong American accent.’ During the interview, he constantly dropped vulgar words.”
Others, however, said that there are still plenty of good employers and professional interviewers out there. One said, “I think you are either having bad luck at the moment or just applying to a string of ungrateful employers. I think you need to revise who you are applying to and why. Also try other means that other better employers would accept.”
In other news, a worried son has turned to social media for advice after his elderly mother became entangled in what he believes is a Facebook scam.
On Wednesday (Feb 25), he shared on the r/askSingapore forum that his mother, who is in her 70s, has been chatting with several men on Facebook who gradually gained her trust.
Read more: Son seeks advice after mum fell for online scam: ‘She is refusing to believe the family’
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