I have an interview today but I'm concerned about the legitimacy of the interviewer.

8 Comments

1. AnonymousOctober 22,2024 at 3:23PM UTC

   If it's in person, you should definitely tell someone where you are going. Maybe have them drip you off and wait.

   If it's virtual, make sure the hyperlink is from a legitimate videoconferencing company.

   If it's over the phone, you can still take the interview. The ball is always in your court to say "thank you so much for your time. Candidly, I don't think I'm the right fit" at any time during the interview.

   I would look for red flags during the interview process, and then ask then if you could start the interview with a question about their org structure and who you would be reporting into.

   Again, listen for red flags on asking about personal information. You can politely say 'can you rephrase that?' or 'just for my understanding, can you let me know how this (question) is related to the role or employment with your company?' and if you're still dubious, just say 'can we skip that one and come back to it later?'

   If you don't feel comfortable in bringing up the title changes, at the end when they're ready for questions (and make sure to ask if you'll have time at the end to ask questions to them), ask them what was the reason they are hiring for the role? Is it due to a re-org or is it a back fill? And then make a comment about how you were curious about the changes they've created on their LinkedIn and to provide more info on the org structure, cross functional teams you'll be working with, and who you'll be reporting to.

2. maria roseOctober 24,2024 at 7:04PM UTC

   If you, the OP, are feeling ( for lack of better term) being played or scammed for whatever purpose during the interview process before a potential job offer, you are totally right to question whether this is a clear indication of the company’s treatment of their employees. Yeah, startups don’t have everything in place but the business model of being a business does have a legal standard and if they are still working on who has what titles , you are entitled to both ask and be given a definitive explanation especially if this is a startup company where there’s a lot of changes still occurring. You, the OP, must be able to ride with the wave of constant update changes and figure out what you get from becoming part of this project. If this makes you question the validity of the company, you, the OP, are completely correct to not consent to the interview without knowing clarification.

3. AnonymousOctober 22,2024 at 4:07PM UTC

   There may have been a very recent change in leadership that hasn't been fully publicized. It's possible the person who is supposed to interview you is no longer with the company but no one has mentioned it. Anyone can put what they want on their LI profile. I'd trust the website for job title.

4. Anne KrookOctober 22,2024 at 5:12PM UTC

   I wouldn't worry. Not everyone updates LinkedIn frequently. You can always ask about the change ("I reviewed the company website and I noticed some leadership changes. Can you tell me what everyone is working on now?")

5. AnonymousOctober 22,2024 at 8:21PM UTC

   If it's a startup expect daily changes to his title and duties. It's a moving target.

   I would research the company, leaders (all of them) and investors. Bottom line they may be a fly-by-night company or shell company covering up who they are and where their money is if they have any.

6. AnonymousOctober 23,2024 at 2:28PM UTC

   this is sounds like LI scamming. I’d contact his corporate to see if this person actually work there, withdraw job application to prevent being assaulted, notify their corporate lawyer, if getting worse send disgraced suspect to law enforcement

7. AnonymousOctober 23,2024 at 5:00PM UTC

   Have you gone to the companies website and or if they are a startup gone to their funding page on crunchbase? Definitely verify the email address in the emails sent to assure that you are speaking to someone who works for the company or represents them. Do not share any personal information, or social security numbers or other with them until you verify things. Ask the person at the start of the conversation to explain to you the shift by saying "Before we start can you explain to my your role and title. I am a bit confused". See what the response is and write it down exactly as they say it.

   You never know what is going on behind the scenes unless you ask directly. Good luck.

8. AnonymousOctober 23,2024 at 5:21PM UTC

   Is it a start up? That would explain a lot of this. However, trust your gut. If it doesn't feel right, it's usually not. I'd walk away. I most definitely would not agree to meet in person. Be safe.