I scheduled a phone screening with a recruiter, then moved forward to a video interview with HP staff. The interviewer started by saying, “Tell me about yourself” which is a pretty standard question and typically means “summarize your skills and experience.” So that’s what I did, but I was interrupted and told “No I want to know about who you are as a person.” I pivoted to answering on a more personal level and was asked if I have a family, how much time I spend with them, and how close we are. That felt extremely inappropriate to me, as a woman - I felt like they were trying to find out whether I’d be using parental leave to have children or not, or if I’d use PTO to care for sick kids or something like that. The rest of the interview went okay, but I felt like the interviewer was not prepared and was just asking questions on the fly, which didn’t always have a whole lot to do with the job description. I typically interview very well; I’ve never gone to an interview and NOT received a job offer, but after this one I don’t feel like I had a fair chance to talk about my qualifications or interest in the role so I’m not sure if I’ll get an offer or not (my timeline to hear back is a few days from now). In summary, the interview felt unprofessional and discriminatory - not sure I’d accept the job if offered.

Phone screen with recruiter: Overview of role, your background, and basic logistics. Technical/skills assessment: Live case‑study exercise, with a supportive environment to talk through my thinking. Behavioral panel: Questions about past projects, teamwork, and problem‑solving, using the STAR method. Final cultural‑fit chat: Casual conversation with a senior leader about company values and long‑term goals.