Last week, I had the weirdest interview of my life with MathWorks. The MathWorks France-based recruiter was hunting for an Australia-based position. She found me on LinkedIn, contacted me and set up a phone interview. However, during that interview, the recruiter was unprofessional: somewhat condescending, used racial profiling and was a little forceful/aggressive.
- She asked what my working rights in Australia were, I said: " I'm an Australian citizen," to which she replied, "But your name is not Australian!" I'm not sure what an "Australian" name sounds like.
- She wondered why I decided to migrate to Australia, even though it's a remote country! Recruiters should stay professional and stick to the interview subject.
- She asked about my current salary, and I said that it was protected by Pay Secrecy. She was stunned to hear that. Almost thought I was lying. Apparently, overseas recruiters don't know how things are done in Australia
- She asked about my salary expectations and I used all diplomatic, yet reasonable and standard, ways to dodge the question and avoid giving a figure. For 3-4 minutes, she continued to insist that I give a figure, else the interview couldn't continue. I felt threatened and had to give in, eventually.
- Near the end of the interview, I asked what the difference was between the job descriptions of an application engineer and a senior application engineer. I was told that MathWorks doesn't care about titles, but rather getting the job done. She continued to warn me that I shouldn't be disappointed if I get a contract with the title "Application Engineer" because the decision is based on the opinions of the hiring manager and herself. I asked based on what criteria will that be decided, she got defensive and didn't answer that question. I was threatened that if I was not open to getting an offer with the title of "Application Engineer," the recruitment process shall not proceed. Mind you, the job ad says for a "Senior Application Engineer."
- At the end of the 1-hour interview, she made it clear that I was a good fit for the job and explained the next steps. I was going to be speaking to the hiring manager as part of 3 further interviews.
- After this interview, I didn't feel positive about the experience and contacted her to withdraw my application 3 hours later. Four days later, she replied that I was not recommended to proceed with the interview process, which was shocking to me. I was expecting a "thank you for letting us know about your decision to withdraw your application."
I have been interviewed many times in my life and by far this has been the most disgraceful experience I have ever been through. MathWorks should rely on recruiters who are accustomed to local culture and understand how to approach and talk to job candidates. They should remember that during the interview, they are also being interviewed and if they push people to answer questions, they should at least answer when they get asked. They shouldn't use techniques that are threatening, racial profiling and uncomfortable.