Recruiters 24

Oddly enough, considering it’s “The Holidays”, I’ve had rather a flurry of recruitment activity this month. There are a couple that I’m quite interested in, a couple that would be okay, and several that, well, let’s just say that there’s not a bargepole long enough for me to touch them with.

There was the wireless voice communications company that focuses on hospital settings. In speaking with the recruiter I had the usual “what-are-you-looking-for”/”what-are-you-offering” dance.

Why is it that companies can’t do their work and determine what the job is worth to them and be done with it?

Anyhow, it turns out that my expectation was just beyond what they want to pay (“though not by much”), so I was surprised to have the recruiter contact me within a day for a phone interview with the hiring manager. To cut this saga short, I spoke with her on the phone and went in for an on-site interview; but I didn’t think it was a good match. Their technology isn’t particularly interesting, its application is limited, and I don’t see it being a stepping stone to something I really want.

Plus—they’re cheap.

So I wasn’t crushed when I got the “we’ve decided to pursue other candidates that more closely match our needs” email.

However, it’s interesting that the job was posted again this week, so I guess their “other candidates” were more in the realm of wish than reality.

The other one that I decided to swing wide of was a start-up in Emeryville (as lousy a commute from Sunnyvale as it’s possible to have), with a technology that I personally find really annoying whenever I encounter it. But there’s a connection to France and I thought it might be worth a shot, in case there’s some flexibility with the commute.

But a phone conversation with the hiring manager disabused me of all interest.

First—more than half her questions were around how I’ve handled various situations involving conflict. Now, a couple of questions on those lines is quite in order; but her coming back again and again threw up more red flags than the game in The Longest Yard.

Then she informed me that they have weekly calls with the development team in Paris. Because the Paris wi-fi is unreliable, they use Skype; and to save money they limit the number of ports, so everyone on the call from the Bay Area has to be in the office. No calling in from home.

It was clear to me that there’s some serious dysfunction in a group of fewer than 80 employees worldwide and that all the flexibility is expected to be unidirectional: employee to employer.

I brought up the conflict with the external recruiter, who professed herself astonished to hear about it, because she knew nothing.

I myself in turn was surprised to be told that the hiring manager had passed on me because of my “lack of experience working with remote development teams”—since for the last three years that’s precisely what I’ve been doing. Moreover, I’ve worked for and with French companies and have considerable experience with the, ah, culture.

It was because I questioned what’s up with the conflict questions.

Well—I’m holding out hope for a couple of opportunities. One would be really good, a company that really does respect its employees. The other is on the “best companies to work for” lists, but that remains to be seen.

Let’s hope the New Year brings one of these home, early on.