Hands Down the Worst Recruiting Experience I’ve Had

I was really excited about this company I applied to. My first interview went well…at least I thought so. The recruiter said she’d follow up with next steps and that I could reach out with any questions. Then… nothing. For FOUR months. I followed up multiple times and got no response.

Out of nowhere, she emails me saying the company is excited to move forward with next steps. No apology or acknowledgment of the long time gap. At this point, I’m already annoyed, but I give her the benefit of the doubt—maybe she somehow missed my emails? Fine.

She includes a link to book the interview, so I schedule it and immediately get a confirmation email. Odd. The issue? There are zero details. No information on how the interview will be conducted, no instructions, just the time and the interviewer’s name. So I email her again asking for clarification, how should I prepare? Is this a phone call, virtual, in-person? That was two weeks ago. Silence.

Now my interview is on Monday, and I don’t even know if it’s still happening. I have no idea what to expect, and I’m left with zero confidence that this interview will actually take place or that I’ll get any prep. I went from being excited to work there to realizing what a complete mess this place is. If this is how they treat candidates, I can only imagine what it’s like working there.

The last time I interviewed somewhere was before the pandemic….is this just how things are now? Has recruiting really gotten this bad? Anyone else dealt with something this ridiculous?