The first stage was really nice and smooth: the recruiter was nice and friendly, and really put me at ease. Therefore, I was really looking forward to the next stage, which was with the Hiring Manager for the position.
Sadly, that was a very negative experience. The manager appeared confused, grumpy, very clueless about the role and its demands, and very defensive when I tried to ask him questions. He also asked to see classified documents from my current company, which was a big "no" from my part. Judging from a previous review, I don't seem to have been the only one having such an experience, which should be a big red flag for the company. This is unfortunate, because We Love X was among my top choices and the first impression had been extremely brilliant.
If I can give We Love X a suggestion, it would be to get the hiring manager into intensive interview training, both for the role as well as in general, as he seems to lack basic people skills required for such a delicate process.
