I interviewed for one of the senior positions at BCAA with a recruiter and unfortunately my experience was very bad. It was unexpectedly confrontational and not aligned with the professional recruiter interactions I have had elsewhere.
The recruiter repeatedly pushed for salary expectations throughout the interview and asked about my expected range approximately six times, despite me explaining multiple times that I preferred to first speak with the hiring manager to better understand the responsibilities and scope of the role.
The recruiter kept insisting that I had to provide my expected range during that conversation and stated that if I did not provide it, they would leave a negative comment for the hiring manager regarding it. I found this uncomfortable and inappropriate for an initial recruiter discussion.
Another concern was that the role appeared to have senior-level expectations, but the compensation and leveling did not seem aligned with the scope.
Also, instead of focusing on role scope, process, company fit, or behavioral questions, the recruiter spent nearly an hour asking highly technical questions. At times it felt more like I was interviewing with the hiring manager rather than speaking with a recruiter.
Overall, this was a very bad experience with a recruiter. In my long career, I have never experienced this level of lack of respect toward a candidate during an interview process. The interaction came across as very controlling and toxic, which in my opinion could also be reflective of the work environment and company culture.
