The process for this company is very strange and gives all the red flags of a scam of sorts. Don't interact. If you apply for a job, the managing partner John Rutherford will reach out to you via email directly, saying that you've been shortlisted for an interview with the HR manager. He provides a contact email and a "verification code" and states that it must be included in your emails during all further contact with the HR manager. The email provided for the manager is not a business email and is instead a normal gmail account, and the address is not even the HR manager's name. It reads "OwnUrTruth" followed by a birth year.
Once you email this "HR manager", he'll respond with a lengthy copy-pasted job description with no followup questions or introductions. If you respond positively and with interest, he'll then email you a Microsoft form link, saying you need to complete a pre-interview questionnaire before proceeding with any interview scheduling. This questionnaire asks for your full name, full DOB, phone number, email address, home address, marital status, the last 4 digits of your SSN, whether or not you have a driver's license, your gender, citizenship status, if you're currently employed, if you're able to devote 20-30 hrs of your time weekly, a brief description of your professional background, and something about yourself that isn't on your resume.
When asked if being required to disclose my SSN and marital status was standard procedure and safe to do, the HR manager responded with a very pushy and urgent "Yes, please proceed! This is a standard procedure for Emergentz Technologies at this stage of the hiring process... Thank You!" no greeting, no sign off, no explanations for why this information is necessary before the initial interview.
Wanting to see how weird this could get, I filled out the form with fake information and responded about next steps. The next day, I received a lengthy email full of questions that indicated that this was the actual interview. It was stated that once I answered these questions and passed a training test, they would be mailing an offer letter to my home address. Along with the questions, I was asked to submit a copy of the front and back of my driver's license, along with a copy of a "recently paid utility bill for your current residence Which matches the CONTACT INFORMATION you submitted."
At this point, the process was too bizarre to continue and I promptly ended contact with the company. There's absolutely no reason to be asking this many identifying questions at this stage of the hiring process. Not only that, but they asked for the bank that I operate with, the make and model of my cell phone, the carrier of my phone plan, and whether my plan is prepaid or postpaid.
Very odd and questionable practices. Save yourself the hassle and risk.
