2 months after submitting my application online, I received a phone call from a Talent Specialist here in Athens, inviting me for an interview. While I always review the job description and company website upon applying, I admit neglecting Glassdoor in this instance. Had I checked, I might have reconsidered submitting my application.
After reviewing Glassdoor reviews and privately contacting former employees, it became clear that:
Statistically, the 48% negative reviews held considerable merit. The Glassdoor reviews described a work environment characterized by nepotism, confirming what many Greeks have worned me of, while former employees confirmed low wages, unpaid overtime, and a "waterfall" work approach.
Yet, you never know, with the benefit of the doubt, I accepted the interview, which unfortunately reflected an old-fashioned process.
The interview included two people the latter remaining silent throughout. I expected an apology for the two-month ghosting, customary in modern hiring, but none came. The 30-minute call lacked technical interviewers, a standard element in modern processes allowing potential tech candidates to immediately understand if they want to go further or drop the process.
The interviewer lacked the usual enthusiasm and "selling" power expected to attract talent. Their questions were banal, outdated, and some even inappropriate.
The advertised job, listed task as "Lead UX projects" and required "4+ years of work experience" (this is my nineth year). I requested €40k, aligned with data from Marathon VC's 2022 Greek tech startup research, and the budget of other 4 startups (not multi-million dollar businesses like PeopleCert) I talked, included another one I'm still in the process with. Three of these even offered up to €50k.
Despite their €3B valuation, €450M spent to acquire another business in UK, and millions in profits, their budget was just €28k (€1k below the median salary for this role, Marathon VC data) and just €147 above the minimum you need to get to live in Athens (Numbeo data).
My request was apparently acceptable for a senior figure, but it seems they weren't seeking one.
When I pointed out the advertised requirement of UX project leadership and 4+ years of experience, there was no response. I mean neither "uh sorry we made a mistake" nothing.
The ability to lead UX projects and the 4+ years requirment cannot be quantified in just €147 above the minimum net salary of €1.3k required to literally exist in Athens (numbeo data), especially considering the company's financial success.
Later, I received a generic, unmodified template email stating their decision not to proceed, while obviously it was me in the call who stated I didn't want to proceed and the lack of adjustment in the template just point out the general respect towards candidates.