My interview experience overall was great, until the final interview with an older woman from HR. She left me questioning the company’s commitment to respectful leadership and healthy workplace culture. Several questions were framed in a confrontational and skeptical manner rather than a professional, curiosity based approach. I was repeatedly pressed on the circumstances of my previous layoff despite it being a company-wide restructuring. I was also asked to speculate on internal compensation decisions at my former employer, as well as if I was replaced, and if they were making the same salary as I was which I couldn’t possibly know for certain let alone that this was extremely inappropriate and unethical. When asked about termination experience, my honest answer was met with disbelief rather than professionalism. I was told that frequent terminations are a normal expectation of the role, which raised red flags about the organization’s approach to performance management and employee support. Interviews should be challenging but respectful. This experience felt unnecessarily adversarial and did not reflect an environment rooted in collaboration, trust, or positive employee development.