I've applied for this job and took a test (which wasn't as smooth as it seems). They scheduled an online interview after the test with the founder. He didn't say much about the mission or vision of the project. He stressed that wants to build a devoted team which I believe is his right. He seemed incapable to me when it comes to management or he made himself seem like it.
He kept complaining about the market and how he can't find devoted and talented people and all they do is screw him and his time for 'no reason'. Which I believe can be true in a market as bad as Egypt, but later I realised the problem..
The more I talked to this man the more I found conflict and unprofessionalism. I also noticed how he tends to assume the worst of people to a degree that made me uncomfortable.
The thing is, he wants everything, he wants writers in a specific and rare niche, a flawless native level out of none natives (Egyptians to be specific) to decrease the cost. He wants somebody who is fast, talented, who would produce quality content with a compensation as low as 2$ per article and he wants a team of people to be available all the time not having another job, a spouse or even a life. A unicorn to say the least!
I realised that when we talked more, only to find him asking me about my other (flexible) freelancing job and how it's going to interfere with his offer which is a part-time (4 hours a day) job. He later started assuming that my performance will not be quite well and kept telling me of scenarios where I don't give what he expects when I haven't even started the job yet. I believe he didn't give me a chance to prove myself or strive, even though he might think that he did.
I turned down his offer (for a week "training" period) because I anticipated not being the best I can be in such toxic environment. The amateur way of management makes it seem like he wants control and claims that those are the rules, which are vague and don't always make sense.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Why do you want to work for us (if you're well paid)?