Woman rejected CMO position after interview focused on kids and personal life
A woman was rejected for a CMO position after the interviewer only asked her personal questions relating to her young kids and husband. Many LinkedIn users were quick to relate to the post.
New Delhi: A woman from Delhi took to LinkedIn to share how she was rejected for the role of a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) after the interview primarily focused on her personal life. To her astonishment, the interviewer revealed that her young children were partially the reason she had not landed the opportunity. The woman shared the screenshot of her WhatsApp conversation with the interviewer on the professional platform.
Pragya, a marketing professional, detailed how the interview with a consumer brand representative turned out to be a bitter experience. Despite giving the interviewer an elaborate explanation about her 11-year-long career, they restricted their questions to her personal life. In her post, Pragya stated that the question ranged from who would take care of their young children while she worked to how her husband's startup was doing.
Woman rejected job after being interviewed about personal life
"No further questions on my experience, revenue I handled, businesses I grew, industries I worked in, my achievements, my failures, challenging projects I worked on, or amazing work that I have ever delivered," said the disappointed woman.
She claimed that she instantly realised she was not getting the job. Following the interview, she contacted HR on WhatsApp. The HR told the woman that she was rejected. When asked a feedback, the HR claimed that having young kids was one of the reasons.
"This has happened to many of my friends, despite having privileged access to an amazing network, pedigree, and solid work experience. They were either overlooked for promotions, given a minimal hike, or put on 'easy' projects," said the marketing professional.
The marketing professional concluded," I’ve observed that most senior leadership roles — including CEOs, CXOs, and CHROs — are predominantly held by men..." She concluded the post by asking if anybody has gone through such experiences.
Many netizens commented on the post. One wrote, "Went through the same thing. I wanted to be transparent during my interviews and mentioned that I have a one-year-old. Got ghosted from every recruiter." Another stated, "This is so infuriating and it is common...."