Arrogance in interviews is getting out of hand
I recently had a face-to-face interview for an SDET position at Akamai. The interviewer, who was the HM, asked me about a Tech Stack that I had only used occasionally in my previous role. I shared what I knew to the best of my ability. As the questions became more specific and advanced, I honestly said, “I don’t know.” The interviewer laughed out.
Why do interviewers act so rudely? How do you handle such an arrogant person without walking out?
Interviews are meant to understand how someone thinks. Not to test their memory of forgotten trivia. And definitely not to laugh at them for it.
If a candidate does not know something,
– Test their problem solving, not their pride. – Ask how they would figure it out. – Check how fast they can learn. – See how they handle gaps in knowledge.
If a concept is truly critical for the role, then it should be part of the job description.
And if someone feels powerful by mocking a candidate, that says more about the interviewer than the engineer.
A great engineer is not the one who knows every answer. A great engineer is the one who knows how to find the answer when it matters.
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In india interviewers do not interact they show their frustration, Arrogance, and their colonial mindset.
It should be a healthy discussion but sadly it's not the point of the interview is to assess if the candidate can sync with the team or not, rest of the things anyone can learn in this AI world...
I can absolutely relate with this. I also have an experience where the interviewer was constantly laughing even when my answers were correct,just to show his power. He didn't have the background of automation testing at all but was interviewing me for that role. He expected the answers only in his personal style. The goal was not to evaluate but to show superiority.It was more like dealing with ego than a genuine technical evaluation.
Also, I have some experience where interviewers wanted me to remember everything and answer all their questions as if my brain were a storage device..
An interviewer’s job is to evaluate and then either select or reject — not to humiliate.
I feel the interviewee should also get some survey to give feedback about the interview and interviewer
All the interviewers are not professional interviewers. Their attitude and acts show where they come from..I mean their background. As much as I know Akamai is a good company. Maybe the HM has recently joined and he has no idea about the professional interviews
Akamai is a good company. Only the Managers are making it worse.
In india, the interview process often feels like one worker (naukar) judging another, rather than professional evaluation
Yes, while judging he forgot he is also naukar I would say slave.
Also the way the salary negotiation happens with HR nowdays it's nothing more like hoggling in a sabhji mandi
I would have given back then n there, disconnected the interview immediately and replied back to the interview invite sent by the HR and mentioned everything in the email. We know 90% of the times there won't be any action taken by the HR, but at least that idiot will think twice before doing the same with someone else in the next interview.
I would have reacted similarly, but since it was a face-to-face situation, I didn’t.
I have seen this happening in India thousands of times.
First possible cause:
People once achieved a certain position in the company, they start thinking of themselves as James Bond. There are thousands of such James Bonds in India. Actually they are not capable of doing anything. Do you really think they deserve to interview you?
Second possible cause: They act arrogant intentionally, so that you kick the job and leave, so that they can bring their person on the job.
How to handle arrogance? You can't in any of the above cases. Forgot this event as a bad dream.
The points you have mentioned about what should be done if candidates don't know something, are the attributes of a dream recruiter.
During my campus placement, I had a very bad interview experience that he started saying “what if I take you now? Will you get me a bad name later” etc etc that he made me cry. The hr was so sweet, stepped in, spoke with the interviewer and me and then told me that the interviewer is actually ok with the technical knowledge and calmed me down. I however got selected but it still gets me wondering and doubting that I got the job only because I cried that day.
And even till now, I have this intense fear of interviews and I couldn’t take a step and move to another company how much harder I try. I am taking therapy now to overcome this. I am still working in the same company from the past 8.5 yrs of my life because of that one incident.
One interview can make or break that person’s confidence! How can no one understand this?!
I’m so sorry you had to go through that. That experience sounds incredibly hurtful and unfair, no one should be treated that way in an interview. Anyone in your shoes would feel the same. I’m really glad you’re taking therapy and working through it; that’s a strong and brave step.
He was checking you if you can deal the pressure which you can't. I think he Righty reject you .
It's gatekeeping syndrome brudda, I was an interviewer too and my goal was to always try and see the potential imof the person I used to interview and how well they can tackle a situation and some of my colleagues used to just grill the interviewee only onnthe tech stack and go to the point that they would eventually answer they don't know. Obviously they would answer they don't know because the questions are just too focused and AI leveraged to make it harder.
Never understood that attitude I'm happy the people I selected showcased their potential and are now Senior Consultants themselves.
Ppl who have never experienced power behave like this, they're not capable or used to handle the position and they end up doing abuse, the way we say old money and new money it is the same. And especially this is seen in millennials behaviour
I do think lack of experience with responsibility can lead to misuse of power.
First thing to keep in mind on your interview prep,
You are not begging to get hired, believe in yourself and know that there are millions of organisations that need you.
When you have to encounter such pathetic interviewers, keep the same attitude that interviewer has. If he or she is good then be good to them. If not then Like wise.
Personal experience, who ever tried to humiliate me, I never take a bit of it in mind. I trust in myself and I am proud of what I am and what I know. A specific interviewer doesn’t define my skills.
And you’re saved from such bad culture.
Thank you for sharing this. I really needed to hear it.