A complete waste of time, worst experience any candidate can ever have.
applied on LinkedIn, received a call from a recruiter and she explained the process, a presentation and 2 interviews. I received an email later where i saw that i need to prepare 2 presentation not one, a presentation and a 30/60/90 day plan, i was actually thinking not to continue the process and do all this work for them for free and focus more on bigger opportunities, though I still put in a lot of effort and finished with excellent work, I was then invited to the first round of interview, my thoughts on the office were not that positive, oldest building in their area with the longest wait for the left. inside the office, It looked like somebody's flat, no one was dressed professionally or even nicely, some lady with her slippers walking around and grim atmosphere of silence in the air.
Met the interviewer, started nice until she started throwing pushbacks in a sarcastic manner, where I kept my calm and handled it professionally, but I guess she kept going with pushbacks until they became more of an unreasonable discredit to my work ethics than just pushbacks, which made me fireback with questions and valid comments about the company, why they'd decide to part ways with their main group "Alserkal" one of the biggest group of companies in UAE, their really below average website, and the amount of work they ask candidates before interview. Eventually she came into her reasoning once again and praised my excellent work on the presentations and we finished the interview on a good note.
I was informed to wait 15 days for their GM to come back from his travels, for the final round.
So I am there in that depressing office again though staying positive, and confident. Interview went great more of a conversation than Q&As, and I was 99% sure that I killed it.
A few days pass without hearing from anyone, so I decided to call the recruiter, where she told me I wasn't selected and when I asked why she wasn't ready, i guess so she was throwing anything at me, your work wasn't good enough, grammar mistakes, any nonsense to be honest, then I told her please make sure of the reason because I heard different things on my work in the first round where the interviewer praised my work on the presentations, I also asked her if she knows if other candidate made it, is this why? Then she said No we decided not to hire and take down the role for now, I was furious but I kept it Inside and wished them good luck.
The next day she calls me again, where apparently she's got a good reason for why I wasn't selected, it's because I wasn't wearing a full suit to the interview, yes can you believe that? I was shocked, is that really the best excuse that you can come up with? and was it really needed to call me again the next day?
So now came my turn. Firstly in their email it was mentioned to wear professionally but nothing about a full suite, which I completely did follow, showing up there with business shirt, business trousers and shiny business shoes, and to be honest with you, have you taken a look at yourself or employees? slippers!Really?
Secondly if that's your criteria in choosing candidates then I feel so sad for those who wasted their time while you decide on the looks not the hard work. Thirdly what about that much work prepared?yes, why'd you ask me and other candidates to prepare a lot for you? is this some sort of a scam where you collect free data from people and decide not to hire anyone at the end?
Lastly why would you ask me to come for the final round, if I didn't wear full suite in the 1st? I wore same business shirt, trousers and shoes for both occasions? And why coming up with excuses when I called you to follow up and at first discrediting my work while I heard otherwise earlier? And why would you call me again next day?
The whole experience was really exhausting and for absolutely nothing, and the only reason I am writing this is for other good candidates out there not to fall into such companies free data collection trap.