I was invited by James Avery to do a phone interview with an outside recruiter. It was one of the most disappointing interviews in which I have ever participated… The first words out of the recruiter’s mouth were, “I have never heard of James Avery.” How can a company that prides itself on treating employees like family hire such a disengaged person to represent their company and try to impress candidates? The outside recruiter proudly volunteered that she was on vacation, and it was clear that she was not prepared to interview me, asking ineffective questions that anyone could find the answer to by reading my resume. I realize that recruiters do ask simple questions to get a candidate talking, but it was truly unproductive and a waste of time to answer her many thoughtless questions. I assume James Avery was trying to cast a wider net by bringing in an outside recruiter, but it has left a bitter taste in my mouth about the company. Following this interview I had another phone interview with another company who had an in-house recruiter call me. She had only been with the company a few months and she was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and prepared - imagine that! My interview with the in-house recruiter was like night and day, and I was left with a much more positive impression of the other company.