A jobseeker recounted facing the “rudest phone screening ever” where a recruiter’s behaviour quickly went from mildly uncomfortable to outright aggressive. The post, which gained attention on Reddit, sparked a debate over hiring managers’ behaviours with potential clients.
Sharing his experience on Reddit, the man said the screening call began in a fairly routine manner after he had submitted his CV. The recruiter asked standard questions about his background, work experience and skills. While the caller’s tone was “very loud and aggressive” from the outset, the man said he ignored it until the conversation took an inappropriate turn.
According to the post, the recruiter began asking personal questions, including “Are you married?” and “Do you have kids?” The man hit back, asking how such questions were relevant to the position.
However, things became worse when the topic of salary came up. When he stated that his salary was non-negotiable, the recruiter “went off” and began shouting: “Why do you need such a high salary?”
The poster expressed frustration at the exchange. “What do these people think? They think I work for free? They think an engineering degree and years of experience aren’t worth a decent salary?” he wrote.
His post has since gained attention, with commenters slamming the recruiter’s conduct.
“Sorry you had to deal with that. Goes to show there are all kinds of nut jobs that, unfortunately, might hold the key to a job. Try to forget about it, and tell it again as a funny story 10, 20 years later,” said one of them.
Another added, “That’s absolutely unacceptable. No one should have to defend their personal life or salary expectations to some power-tripping recruiter with zero professionalism.”