I recently interviewed with KAYAK for an Associate Creative Director role. In my initial screening interview, I was asked my salary expectations. I answered that, since this was the very early stage of the process, I wanted to first get a clear understanding of the role so I could set a reasonable, matching compensation expectation. I asked the recruiter to confirm the posted salary range (since online salary ranges aren't always accurate), and share any other compensation details (bonus potential, etc). But the recruiter’s tone and demeanor abruptly changed—becoming abrasive, saying I was being “difficult” and that he wouldn’t proceed with the interview unless I told him a compensation number. I again asked him to confirm the posted salary range. After repeatedly accusing me of being difficult, he eventually and grudgingly answered my question. Later in the interview, this recruiter described the role and asked if I had questions. I asked about the impact of the Associate Creative Director’s projects on KAYAK’s revenue. This is a good and standard question to ask in any interview, especially in the creative profession. It demonstrates a mindfulness for doing work that measurably contributes to bottom-line value. But again, this recruiter didn’t seem to understand this. Instead, he again became abrasive, even confrontational. He said that my question was a “red flag” because it didn’t sound "collaborative" to him. I tried explaining how working to create value is at the heart of collaboration. Creativity is a growth lever, connecting brand thinking to measurable business outcomes. But this volatile recruiter no longer wanted to listen to me…if he ever did. This was the worst job interview I’ve ever had. This recruiter made me feel like I was having to de-escalate someone on the verge of a tantrum. I did the best I could. But he seemed to go out of his way to misinterpret or misunderstand my answers. It was like something about me made him WANT to take offense. Maybe this confrontational vibe accurately reflects KAYAK’s culture. If so, I’ll never apply there again, and I won’t bother them with my travel plans. But if this isn’t KAYAK’s true vibe, then they need to address this so that future candidates don’t have similar bad experiences.