The poster was an experienced investment professional who had worked in customer-facing roles for years and was attempting to land a position in the back office, handling administration-related duties. After getting the opportunity to interview a company, they found themselves on the receiving end of a very unprofessional and frustrating process.
The HR recruiter kept disparaging their credentials against a set of impossible standards, such as asking for CFA for an admin position or only wanting to see candidates from certain universities. Many a salary expectation later, the recruiter divulged that the range in that post was ~20–30% more than reality, and had been posted at that level to “attract talent.”
Eventually, the poster was so put off by an odd interviewer who was “basically judging their reactions to criticism”, that they ended up bailing on it halfway through, thinking the whole experience was bizarre. They also explained that they would not be wasting any more time with a company that is playing games instead of showing professionalism regarding the companies expectations not aligning with their own and left the meeting.
Interviewing for a new job can be a painful process
So when this man realized that he wouldn’t be a good fit, he decided not to waste any more of his time
The Impact of Unprofessional Recruitment Practices
This is an example of a familiar but toxic recruitment behavior, which includes tactics such as false promises, vague expectations, and emotional manipulation. These kinds of practices can discourage great talent from applying to the company in the future and harm their overall employer brand.
The Problem with Unrealistic Job Requirements
The biggest fault with this tale is that the job transcript did not align with the credentials asked for in the interview. Requesting certifications such as CFA, which Normally are required for high-level financial analysis positions, for a mere admin position, is unnecessary, obstructional in nature, and indicative of an ignorant role definition as well.
The increasing practice of which is sometimes called “credential inflation” has become a persistent headache for hiring professionals. As per Harver Business Review: “When roles don’t need excessive qualifications to be successful but such requirements are still deemed necessary, qualified candidates are lost and roles go unfilled for even longer.” Such an approach forms a big frustration point for both candidates and recruitment teams.
Misleading Salary Postings Undermine Trust
Image credits: MART PRODUCTION (not the actual image)
The red flag of the recruiter admitting that the salary range post was fake, and inflated to “attract talent” Transparency on compensation is key to building trust between the employer and the candidates. Salary transparency is one of the top factors job seekers look for when evaluating opportunities according to a report by Glassdoor where 67% said this was the case. If salaries being advertised are not what the company is actually offering, it only serves to alienate top talent, and waste everybody some time!
Judging Reactions: A Manipulative Tactic
Workers blasted the HR recruiter’s excuse for their behavior—that they were “judging reactions to criticism”—exposing a backhanded intentional interview ploy that is more of a power trip than an evaluation of potential. Although assessing the candidate’s resilience to criticism is warranted, experts suggest doing so in a constructive discussion of previous situations they faced and not by intentionally discrediting their competence.
That sort of gotcha will only scare off the savvy candidates and rarely tell you anything substantive about their abilities. It reflects a culture of toxicity at work, where employees are pressured to take patently unnecessary fire in the name of “resilience.
Readers shared their reactions to the story and applauded the applicant for picking up on the company’s red flags
The poster did right to cut the interview short here. Professional and respectable and they are confident enough to realize a process is unprofessional and reject it. In competitive job markets, employers need to be careful about the games they play because it costs them good deals and good reputations.
Specifically, professionals value transparency, respect, and relevant communication and companies that cannot provide that will always have a hard time attracting great talent.
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