Unprofessional and unethical behavior. In my phone screening with HR, I told her I lacked certain items in the spec and asked if they were essential. She didn’t know. A week later, she invited me to come in without a second phone screening with the hiring manager. The interview turned out to be a rushed, put-up job. I saw two people separately, the department head and direct manager. Neither had read even one line in my resume, and each spent only 7 minutes with me. The direct manager was aggressive. He rapidly fired off questions, asking if I’d used several different software packages. None of this was in the job spec so that HR could have screened properly. Also, if he’d read my resume, he’d have known already that I hadn’t. And he didn’t even listen to my answers; he asked the same questions again three minutes later. He also peppered me with technical questions like a pop quiz. When he hit on one I didn’t know, he kept coming back to it, asking it four times in total just to rattle me. He ended the session with a sneaky smirk on his face. Managers should read resumes and only call in people who have the skills they want. Obviously, they didn't read mine because they'd already made a hiring decision. They brought me in just to check a box and say they saw more than one candidate. Before taking an interview here, ask to have a phone screening with the hiring manager personally first. Then you could ask questions and see if they’re serious. If they won’t give this screening, I suggest you decline the interview.

Fake interview; they were never really considering me. In my phone screening with HR, I said I didn’t have some items in the job spec and asked if they were essential. She didn't know. A week later, she invited me for an on-site interview without a second phone screening with the hiring manager first. In retrospect, that was a red flag. At the interview, the department head met with me for only 7 minutes before sending me to the direct manager. Then I walked into an ambush. The direct manager never read my resume and didn't even pretend he had. He was aggressive and rapidly fired off questions without even listening to most of my answers. He asked the same questions about my prior experience twice. When he hit on a technical question I didn’t know (about an area that wasn’t in the job spec), he kept coming back to it and asked it four times in total. He enjoyed grinding me down with it. It was clear he'd made up his mind beforehand to fail me on the interview. This session also lasted only 7 minutes before he ended it with a sneaky smirk on his face. Obviously these people were just going through the motions because company policy required more than one candidate be interviewed. These people acted in bad faith. Before accepting an on-site interview with them, ask for a phone screening with the hiring manager to make sure they’re not just jerking you around.