I have overall 4 years of experience in HR and I’m leading a team of 3 people. I recently had an interview at Sharp Brains that was, without question, one of the most unprofessional encounters I have had in my career.
The red flags began immediately. I did not receive any screening call, just an email after office hours to visit onsite for the interview with less than 24 hours’ notice. The job was for Technical Recruiter - Global Acquisition, but the link provided in their email was for an entirely different role (CSR) than the one I had applied for (HR Specialist), and I was asked to bring a hard copy of my resume. I still decided to go for the interview.
The interview itself lasted barely 15 minutes. The Head of HR was condescending, frequently interrupted me, and his body language was openly dismissive and rude throughout. When I pointed out that the email, the link, and the job I had applied for were incorrect, and suggested moving to an ATS so that candidates would not need to bring their resumes, he took it personally and made a remark, “O jao yar, tumhay tricycle k pechay lagaya hoa hay”, a belittling, mocking comment that had absolutely no place in a professional setting, let alone coming from a Head of HR.
What makes this especially alarming is that this behavior came from HR leadership, the very people who set the tone for an organization’s culture. If this is how they treat candidates, one has to seriously question how employees are treated internally.
I’m sharing this to help fellow professionals make informed decisions, and to urge Sharp Brains to take a hard look at their hiring practices. Poor candidate experience is not a minor oversight, it is a direct reflection of company culture
