An interview of a lifetime

Thoughts of moving to a greener pastures have crossed my mind several times in the past months. In fact, last January, I spoke to Mr. AAM, the HR Manager or Aminat and concurrently GSI. He promised to look into my application but he never really gave his commitment. He did reply to my email though and that’s fine with me. It’s not that I’m not happy with where I am today. I’ve been working for my current company for almost a decade and I want new challenge.

Last week was really a surprise since an Executive Search firm tried to contact me. I gave them my Training and later on my HR profiles. Last Wednesday, 23 February 2011, the Executive Search firm arranged an interview for me with the VP for Shared Services for an Industrial Group in Riyadh. I was hesitant at first since moving to Riyadh did not really cross my mind. Aside from that, I’ve heard horror stories about Riyadh. They also asked me to appear on skype which incidentally, I don’t have an account much less know how to operate it. I had to drag A. with me to an internet café in Al Khobar on that day.

The interview started very well until the third phase. I was able to answer all the questions they asked to me intelligently. It’s quite surprising actually considering that I haven’t been subjected to an interview for so long. I’ve been doing series of interviews as part of my role in recruitment but I was never the subject or the applicant. Experience is a very good teacher as they say since I just answered practically from my experience. I also knew that I had it and that the job was for me. They were wrapping up the interview when suddenly the VP for Shared Services asked me an illegal question. For the information of people who are not HR practitioners, illegal questions are questions that are unprofessional, unethical and discriminatory and are totally unrelated to the requirements of the position. As an HR practitioner, I was appalled by the question that was thrown to me. Nagpantig ang tenga ko so I just told the interviewer that “That is an illegal question. In the States, you could go to jail for that. It’s demeaning and discriminatory. I don’t think I’m interested in your company anymore, Sir.”

The interviewer was shocked when I told him that. Actually his face was frozen in the skype screen. I then told A. to turn off the camera. I never thanked them and he did not say anything. We just turned off the screen and walked away. I never regretted telling him that. As an HR practitioner of his stature, he should know better. We don’t do that kind of practices in our company. We are very professional in our dealing and I guess we embody our Core Values.

What the interviewer did to me is that he put me on the spot. I was on a lose-lose situation. Whatever my answer is, I would still be rejected. If I answered no, I’ll be lying to myself. If I say yes to his question, I’ll be doomed. Good thing my mind is sharp and I was able to retaliate right away. I was able to remember that what he asked me was an illegal question. I told him exactly how I felt that what he asked was an illegal question. I know that by doing so, I’ll also lose my opportunity to be hired in his company. I did not regret what I did. I turned the table very well and I rejected them before they could reject me.

What that company never realized is that I never applied to them. I was called upon by an executive search firm. I was not in a desperate situation where I would lie just to get the job. If I lied to them and was hired on the process, I don’t think I will be happy. I will never be happy in their company.

I consulted my friend D. before I underwent with the interview. He told me to just go through the process. How would you know that you have what it takes if you don’t try? So I head his advice and went through with the interview. There’s one thing I learned with that interview. I’ve learned that I was sharper than before and that my experience will be very helpful. If the interviewer would be fair, I am confident that I’ll pass it with flying colors.

If given another opportunity to be interviewed in the future, I would still say yes. There’s no harm in trying and I guess, interviewing skills is like a knife, the more you hone it the more it becomes sharper.