When “initial chat” turns into a surprise technical round 🎯

Recently, I was contacted by @Randstad for a role with @Google. The recruiter mentioned that the first round would just be an introductory chat — mainly to discuss the role and my past experience.

Naturally, I agreed. But once the call began, things went in an entirely different direction. I was suddenly being asked textbook definitions — by someone who was clearly non-technical and reading questions off what seemed like a PDF.

When I politely suggested she could instead ask about my projects or 4 years of hands-on work, she declined — and the camera stayed off the entire time. How can an initial discussion turn into a technical quiz led by someone who doesn’t understand the subject?

The most disappointing part was that she said she’d get back to me with next steps, but never did. Maybe I struck a nerve by asking why the conversation wasn’t about real-world experience instead of rote definitions — but I believe candidates deserve clarity and respect in every stage of the hiring process.

Transparency, preparation, and human connection go a long way — both for companies and candidates.

#Hiring #Recruitment #Professionalism #CareerJourney #InterviewExperience #Google #Randstad

Are you free to do a normal chat for the role?