I didn't make a job application to Udemy. A friend of mine, who works at Udemy and with whom I've worked on many projects in the past, and whom I really respect, recommended me for a software test lead position. He wanted me to talk with a company representative. We talked over lunch, and after that positive conversation, I had four technical interviews. Finally, in the fifth interview, I spoke with another company representative over Skype, who my friend had described as a skillful leader. We couldn't communicate well, etc. As a result, it's possible that there was no problem. I already had a job that I love.

However, although I had told them my privacy expectations for the interview (I said that "I don't want it to be known to anybody"), they asked/talked to people working at my current company about me without asking my approval. When I heard it from a colleague who works in my team at my company, I was shocked. Everybody knows that I interviewed with Udemy.

If they had asked me, I wouldn't have accepted and I would have ended the conversation. I told the Udemy interviewers about the issue. They responded, "Crosscheck is one of the main items of our company culture. It is not personal. We are sorry."

What about ethical values? Isn't there any place to hold for ethical values or principles in Udemy culture?

This is not professional behavior.

I advise the Udemy management office to keep communicating all the essential principles for making job interviews to the employees who conduct interviews with applicants.

What is a Test Plan?