The real kicker is if she went through this, and the employer already had someone else already in mind—employers have been playing that game for at least 15 years.
Yep, Illegal immigration. Employers ae looking at ways not to hire American workers on basis of “unique qualifications” the American worker could not fill but which the migrant could….
Hence the 20 interviews, much like when the Army recruiter told everyone you can keep your motorcycle if you like your motorcycle but then gave you 20 inspections and 2 test rides to prove it only to be denied because they ratted you out to the military life insurance policy or something like that.
employers have been playing that game for at least 15 years.
If they need help how can they possibly devote so much time to an interview process they don’t intend complete?
Who has time to play games? Nobody in his right mind does.
Most mornings I wake up and pinch myself because I am so happy to be out of the workforce. I had the initial round of offers for work after I retired but after enough turn downs and going on 6 years that has ended and I am now forgotten. My peers are retired now like I am. End of an era.
I had this experience at least once. For one, during the 2 hour interview the hiring manager took a call in front of me.
He was being informed about going out to lunch with the other candidate who was in the building at the same time! What I was able to do at the “do you have any questions for me?” time was zero in was why they extended an interview to me. What I found out was that I had a very unique background (education and work history) and it is very rare in the field. I was able to glean from him that the other guy went to “the right school”. So I threw it on the table - they were on the horns of a dilemma - guy with proven track record with the skill set vs guy who went to the “right school”. He admitted it. It looked like they wanted to keep me on the hook in case their guy turned them down.
Did I waste my time? Did I resent it? Absolutely not!! I got some good interview practice, some good war stories, and his picking up the phone for a non-emergency call during the interview (plus a couple other things) ... it helped me decide as I walked out the door that I’d never, never work for that company.
In subsequent years I interviewed people to work for me. Based on how I was “mis-treated” in my interviews of the past, I made it a point not to make those mistakes. It also taught me a lot how to “smoke out” bad candidates and identify good ones.
I can testify to the 15 years - absolutely started for me then