The recruiter contacted me first for a telephone interview and then set up an appointment for a face-to-face interview. It was a panet interview consisting the Sr Benefits Specialist, the Department Manager and the Regional Manager. They all took turns in asking questions. The questions were basically about customer service and ability to work under pressure. There were several situational questions like...tell us a time when you gave superior customer service...

I recently applied for a role for which I was significantly overqualified, and the hiring process left me questioning what employers are actually evaluating. The initial “interview” consisted of a timed virtual desktop exercise requiring applicants to locate files, send emails, and perform basic cut-and-paste tasks—skills that were already demonstrated by successfully completing the online application. To make matters worse, much of the text on the virtual desktop was difficult to read within the allotted time. The next stage required candidates to record video responses to predetermined questions, effectively conducting an interview with themselves rather than engaging in a conversation with a hiring manager. Advancement to the next round depended largely on performance in these artificial assessments rather than experience, qualifications, or the ability to perform the actual job. At some point, hiring processes stop measuring talent and start measuring a candidate’s ability to navigate unnecessary obstacles.