After applying via email, to a somewhat unconventional job posting, I was contacted by the outgoing “HR Director” for a pretty standard telephone interview. After that, an in-person interview was scheduled with the owner. I showed up about 5 minutes before the interview time. She was “busy” so I had to wait about 15 minutes. She finally came out and took me to her office for the interview. As an HR professional, I immediately noted the lack of diversity throughout the office. The interview began with the owner saying that she hadn’t prepared questions and just wanted to have a conversation to see if there would be chemistry between us. Again, as an HR professional, this was a glaring red flag to me. How do you compare candidates if there isn’t a standard set of questions? She also told me that in addition to HR they wanted someone who could pitch in with Marketing. (Nothing on my resume indicated that I have experience or desire to do Marketing.) Finally, as the interview proceeded, I noticed the resumes of other candidates on her desk. At the end of the interview, I was ushered out through a door that wasn’t where I entered, which seemed odd. All in all, it was a weird experience. I understand that this is a small business but a little professionalism goes a long way.
