I appreciated the opportunity to interview but found the recruiter screen disappointing. The recruiter spoke extremely fast, giving the impression that she was working through a high-volume list rather than engaging in a meaningful conversation. It felt more like she was reading from a script than explaining the company or the role in a way that made me excited to join. There was little opportunity to ask clarifying questions, and overall it came across as rushed and disinterested.
When I asked whether the role was a backfill or a new hire, she responded dismissively with "as I said, the team is expanding." The tone implied that even asking for clarification was unnecessary. At the same time, she had previously explained that the team was originally formed to address Google’s planned removal of cookies, which ultimately didn’t happen. This made the current purpose of the role unclear and left me questioning whether it was truly new growth or a backfill being reframed.
When I asked how success is measured for internal-facing product work, she simply said it’s about "asking more questions than answers" and "listening." The way this was framed came across as diminishing the scope of the role, as if it lacked real ownership or leadership responsibility, which was concerning for a senior product position.
She also brought up compensation early. When I shared my prior salary and expectations, she abruptly cut me off and stated that $171K is the absolute max. It wasn’t the number itself that was the issue, but the dismissive and sharp way it was communicated, which matched the overall tone of the conversation.
By the end of the call, it felt like a decision had already been made before we even spoke. The rejection email that followed shortly after confirmed that impression.
Overall, it was a discouraging experience that left me with very little clarity on the role, the team’s mission, or the company’s hiring process.