I recently interviewed for a BDR position at Ideagen and was genuinely enthusiastic about the opportunity. I did thorough research on the company’s offerings, market presence, and mission, and came to the interview prepared with well-thought-out questions that I asked throughout the conversation. Unfortunately, the experience was soured by the feedback I received from Tom Newberry, the Director of Business Development. He claimed I was unprepared and didn’t ask questions — both of which were completely false. I took the interview seriously and came ready to engage in a meaningful conversation. To be told otherwise felt incredibly dismissive and, frankly, dishonest. It's disappointing to have your efforts minimized, especially when the feedback doesn’t reflect the reality of the conversation. Candidates put in time, effort, and energy to present their best selves — the least a company can do is provide honest and respectful feedback. I hope Ideagen takes a closer look at how its leadership handles the candidate experience. Professionalism, accuracy, and integrity should be a two-way street.

Following a couple of initial calls, I went to Nottingham HQ for an interview. I was only informed at the start of the interview that they were no longer recruiting for the role that I had applied for, and spent the rest of the meeting talking vaguely about a ‘potential’ alternative BD role that may or may not materialise. There was a ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude in the room from the two hiring managers. I explained what had happened to my lead contact before I left for home, and this person said “yeah, they’ve Ideagened it”. Sure enough it didn’t amount to anything apart from wasting my time and money.