interviewer was irate that I hadn’t read their (unavailable) action plan

A reader writes:

I’ve just had the strangest interview experience. After the hiring manager and I introduced ourselves, she opened by asking, “Have you read our action plan?”

I had not. I pivoted and replied that I’d read a couple other documents which are prominently linked on the company’s website, especially the one titled “’24-’27 Plan.” She indicated that was an outdated document, and that she was glad to know I hadn’t read it, as it would inform our interview moving forward. Okay.

She mentioned the action plan later in the interview, and I indicated I was looking forward to reading it and was sorry to have missed it.

Towards the end, she asked if I had any questions for her. I did. I asked. She said, “Well, that would have been answered in the action plan.”

Me: “I can’t wait to read this plan — I’m going to find it as soon as we’re done with our conversation here!”

Her: “It was linked in the job description on our careers page that you applied on.”

Me: “Oh gosh — I for sure would have clicked on a live link in a job description. I can’t imagine how I missed that. I’ll go there as soon as we’re done and review it so I can be up to date with your organization.”

Her: “I strongly suggest you familiarize yourself with it.”

We end the interview.

I search the website.

There is no document. Not where she said it would be, and not anywhere else on their website. I sent the page to some friends so I could have fresh eyes, and we googled. References to the doc exist, but the doc itself? Nothing.

I emailed her asking for a PDF or a link and have heard nothing.

I assume I’m not getting the job, but what just happened to me?

You encountered an incompetent. A rude incompetent.

If they wanted you to read their action plan before they interviewed you, they should have told you that and sent it to you. That’s true even if it was linked in the job description, which it wasn’t. When you’re interviewing people and you want them to have read something specific beforehand, you tell them that in advance so that your time together can be spent as usefully as possible.

Moreover, what’s up with this organization prominently linking a “’24-’27 Plan” if it’s outdated? That’s what reflects badly on someone in this equation, and that someone is not you.

Assume you got useful data about the hiring manager and the org and so, in that respect, the interview actually did serve your purposes well!

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